Chapter 22: Colton was slowly recuperating from his leg injury in the ward. Melany placed a bowl of chicken soup, freshly prepared by the private chef, on the table beside him.

"Colton, you really should eat some chicken soup," she urged, her brow furrowed. "It'll help you heal. After all, you're nursing that leg."

He nodded absently. "Alright." He took a few spoonfuls, but his mind wandered. The harrowing memory of Allison nearly being stabbed by Devin in the abandoned building flashed through his mind. He'd instinctively wanted to save her, but he also loathed her.

"Colton, what's on your mind?" Melany's perceptive nature noted his silence. "Is the soup too hot? Or not to your liking? I can't believe I dragged you into all this." She cast a deliberately distressed look at him, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. Normally, Colton would have comforted her, but today he seemed lost in familiar thoughts stemming from the kidnapping. He appeared preoccupied with someone else entirely.

"It's not your fault," he said. "We just crossed paths with a lunatic. I'm just in a bit of a funk." He glanced at Melany, his gaze heavy with unspoken feelings.

In truth, Devin's insinuation that Melany had been involved had made Colton connect the dots. Deep down, he feared the truth—every sign pointed to Melany's involvement. But facing that reality felt like staring into a mirror he wasn't ready to accept, so he deceived himself.

He set down the bowl, rubbing his forehead. "Melany, if you're feeling alright, maybe you should rest. You look spent. The kidnapping must have shaken you."

Her smile remained fixed, but her fists clenched at her sides. Did he only notice her weariness now? And he hadn't offered the comfort he usually did. Her intuition sharpened. She confronted him directly.

"Colton, when you saw Allison and me in danger, who were you really worried about? When you got hurt, was it for her or for me?"

His expression shifted. He was like a cat caught in a hot tin roof, his brows knitting together in alarm. "How could I possibly hurt myself for that woman? It was for you, and my feelings for you are as clear as day, Melany. You shouldn't doubt me," he snapped. He despised being questioned, especially while wrestling with conflicting emotions. The doubt gnawed at him relentlessly.

"Why are you being so unreasonable?" Melany froze, her heart sinking. In the past, he would have sensed her distress; he'd never spoken to her so harshly. Now, he was practically reprimanding her. Was it true that men took for granted what they once cherished? Taking a deep breath, she tried to quell her anger, but it simmered. She knew Colton's every nuance. When Allison had been in danger, his expression had unmistakably revealed his desire to rescue her; only his pride had held him back. That realization stoked her jealousy.

Desperate to avoid revealing the truth, she swallowed her anger. "Colton, I'm sorry. I wasn't doubting you." To shift the mood, she mentioned the subsidiary's financial loss. "But if you really had a soft spot for Allison, we wouldn't be seeking the ten million she lost during her time there, would we?"