Chapter 275: Hoyt stormed out of the villa, seething.

"Mom, why did you humiliate yourself like that in front of that bastard? You're the rightful Mrs. Lloyd now, and I'm still the heir to the Lloyd family. We can fight back!" Every part of Hoyt's body ached, but nothing compared to the sting of the humiliation he'd just endured.

"Shut up," Nova said, her hand twitching—tempted to slap him. Seeing the sweat beading on his forehead, she slowly lowered it, exhaling to force herself to stay calm. Her emotions had been slipping more often lately, all thanks to her useless son.

"Even if you wanted to fight back, you couldn't," she muttered, her voice tight. "You didn't notice it, did you? Kellan's got skills. That man's been trained." That meant Kellan wasn't the helpless invalid everyone thought him to be. He'd been hiding his true strength all along.

"I saw it," Hoyt growled, his teeth clenched in frustration as he pictured tearing into Kellan, piece by piece. "But that doesn't mean we just roll over and let him crush us like this!"

Nova's lips curled into a cold sneer. "Let him play his games. He's the one who drew first blood. It's only a matter of time before Brook catches wind of it. For now, focus on keeping your reputation intact." She hesitated, something darker flickering in her eyes. "Kellan might suspect us, but he doesn't have proof yet."

Hoyt, nearly trembling with rage, burst out, "Kellan's completely out of control! Lorna didn't die, and he still tried to kill me! If Lorna had actually died, would he have come straight for my throat?" The thought fanned his fury, making it burn hotter. "And anyway, Lorna's fine—better than fine. It's like she got some kind of miracle cure; she can speak again! I should be the one getting thanked, not treated like some criminal!" The entire situation had flipped on him, leaving Hoyt seething.

Nova's gaze sharpened. "Stop talking nonsense. Keep that to yourself. She's Brook's only granddaughter. You need to start acting like her doting uncle—at least pretend you care, for heaven's sake." She took a steadying breath, trying to suppress her mounting irritation. "Kellan's a calculating bastard, and I still don't know all the cards he's holding. We can't afford to act blindly." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "But something doesn't add up… How did that explosion fail? It wasn't just some random mistake. And during the race, how did Allison manage to dodge so easily?" Allison's face flashed through her mind. For all her quiet, reserved demeanor, Nova knew there was a wild streak lurking beneath the surface.

"Investigate Allison thoroughly," Nova ordered, her tone icy. "She could be the key to taking Kellan down."

"Fine," Hoyt grumbled, though he still couldn't see what use Allison could be. To him, it seemed like nothing more than a stroke of dumb luck. "We'll lie low for now. Stop with the reckless schemes and let them trip over their own arrogance. Everyone has a weak spot. We just need to find his."

She glanced out the window, her expression colder than steel. "And when the time comes," she continued softly, "we won't leave any loose ends. Everyone involved in that race and the kidnapping—they all need to disappear." Her gaze turned glacial. "No one lives to tell the tale."