Chapter 14:

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Melany stood there, just as shocked as he was. It was one thing for Allison to lose her temper, but to hit her and then slap Colton?!

No one could have imagined the normally sweet, docile woman would deliver such a blow.

The Allison who once endured everything without a word had vanished.

“Lost my mind? Well, I’ve always been like this,” Allison remarked, wiping her fingers with a wet wipe, her voice laced with sarcasm. She didn’t need much to piece it together—Melany and Colton had been entangled from the moment she’d returned to the country.

“Mr. Stevens, your grandpa’s getting discharged tomorrow. I’ll be there. But as for my invitation to Cobweb, I’ll be taking that back.”

Colton opened his mouth to respond, but Allison silenced him with a dazzling smile.

“A man as generous as you wouldn’t object, right? I mean, you don’t still have any lingering feelings for me that would stop you from letting it go, do you?”

Her challenge struck a nerve. Colton’s expression darkened.

“It’s just an intel network—full of back-alley nobodies! You think the Stevens family’s survival hangs on Cobweb? I’ll prove to you that even without it, I’ll land the biggest advertiser in Ontdale!”

His dark eyes blazed with fury, barely holding back the storm brewing beneath.

“Pack your things and be gone by tomorrow! Take every last thing that’s yours. I don’t want a trace of your filthy junk left behind.”

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Allison just smiled at him again, as if his words were nothing more than background noise. She pointed to the suit he was wearing.

“But I designed that myself. If it’s as dirty as you say, shouldn’t you give it back?”

The suit had always been one of her proudest creations—flawless tailoring, ruby-studded buttons gleaming against the sleek black fabric.

Colton had worn it all this time, assuming she’d bought it somewhere fancy.

Still seething, he ripped the clothes off and tossed them at her feet with a sneer.

“Figures someone from your world wouldn’t get it. Take it all—I couldn’t care less.”

Allison caught the jacket without a word, then turned and dumped it into a nearby trash bin.

“Great.”

Colton’s face twisted in disbelief. This woman was doing it deliberately, and it was working!

Outside, a small crowd had gathered, whispering to one another as they watched the spectacle unfold.

“Is that guy some sort of kept man? Looks like they’re breaking up, and he’s giving her stuff back,” one person murmured.

“Yeah, and did you see the new girlfriend? He’s not wasting any time after the divorce,” another chimed in.

Colton’s face darkened further as their words hit home, his temper barely in check. He was on the verge of snapping when he noticed Allison driving off, her car leaving a trail of dust in its wake.

How had he missed this side of her—the fierceness lurking beneath her once-quiet demeanor?

Meanwhile, in the luxury suite aboard the Royal Princess, Kellan didn’t wake up until the sun was already high. The room still carried the faint traces of last night’s indulgence, with the bed in utter disarray.

Like a predator stirring from sleep, he lazily reached for the other side of the bed. The pillow was cold—whoever had been there was long gone. His eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing briefly in their depths. He reached under the pillow and pulled out a pearl necklace, likely left behind in the hasty departure.

He turned it over in his hand—a pristine string of pearls, centered by a bold red agate gem. The piece was striking, almost untamed, much like its owner! Beneath her composed surface, there had always been something wild, something reckless.

Kellan massaged his temples, the vivid image of the woman’s lithe silhouette from the previous night still dancing on the edge of his consciousness. Her words echoed in his mind, laced with arrogance and certainty.

“I’ll be in charge!”

Even Kellan had to admit, her movements were sharp and deliberate. Although she hadn’t fought in ages, she’d still managed to injure him—a sign of the strength lurking beneath her composed exterior.

Kellan had always been drawn to danger like a moth to a flame. Whether it was the roar of engines in a race or the heavy thud of fists in the ring, he craved those moments teetering on the brink, where a split second determined everything. That high was more than just a thrill—it was an addiction.

And last night? That had been something else. A clash of equals. The kind of encounter that made his pulse race long after the dust had settled.

But what gnawed at him now was the sense that they were cut from the same cloth. They hadn’t just met by chance—they’d been pulled into each other’s orbit, as if guided by some unseen force.

Caught up in his thoughts, Kellan reached for his phone, but his fingers stopped short when he spotted a note beneath the gun on his nightstand, held down by a wad of cash. The handwriting was a mess, but the message was crystal clear:

“Your performance was dreadful. Consider this your tip after a deduction.”

His eyes darkened for a moment, but then a slow chuckle escaped his lips.

That was so like her. He could practically see the smug smirk she must’ve worn when she scribbled those words. How could anyone be that bold? The thought only made him more intrigued.

He punched in a number, his voice turning cold as he gave out his orders. “Handle the ones who followed me last night. Stick to the usual process. I don’t want them surfacing again.”

“It’s already been taken care of.” The voice on the other end quivered slightly, as though bracing for Kellan’s fury. “We still haven’t figured out who sent them, though.”

“That drug last night? It came from Shadow’s new stash. Track down whoever was behind it.”

Kellan paused, his hand tightening around the necklace he was holding.

“And find out who the woman in Room 403 was.”

“Understood, sir!”

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