?<strong>Chapter 385:</strong>


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    “Don’t worry, Colton. I won’t be a distraction. You handle the business, and I’ll be good,” Mny said, her voice sugary sweet.


    Her words should have soothed him, but they didn’t. Instead, his mind wandered back to Allison.


    She was never one to y coy or sit on the sidelines. If it were her, she would’ve rolled up her sleeves and helped him without a second thought.


    But that wasn’t their reality anymore. Now, they were strangers.


    Colton snapped out of his thoughts and gave Mny a pat on the head.


    “Good. You’re the most understanding.”


    Yet, despite her outward concern, Mny had her own ns. She wasn’t thinking about Colton at all; her thoughts were elsewhere, focused on finding an excuse to slip away.


    “Colton,” she said, batting hershes, “I got a little sweaty. My makeup’s a mess. I’m going to the restroom to touch up. Wait here for me, okay?” She grabbed her purse, shing him a sweet smile.


    “Don’t worry, I’ll ask one of the staff to show me the way. You’ve got your hands full, so focus on that.” She leaned in, kissing his cheek softly.


    “You’re at your best when you’re working.”


    “Alright,” Colton said with a sigh, though his thoughts were still in turmoil.


    He had everything he thought he wanted—a loving partner by his side—but he couldn’t shake the constant thoughts of his ex-wife.


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    Meanwhile, Mny, with her own hidden motives, was eager to get Colton off her back.


    “I’m off then,” she said.


    Colton, oblivious to her true intentions, thought she was being thoughtful. As he nced over the chaotic venue, he gave her a serious reminder. “If anything goes wrong, make sure to call me immediately.”


    “Of course,” she replied with a sweet smile before disappearing into the crowd.


    Once she reached a quiet corner, away from prying eyes, Mny checked her reflection in apact mirror and quickly freshened up. Then, with a deep breath, she dialed Hoyt’s video call.


    As the screen connected, she gasped. “Hoyt, what happened to you?”


    The man staring back at her was barely recognizable, his face swollen and bruised, his body wrapped in bandages. He looked like he’d been through hell.


    The memory of theirst phone call, which had abruptly cut off, shed in her mind.


    “Did something happen when you were in Athton?” Hoyt let out a bitterugh. “Happen? Yeah, you could say that. I was hit by a car. If this was a coincidence, I’ll eat my hat!”


    He shifted slightly, wincing as his injuries tugged at him. His body was a mess of wounds, leaving him bedridden and immobile.


    Tentatively, Mny asked, “It was Ken, wasn’t it? No wonder the call suddenly went silent. You had a car ident, and I was so worried.”


    Her voice wavered, her eyes reddening as if she might cry at any moment. “Hoyt, why didn’t you let me know? I’ve been trying to reach you for days.”


    Hoyt’s expression hardened as he tilted the camera with his only movable right hand, showing his heavily wrapped body.


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