Chapter 82:

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“Colton!” Melany rushed over, panic flashing in her eyes as she tried to help him to his feet. He was sprawled across the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, his body a tangled mess. His wrist, nearly shattered, sent searing pain through his bones with the slightest movement. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to gather his thoughts and form words.

“You’ve all gone too far!” Melany’s voice cracked as she clenched her jaw, her eyes blazing with fury.

Who could have anticipated Kellan’s sudden appearance, let alone his man breaking Colton’s wrist in broad daylight? Her gaze flickered toward the security cameras outside the building, a fleeting hope rising in her chest. “This is assault! You’ve broken the law!”

Kellan responded with a light chuckle, clearly amused by her accusation. His mood was almost buoyant. “Really? By all means, file a lawsuit or call the police. Though you’ll find no witnesses. And wouldn’t you know it? The cameras are unfortunately broken.”

Melany’s face drained of color, her body freezing in place. Everyone knew that Kellan had connections in both high society and the darkest corners. Legalities, in his world, were mere formalities.

“Mr. Lloyd,” Melany stammered, her voice trembling, “what exactly did we do to offend you?” Her attempt at diplomacy was laced with fear, but Kellan didn’t even spare her a glance.

“Offend me? You didn’t. I’m just in a bad mood today,” he said casually, his tone dripping with indifference.

Allison couldn’t suppress a laugh at his blatant arrogance. Kellan, it seemed, truly didn’t care.

Without even turning his head, Kellan tossed a card toward Colton. “For your hospital bills.”

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The card landed with a humiliating smack across Colton’s face before falling to the ground. The gesture was so insulting that even words would have failed to capture its full meaning. Colton opened his mouth, ready to shout curses, but the movement pulled at his broken wrist, and a sharp gasp of pain escaped him instead.

Watching Colton and Melany wallow in their misery, Allison felt a rare flicker of satisfaction. Quietly, she retracted the small blade she’d kept hidden, then turned her attention to Kellan.

“And what brings you here, Mr. Lloyd?”

Kellan raised a hand, casually swinging a handbag. “You forgot this when you left. I thought there might be something important inside, so I figured I’d return it.”

Allison blinked, momentarily surprised. She had been so preoccupied with observing the house’s décor for clues that she had completely forgotten her bag. Thankfully, nothing of significant value had been left in it.

However, Colton overheard their exchange, and the ease with which they conversed felt like a punch to his gut. The familiarity, the way they interacted—it was undeniable. These two were closer than he had ever imagined.

At that moment, the painful truth hit him like a freight train. They were together.

Fueled by rage, Colton ignored the sharp agony in his wrist and staggered forward, taking several unsteady steps. He was careful not to get too close to Kellan. Through gritted teeth, he spat, “So, it’s true! You two are living together!” The pain from his wrist made his knees weak, and although he hadn’t seen a doctor yet, he knew with certainty his wrist was broken.

“Allison, how long has it even been since our divorce? Were you already lining up your next man while we were still together?”

Colton’s fury was palpable as he glared at Kellan, who seemed completely unfazed by the accusation. Then, as though a lightbulb flickered on in his memory, Colton recalled how, during that infamous yacht trip, Allison had coldly snapped a thug’s arm without a second thought.

She had tossed money at the thug afterward, dismissing it as payment for his medical bills.

It hit him like a tidal wave—Kellan and Allison’s behavior was eerily alike. The same detached gaze, the same utter disregard for his anger. His outbursts, his fury, it was nothing more than the wind blowing past them, irrelevant and beneath their notice.

Even their generosity, paying for medical bills, was a gesture of disgust rather than concern. They simply wanted to clean their hands of the mess, as though his suffering was a stain they couldn’t be bothered with.

Melany, still clutching onto Colton, wore a face of pure outrage.

“That’s right! How can you treat us like this?” she hissed, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

“And Mr. Lloyd,” Melany continued, her voice sharpening, “when we were in Athton, I thought you were only helping Allison out of a desire for peace, that you just didn’t want to be bothered. But now, seeing how close you two are, this is clearly more than friendship, isn’t it? You always said you weren’t interested in—”

“Women, but here we are! Even if you’ve been with her, that doesn’t mean you can take it out on us!”

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