Chapter 16: Melany's eyes blazed with fury as she fixed Allison with a venomous glare.

"You!" Her voice trembled with anger, but fear held her back. She knew better than to push her luck with someone as unpredictable as Allison, especially when there was a real chance this woman might carry out her threat.

Allison, unfazed by the venom in Melany's gaze, smirked. Her eyes gleamed with wicked amusement.

"Haven't you thought this through, Melany?" she asked, feigning concern. "The Stevens Group has so many employees depending on it. If the stock takes a hit, it'll gut the company's profits. Could you really live with yourself, knowing those people might lose their jobs just because the company's reputation goes down the drain?" Allison's smirk deepened. She relished giving others a taste of their own bitter medicine.

"It's a simple thing I'm asking for. Refusing to agree—well, that would make you cruel, wouldn't it?" Melany had spent her life playing the role of the delicate victim, using her frailty to bend others to her will. But now that her own tactics were being used against her, she wished she could slap the smugness off Allison's face.

She instinctively looked to Colton for support, but his jaw was clenched, fury etched into every line of his face. Melany bit her lip, playing her trump card.

"Colton," she whispered, her voice trembling with practiced fragility, "if giving up my leg is what it takes to clear the Stevens name, and if that's what Allison wants—then I'm willing to do it." She gazed at him pitifully, as though ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of their family's honor. With a sigh of martyrdom, she prepared to kneel, eyes fluttering shut.

As expected, Colton's expression twisted in anguish. He grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Melany, you don't have to do this," he said, his voice tight with emotion. "She's playing with us. Even if we broke our legs, someone like her—someone who lies through her teeth—would never follow through on her promises!"

Allison's lips curled into a slow, mocking chuckle. "Oh, is that what you're worried about, Mr. Stevens? Well, that's easy enough to fix. You could just record a video for proof, right?"

With deliberate slowness, she drew a gleaming dagger from her jacket; the blade caught the light with a sinister gleam.

"Since Melany loves you so much," she cooed, her voice dripping with false sweetness, "I'd be more than happy to help you make it happen. Why wait? Let's start right now."

She stepped toward Melany with predatory grace, her movements slow and deliberate, like a shadow creeping across the floor.

"What...what are you doing?" Melany stammered, her voice trembling as she shrank behind Colton, her eyes wide with fear. She had been so sure that Allison wouldn't actually go through with it—that she was just bluffing. But the memory of Allison slicing off her hair with nothing but a knife flashed before her eyes, reminding her that this woman didn't play by anyone's rules but her own.

Colton's face drained of color as he instinctively stepped in front of Melany, his arm raised protectively.

"Allison, stop this. Melany has nothing to do with your feud. You're the one who chose to go up against the Stevens family. Whatever happens now, you'll never use my grandfather's name to weasel your way back in!"

Allison, unimpressed, twirled the dagger in her fingers with a smirk. "Oh, please. I'm not like some people who cling to the scraps of the Stevens family name." Her eyes swept over them with detached amusement, her lips curling into a sly smile. "But I thought you two were supposed to be the self-sacrificing type? How come the mere thought of losing a leg has you shaking in your boots?" Her sarcasm was not lost on Colton. He clenched his fists at his sides, rage simmering just beneath the surface. How had Allison become so cruel?

Before he could respond, a swarm of reporters descended like vultures.

"Mr. Stevens, Miss Johnson, why did you two suddenly leave the signing event? Is it true you knew about the plagiarism scandal before it broke? Oh, and Miss Johnson, when you vouched for Onyx, did you ever stop to consider he might fail?" Cameras flashed relentlessly as the reporters pushed their microphones into their faces, amplifying the chaos.

Melany felt exposed, like the walls were closing in, the bright lights catching every flicker of panic in her eyes. A few reporters recognized Allison and shifted their attention to her, sensing a potential scoop.

"Ms. Clarke, is your appearance here today purely coincidental?"

She raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Coincidental? Perhaps. But I do have something that might interest you all." With a wicked smile, Allison produced a small recorder from her pocket and pressed play.

The unmistakable voices of Melany and Colton rang out, clear as day. "...Onyx just made a mistake. He isn't a bad person. Even if he plagiarized, we can handle this quietly...How could you let it become public? Allison, this is your last chance. Get the media off our backs, call a press conference, and say this was all a misunderstanding. I'll make sure you're well compensated."

It turned out their entire conversation had been recorded. Colton and Melany stared at Allison, their shock evident as they whipped around to face her. A small, satisfied smile played on her lips as she handed the recorder to a nearby reporter.

In the next moment, unbridled chaos erupted! Reporters practically tripped over one another, eager for the perfect headline.

"Mr. Stevens, are you covering up Onyx's plagiarism?" one journalist asked sharply.

"Miss Johnson, are you keeping this under wraps for the company's benefit?" another chimed in, pushing closer. The nearest reporters clung to the recording device like a lifeline—this was pure gold. The evidence was irrefutable, and Colton could already picture his name splashed across every front page. His face paled, anger building inside him.

"Get out of my way! No comment!" he barked, grabbing Melany's arm in an attempt to make a hasty exit. But there was no escape. The press surged around them, shoving microphones into Colton's face, bombarding him with relentless questions. They were completely surrounded.

Allison, unfazed by the ruckus, gave a lazy wave. "Well, Mr. Stevens, I'll leave you to it. Good luck managing the media. I've got other places to be." With that, she opened the car door and stepped inside, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Whether or not they had known about Onyx's plagiarism didn't matter now. Colton and Melany were no strangers to spreading slander, and now, they were getting a bitter dose of their own medicine.