SWNOVELS Chapter 17
Allison had no intention of accepting the bracelet.
As a high-end designer, she had a priceless collection of jewelry.
And she wasn't naive enough to overlook the subtle weight behind Lindy's words.
With a silky smooth smile, she effortlessly changed the subject.
“I heard that Melany won your approval as soon as she got back.
Colton told me that she even had dinner with you and that you gave her your blessing.
That’s how you ended up renewing your engagement, right?”
Even with Lindy's usual poise, her expression fell slightly.
To Lindy, Allison was the smartest, hands down.
But being an orphan and without any important connections, no matter how pretty and capable Allison was, she didn't bring much to the table.
She didn't expect her son to be so stupid as to boast about such things in front of Allison.
As for Melany, well, she had returned from abroad with a nice severance package and a family business that had grown into a successful farming empire.
She could, at least, support Colton in his ventures.
But someone as cunning as Allison? Much harder to control.
Lindy sighed, the sound of a chess player conceding a minor defeat in a major game.
"I'm just a woman.
I've been out of company business for a long time.
In the end, I only have my son to rely on.
"
He paused for a short, calculated moment.
«Melany is not as capable as you, and even after the divorce, you will always be family to us.
You are like my daughter, you know? But if Colton's heart is no longer in it, there is not much that can be done.
»
Allison's smile widened, but it was a smile sharper than a snake's fang.
Lindy had a masterful way of twisting the narrative.
Despite having kept Allison in the dark, she spun the situation as if she were a benevolent figure, as if she had been saving Allison from the disaster of a loveless marriage.
It was pure manipulation, wrapped in a joke.
Today, Allison saw it more clearly than ever.
“There’s no need for sentimentality,” Allison said, her tone polite but cold.
“I’m a bit of a neat freak.
Now that Colton and I are divorced, I prefer things to be clean.
Procrastinating isn’t my style.
In addition to visiting Keanu today, I’m also here to disinvite the Cobweb event.
” She had decided to give up the game.
The courtesy dance was over.
Allison’s voice was firm, but the edge was unmistakable.
“Since you consider me a daughter, let me meet Keanu.
”
Lindy's smile tightened, her former warmth freezing over like a pond in winter.
“Keanu is busy right now.
There’s no rush,” she replied, her voice colder and the temperature in the room dropping with it.
“You got the invitation from Spider’s Web, and for that, the Stevens family is grateful to you.
But let’s be honest.
What good is holding on to it? Without the name Stevens behind you, do you really think getting that invitation was a piece of cake?”
Unlike Colton, Lindy knew how to keep her cards close.
She understood how critical Cobweb's intelligence network was to the company's survival.
“I really do have your best interests at heart, Allison,” Lindy added, sounding like she was offering a favor rather than a threat.
“You don’t have any family, and holding on to that invitation isn’t going to help you.
Why don’t you just hand it over and do us all a favor? Who knows? If you ever get into trouble, we might be able to protect you.
It’s a win-win for everyone, isn’t it? You’re still young.
Don’t close yourself off and make things harder than they need to be.
”
Although Allison had expected Lindy's veiled threat, it still sent a cold chill through her.
Three years of service, years spent at Lindy's side, preparing medicine for her when she was bedridden, caring for her.
And this was the thanks she received?
But Allison had always harbored a stubborn streak deep within her.
She looked up, her smile laden with sarcasm.
"Can the Stevens family protect me?"
Lindy looked at her, but something changed.
For the first time, she saw an edge in Allison's eyes that she hadn't noticed before.
Sharp, like glass ready to pierce through even the thickest facade.
“If Webby had really issued that invitation for the Stevens family,” Allison’s voice remained calm, almost too calm, “I wouldn’t have needed to get involved in the first place.
”
There was a slight hint of mockery in his words, and Lindy picked up on it.
"And even if it was for you, the name on the invitation is mine.
Now that Colton and I are divorced, the Stevens family has no rights to it.
"
Lindy nearly choked on her tea, her calm exterior crumbling for a moment.
She hadn't expected Allison to get the better of her so easily.
A storm brewed behind Lindy's eyes as she searched for a solution.
Cobweb was the world's largest intelligence network.
Without them, the Stevens family would be blind, stumbling around in the dark while Ontdale's publicists danced circles around them.
I wish.
If only Colton had understood what was at stake before the divorce.
At that moment, the sound of the front door opening cut through the air.
“Mr.
Colton Stevens and Ms.
Johnson are back!” Kaelyn’s voice rang out from the hallway as she flung open the door.
Melany walked in, clinging to Colton’s arm, with a syrupy smile.
“Thank you.
”
But as soon as they entered the living room and saw Allison, they froze as if they were seeing a ghost from a past life.
Colton's eyes blinked in surprise.
Could she be the same woman he had known so well?
There she was, in a simple green dress, without any jewelry, but radiating an undeniable glow.
She looked even more stunning now than she had on that luxurious cruise.
And those eyes, cold and distant.
They stirred something in Colton, something he couldn't quite understand, but it shook him more than he dared admit.