Chapter 23: Colton's face was a storm silently brewing, 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 his sudden outburst, moved slowly, their spirits sour as they loaded everything into 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 that get under your skin, Colton? This is going to be our home.
It doesn't make you happy.
The idle chatter of those beneath her didn't deserve a second thought.
They didn't know anything.
No matter how many cards Allison thought she had up her sleeve, Melany was the one destined to be at 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.
Her room was the same as always, except for one detail.
There, on the table, was a small, elegant box.
Allison's wedding ring.
I hadn't thought about it in ages.
Keanu had taken pity on her at the time, pressuring her to rush through the ceremony, and they had only gotten a limited-edition diamond ring.
Colton himself had never worn his ring.
He had kept it in the safe, out of sight, out of mind.
It was the second time he had seen Allison's ring; The first was at her wedding.
It had cost about four hundred thousand.
Although it wasn't as extravagant as the ring he had quietly bought for Melany, for someone like Allison - who had nothing - it had been a fortune.
Yet she had left it with him.
Colton walked over to the closet and opened it to reveal the rings.
intact relics of Allison's past: luxurious dresses and jewelry hung with meticulous care.
Even the limited-edition handbags, each worth a small fortune, were intact.
They were things he'd given her without much thought over the years, or that Lindy had bought for her.
Allison had kept everything that was truly hers.
But the lavish gifts from the Stevens family had been left behind without a second glance.
It should have been easy, this clear separation.
But when Colton put a hand to his chest, an unexpected heaviness settled over him, as if something had silently slipped away, leaving behind a space he hadn't noticed before.
His heart felt strangely empty.
I had no sense of belonging.
Colton, stop thinking about it.
Although Allison received that invitation from Cobweb, I have already had my father look into it.
She assumed his silence was frustration and spoke, hoping to comfort him.
Whoever the advertising executive is doesn't matter.
I've found a clue.
Allison's parting words had hurt more than Melany cared to admit, even though she'd probably said them in passing.
But for Melany, they were an unspoken challenge that she was determined to overcome.
She wouldn't spend her life being Allison's second.
What kind of leader? Kellan Lloyd, the heir to the Lloyd Group.
He has contacts with the advertising executive.
If we can get him on our side, he will be ours.
He's been around Athton lately, something about ceramics.
Colton considered his words before nodding, moving closer to gently run his fingers through her hair.
Melany, you always know exactly what I need.
It was decided.
He would beat Kellan at Athton, and this time failure was not an option.
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