“Interested in pottery, are you?” Kellan sneered, glancing at Melany.
The coldness in his dark eyes seemed to seep into the space, making the air feel even colder.
Melany clenched her fists in reflex and quickly looked away from him.
“You say you appreciate pottery, but you can’t even tell that this piece was made by Allison.
There’s no point in you hanging around here.
Besides, I’m sure Allison doesn’t want to see you either.
”
There it was again – Kellan’s sharpness of tongue.
"And let me make one thing clear: I have no patience for people who pretend.
"
His words cut through Melany’s composure, heat rising to her cheeks as her expression shifted between embarrassment and anger.
Inside, she was seething, but she swallowed it down, forcing a bitter smile.
“Mr.
Lloyd, you have a way with words,” she said, feigning innocence.
“I didn’t realize this was one of Allison’s creations.
She was always so busy with the housework around the villa.
Colton’s mother kept praising her, saying how different she was from those shallow women who paraded around in public.
I guess I just assumed she wasn’t the type to get involved in something like that.
Who knew she had such hidden talents?”
Feigning surprise, she glanced at Colton.
“Colton, honey, if you knew Allison was so skilled, why didn’t you ever tell me? You made me look like a fool in front of Mr.
Lloyd.
”
Colton’s eyes grew even colder.
“Well, there’s a lot I didn’t know about her.
”
He couldn’t take his eyes off the pottery, a piece so meticulously crafted, so masterfully formed.
It was flawless, as if it had been created by the hands of an expert.
How was it possible that Allison had such a knack for pottery? In Colton’s mind, she had always been nothing more than a housekeeper, always managing the household, never expressing interest in anything else, especially something so refined and artistic.
A knot of unease twisted inside her.
For years, he'd believed that Allison's world revolved around him, but now it seemed as if she'd been living a completely separate life, one he knew nothing about.
And seeing her sitting next to Kellan only made him feel more uneasy.
They sat there in the soft sunlight, absorbed in their work like two pieces of a puzzle, fitting together perfectly.
Colton had always seen Allison as a shallow woman, recently divorced and already hanging around with a few gigolos.
Worse yet, she had somehow managed to get intimate with Kellan, CEO of the Lloyd Group.
Colton’s expression darkened as he pulled Melany closer and put an arm around her waist.
“Mr.
Lloyd, I’ve heard a lot about you.
My grandfather always spoke highly of your leadership and your brilliance in business.
But even the best of us can be fooled.
No one is infallible, not even those who seem to have it all together.
”
Kellan didn’t even flinch.
His attention remained fixed on the clay in front of him, as if Colton’s words had never reached him.
He dipped his brush into the water, smoothing the edges of the piece, completely uninterested in the conversation.
“Do you think slimming down this section would make it look more elegant?” Kellan asked, directing the question toward Allison.
“Ignore the dogs barking outside.
Emanuel is eager to see this finished.
”
Allison, absorbed in her craft, replied without hesitation.
“No, thinning it out here would ruin the balance.
Hollow carving requires a completely different approach, and this clay is not ideal for that technique.
”
Colton stood there, momentarily silent.
The two continued their quiet discussion about pottery, completely oblivious to Colton and Melany's presence.
To Colton, it was an unfamiliar and unsettling sight.
In the past, Allison's eyes had always been on him.
Even during their worst arguments, her gaze never left him.
Now, it was as if she had vanished from his world altogether.
His grip tightened around Melany's waist, the tension in his fingers matching the growing chill in his expression.
Melany shivered slightly at the squeeze.
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