?Chapter 49:


    Jazlyn nced at Haley, confusion clouding her expression.


    Earlier, Haley had assured her that Ste had agreed to sign the contract because she was terrified of the photos being leaked.


    So why was Ste here now? Shouldn’t she beying low? And where were the photos?


    What Jazlyn didn’t realize was that Haley was grappling with the exact same questions.


    Those pictures—why hadn’t they surfaced yet?


    Ste entered the venue, her expression unreadable, deliberately avoiding Marc and the others as she moved forward with determination.


    Marc’s chest tightened. Seeing her soposed sent a pang through him. The nagging fear that she might have betrayed him sparked a desperate urge to chase after her.


    But before he could move, Haley gripped his arm.


    “Marc, don’t let her intimidate you,” she urged. “My family’s reasonable. Even if you leave Ste, they won’t judge you. I’ll still feel the same about you.”


    Marc began to pull his arm back, his brows furrowing, but before he could speak, a woman in a fur coat stepped forward.


    It was Beatrice Smith—Haley’s mother.


    Beatrice had been Marc’s key contact in past business deals with the Smith family, one of his most significant clients.


    The Smiths were one of the most respected families in Achury, but Beatrice, originally from Ushain, had deep roots here. That’s how Marc and Haley had first crossed paths.


    As Beatrice passed by Ste, she cast her a look full of disdain.


    Stopping beside Haley, Beatrice shed Marc a polished smile. “Mr. Walsh, our family usually wouldn’t consider a man who’s been divorced. But since Haley’s chosen you, we won’t stand in the way. Just make sure you resolve things with your ex-wife properly, and we won’t object to your marriage. Everyone knows the issues in your first marriage weren’t your fault.”


    As Beatrice delivered the final line, she shot a pointed look in Ste’s direction.


    Ste’s expression brimmed with biting irony.


    So, they’d already condemned her—no proof needed, just theatrics.


    And poorly executed ones, at that.


    With a champagne flute in hand, Ste pivoted and walked straight toward Marc once more.


    Haley, now nked by Beatrice on one side and Jazlyn on the other, stared at Ste with smug confidence.


    The pictures hadn’t gone public, but she wasn’t worried. She had backup—two people beside her—while Ste stood alone. What did Ste possibly have that could rival that?


    “Ste, is it? After everything you’ve done, you’d be wise to sign the divorce papers and spare yourself the shame.” Beatrice spoke to Ste as if she weren’t worth basic politeness.


    To her, Ste was beneath notice.


    Ste didn’t respond to her at all. Instead, she looked directly at Marc. His face held a tangled mess of unease and hesitation, and Ste let out a softugh.


    “Well, Marc,” she said, voice calm but cutting, “tell me, what was my crime in this marriage? What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment from you?”


    They weren’t even legally separated, yet here he stood, silent, as these people dragged her through the dirt.


    Was this what he meant when he spoke of love?


    Haley and Jazlyn shared a nce, unsettled by Ste’sposure yet convinced the n had worked.


    Jazlyn assumed Ste’s fear of exposure had forced her to surrender. Haley believed the pictures were still in Jazlyn’s hands and woulde out eventually.


    They both blinked, mistaking each other’s confidence for certainty.


    Jazlyn was the first to speak, her tone dripping with scorn. “Ste, is this the kind of behavior you think suits a daughter-inw? And you still have the nerve to ask what you did wrong? You were sleeping around while married, openly shameless. Isn’t that reason enough?”


    As soon as Jazlyn finished, Haley jumped in without hesitation.


    g?lnσν????s is your escape to fiction


    “Ms. Russell, I used to believe your refusal to divorce came from genuine feelings for Marc. But if you truly cared about him, how could you be involved with other men and take such vulgar pictures? No one forced you in those shots, and the props, the outfits… I never expected you to be like that. I won’t let Marc continue to be with someone like you!”


    She spoke with a tone of moral outrage, as if it were her duty to save Marc from ruin.


    The surrounding guests turned their attention toward them, eager for more drama, as if Ste and Marc’s scandal was the day’s highlight.


    “Seriously, Ste? Are you really that reckless? That’s disgusting. Don’t you even worry about your health?” Someone called out from the crowd.


    The jeers escted, eachment worse than thest.


    “Honestly, someone from outside our circle probably wouldn’t understand basic decency. No wonder Marc would rather be with the Smith girl after what Ste pulled.”


    “Who could tolerate their wife being with other men? Just imagining it is sickening.”


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