"Colton!" Melany cried, rushing to his side. Panic flashed in her eyes as she tried to help him up. He lay on the ground like a discarded puppet, his body a tangled mess. His wrist, nearly shattered, stabbed with pain at the slightest movement. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to speak.

"You've gone too far!" Melany's voice cracked, her jaw clenched, her eyes blazing with fury. Who could have predicted Kellan's sudden arrival, much less his man breaking Colton's wrist in broad daylight? Colton's gaze flickered to the security cameras outside, a fleeting hope rising in his chest.

"This is assault! You broke the law!"

Kellan chuckled, clearly amused by her accusation. His mood was almost lighthearted.

"Oh yeah? File a complaint. Call the police. You won't find any witnesses, though. And the cameras? Unfortunately, they're broken."

Melany's face paled, her body freezing. Everyone knew Kellan's connections spanned high society and its darkest corners. Legalities, in his world, were mere formalities.

"Mr. Lloyd," Melany stammered, her voice trembling, "what exactly have we done to offend you?" Her attempt at diplomacy was laced with fear, but Kellan didn't even look at her.

"Offend me? You haven't offended me. I'm just in a bad mood today," he said indifferently.

Allison couldn't help but laugh at his blatant arrogance. Kellan didn't seem to care. Without turning, he tossed Colton a card.

"For your hospital bills."

The card landed with a humiliating thud on Colton's face before falling to the ground. The insult was beyond words. Colton opened his mouth to scream, but the movement pulled at his broken wrist, eliciting a sharp gasp of pain.

Watching Colton and Melany's distress, Allison felt a rare surge of satisfaction. Silently, she drew a small sword she'd been concealing and turned to Kellan.

"And what brings you here, Mr. Lloyd?"

Kellan raised a hand, casually swinging a bag. "She forgot it when she left. I thought there might be something important in it, so I thought I'd return it."

Allison blinked, momentarily surprised. She'd been so focused on the house's decor that she'd completely forgotten her purse. Luckily, it contained nothing of value.

Colton listened to their exchange. The ease of their conversation was a punch to the gut. The familiarity, the way they interacted it was undeniable. They were closer than he'd ever imagined.

The painful truth hit him like a freight train: They were together.

Fueled by rage, Colton ignored the pain in his wrist and staggered forward. He kept his distance from Kellan. Through gritted teeth, he spat, "So it's true! You're living together!" The pain weakened his knees; he knew his wrist was broken.

"Allison, how long has it been since our divorce? Were you seeing him while we were still together?"

Colton's fury was palpable. Kellan remained unfazed. Then, a memory flickered: Allison breaking a thug's arm on that yacht trip, then throwing money at him for medical bills.

It hit him like a tidal wave: Allison and Kellan's eerily similar indifference, their disregard for his anger. Their generosity was disgust, not concern; a way to wipe their hands of him.

Melany, still clinging to Colton, showed pure indignation.

"That's it! How can you treat us like that?" she hissed. "And Mr. Lloyd," she continued, her voice rising, "in Athton, I thought I was just helping Allison out of a desire for peace. But seeing how close you two are, it's clear this is 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!"