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Chapter 23
Colton's face was a silently brewing storm, his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
"Pack your bags and get out! And by the way, stop spreading lies in my territory!"
The workers, taken aback by her sudden outburst, moved slowly, their spirits sour as they loaded everything onto the truck, grumbling under their breath.
“Look at that pair.
They couldn’t be more different if they tried,” one of them muttered.
Colton was about to explode.
He cursed: "Bunch of bastards!"
Melany clung to his arm.
“Why do you let people like this get under your skin, Colton? This is going to be our home.
Doesn’t it make you happy?”
The idle chatter of those below her was not worth a second thought.
They knew nothing.
No matter how many cards Allison thought she had up her sleeve, Melany was the one destined to be by Colton's side.
“Of course, I’m happy.
My future is with you.
” The weight of his grandfather’s disappointment lingered, robbing him of any desire to continue arguing.
He took Melany to the second floor.
His room was the same as always, except for one detail.
There, on the table, was a small, elegant box.
Allison's wedding ring.
She hadn't thought about it in ages.
Keanu had taken pity on her at the time, pressuring her to hurry up with the ceremony, and they had only gotten a limited edition diamond ring.
Colton himself had never worn her ring.
He'd kept it in the safe, out of sight, out of mind.
It was the second time he'd seen Allison's ring; the first was at her wedding.
It had cost about four hundred thousand.
Although it was not as extravagant as the ring he had discreetly bought for Melany, for someone like Allison - who had nothing - it had been a fortune.
However, she had left it to him.
Colton walked over to the closet and opened it to reveal untouched relics of Allison’s past: luxurious dresses and jewelry hung with meticulous care.
Even the limited edition handbags, each valued at a small fortune, were untouched.
They were things he'd given her without much thought over the years, or things Lindy had bought for her.
Allison had kept everything that was truly hers.
But the lavish gifts from the Stevens family? She'd left them behind without a second glance.
It should have been easy, this clear separation.
But when Colton raised a hand to his chest, an unexpected heaviness settled over him, as if something had slipped silently away, leaving behind a space he hadn’t noticed before.
His heart felt strangely empty.
He had no sense of belonging.
“Colton, stop beating around the bush.
Even though Allison got that invitation from Cobweb, I’ve already had my dad look into it.
” She assumed his silence was frustration and spoke up, hoping to comfort him.
“Whoever the advertising executive is, it doesn’t matter.
I’ve found a lead.
”
Allison's parting words had hurt more than Melany cared to admit, even though they had probably been said in passing.
But to Melany, they were an unspoken challenge she was determined to overcome.
She would not spend her life being second to Allison.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.
"What kind of leader?"
«Kellan Lloyd, the heir to the Lloyd Group.
He has connections with the advertising executive.
If we can get him on our side, he's ours.
He's been around Athton lately, something about pottery.
»
Colton weighed her words before nodding, reaching over to gently run his fingers through her hair.
“Melany, you always know exactly what I need.
” His mind was made up.
He would win Kellan over at Athton, and this time failure was not an option.