Chapter 269: Mom, stop yapping! Hoyt's voice trembled with rage as his mother continued to speak. His earlier irritation had morphed into a burning fury. Pain still shot through his wrist; his fingers felt trapped in a vice. He couldn't shrug it off. With a dark scowl, he grabbed a nearby baseball bat, ready to unleash his anger on Allison.
"My mom might be soft enough to let this slide, but I'm not," he thought. Hoyt dared not confront Kellan directly; the mere thought made him grit his teeth. Yet, his anger refused to subside.
"Kellan," he said, "I might overlook your stunt, but Ms. Clarke will pay." He raised the bat, poised to strike Allison again.
Kellan laughed. "You're really a fool."
Before Hoyt could react, an icy dread gripped him, sparked by Kellan's chilling smile. For the first time, Hoyt saw Kellan stand. The man he'd mercilessly mocked—calling him "crippled"—was standing, perfectly unharmed. Hoyt's rage deepened; his bravado seemed laughable.
"Hmph, maybe I'm no genius, but at least I don't turn my back on my own blood to save a stranger," he sneered. He swung the bat at Allison, but she didn't flinch. She regarded him with unsettling calm, as if amused. Her serenity only fueled his frustration. He swung again with force. "Allison, you're going to regret this!"
He recalled considering kindness towards her initially. Now, the thought repulsed him. Allison had sided with Kellan, but what did it matter? Even as an illegitimate son of the Lloyd family, Hoyt still held power.
In a blink, a powerful grip seized his shoulder. Before he could react, he was hurled to the floor. "Wait, what—ah!" Kellan's swift movement was too fast for him to register. Allison remained still, as if anticipating Kellan's intervention.
"Ms. Clarke is under my protection," Kellan declared, his hand pressing on Hoyt's shoulder like he was restraining a child. With effortless strength, he forced Hoyt to the ground. "Before you lay a finger on her, consider if you've earned that right."
From Allison's perspective, Kellan's movements were remarkable. His tailored suit accentuated the grace and power of every move. He was a perfect storm of charm and danger. When he declared Ms. Clarke's protection, his voice commanded attention, stirring something within Allison.
Kellan gripped Hoyt's left leg and twisted it with brutal force, eliciting a blood-curdling scream that echoed through the villa. Hoyt writhed in agony, drenched in cold sweat. He looked up at Kellan with wide-eyed terror, fully aware of the man's power over his life.