?Chapter 48:
Jazlyn froze for a moment, caught off guard by Marc’s cold tone. He had just dismissed her—publicly. Her face darkened.
After a tense pause, she huffed. “Look at you, Marc. Still defending that woman? She’s been cheating on you! Haley is the one who actually deserves you. Divorce Ste already and be with someone who truly matches your status.”
Before Marc could react, Jazlyn took Haley’s hand and ced it firmly into his. Haley, ever the opportunist, clutched his hand quickly and beamed at Jazlyn. “Don’t worry, Jazlyn. I’ll take good care of Marc.”
Marc didn’t say a word—he couldn’t. His brain froze at the word “cheating.” What were they even talking about? Ste? Unfaithful? Impossible.
He had been with Ste for years. Through thick and thin. She wasn’t perfect, but her integrity? That had never once wavered. Yes, she’d been in contact with Williamtely, but Marc trusted her. He always had.
His gaze snapped to Jazlyn. “Mom, what are you really doing here?”
Jazlyn’s smile thinned, her patience worn. But she wasn’t about to back down now—not when the finish line was so close. From her bag, she pulled out a folded document Haley had handed her earlier.
“I told you. I’ve seen the photos, Marc. They’re disgusting! And you’re still defending her?”
She handed him the contract. “Here. Look at this—Ste signed it herself. The same contract she refused to touch before. Why do you think she agreed so easily now? She’s guilty, Marc. She’s trying to clean up her mess quietly.”
Marc stared at the document in his hands, a strange chill crawling up his spine. It was the patent renewal—a contract far more ruthless than the one he’d initially drafted. Even he thought it was excessive. But at the bottom, there it was. Ste’s fingerprint. Clear, crimson, and unmistakable. His pulse throbbed.
He blinked once, twice, as the realization sunk in. She signed this?
His chest tightened. Why would she do that? Why now?
Was his mother right? Had Ste betrayed him? Was it William?
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The signed contract did nothing to lighten his mood.
He tightened his grip on the paper, the corners curling under the strain. His jaw locked, eyes darkening with something dangerous.
Around them, the whispers ignited like wildfire. Some people made up their own unpleasant version of the incident. Yet, a smaller group murmured doubts, refusing to believe Ste was what they were painting her to be.
Jazlyn and Haley exchanged a subtle nce. The tide was turning. All that was left was the final blow—the photos. But minutes passed. Then more. No photos. No alerts. No shocked gasps from guests. Only silence.
Then, the grand doors of the hall slowly opened.
The guests turned in unison as Ste stepped into the hall, draped in elegance and quiet power. She moved like she belonged, as if the swirling rumors hadn’t reached her at all—or worse, as if she didn’t care.
Everyone recognized her instantly. The woman at the heart of tonight’s scandal had just arrived in the flesh. Gasps rippled through the hall like falling dominoes.
What the hell is going on?
Was she here to defend herself? To reim Marc? Spections buzzed as eyes darted between her and Marc. Marc’s reaction was almost instinctive. He stepped away from Haley, as if burned—his face shing with guilt, confusion, and a hint of panic.
He hadn’t expected this. He’d promised her he wouldn’t bring another woman to social events.
Haley and Jazlyn were equally shocked.
Haley’s lips parted, but no words came out. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. After everything she and Jazlyn had done… After Ste had supposedly been ruined—how was she standing here? Poised. Intact. Radiant. Jazlyn, too, was stunned. She had never thought Ste would dare show her face—not tonight. Not after those photos.
All three of them—Marc, Haley, and Jazlyn—stared at Ste, their minds racing in different directions, tangled in schemes, panic, and desperate calctions. They wore the same expression—pure, unfiltered shock.
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