?Chapter 53:


    Marc’s face darkened with anger as he turned to stare straight at Haley. Haley’s eyes filled with tears, but no matter how many times she shook her head, nobody believed her.


    The recording Ste yed was clear and impossible to deny. There was nothing Haley could say to get out of it.


    She looked at Marc, hoping for some support, but all she saw in his eyes was disappointment and cold disgust.


    She quickly turned to Jazlyn, but Jazlyn had already stepped away, clearly not willing to stand by her anymore.


    Haley felt crushed inside, but then she clenched her teeth and pointed straight at Jazlyn. “Marc, it’s not what it looks like! Everything I did… your mother told me to! You know she never liked Ste. She wanted you to leave her. She made me do this!”


    Her words shocked everyone. Now all eyes were on Jazlyn, who stood frozen in her elegant dress.


    “You’re lying about me! I never told you to do anything like that. Stop ming me without proof!” Jazlyn was so angry that shepletely lost herposure.


    Her reaction only made her seem even more out of control.


    “Jazlyn, don’t lie now! You were the one who said Ste wasn’t even able to have kids, that she didn’t have the right background to be good enough for Marc. You told me to figure out a way to make her leave him on her own. This was all your idea!” Haley shouted.


    She didn’t care anymore.


    She couldn’t afford to losepletely, not now. So she had to sacrifice Jazlyn!


    Marc looked at his mother with a chilling stare. It all made sense now. These were exactly the kinds of things she would say.


    So it was true—his own mother and Haley had nned this all along.


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    Ste stood quietly, watching them tear each other apart with a cold smile.


    Not long ago, they were pretending to be one big happy family. Now?


    They were crumbling from the inside, and she hadn’t lifted a finger.


    Her eyes remained distant as she held the recorder tightly in her hand, quietly taking in the chaos.


    Meanwhile, back in his office, William was going through some paperwork when Luca came in holding a file. “Mr. Briggs, Ms. Russell has already signed. Here’s the contract.”


    William looked over the signature and instantly recognized Ste’s neat handwriting. “Did she ask for anything else?”


    Luca shook his head. “No, she signed it easily. Didn’t ask for anything.”


    William wasn’t the least bit surprised. That was just like her.


    Noticing that Luca hadn’t left, he asked, “Is there more?”


    Luca paused, then said, “Ms. Russell went to the Choria charity event by herself tonight.”


    William stopped what he was doing, something shifting in his gaze. “Was the Walsh family there too?”


    Luca nodded. “Yes, and there’s already been some drama. Ms. Russell yed that recording from the other day.”


    William raised his brows in surprise. Ste had recorded it? That, he hadn’t expected.


    Just imagining her handling it all on her own at such a big event made things a lot more interesting. It was exactly the kind of bold move she would pull.


    William set his pen down and grabbed his coat.


    Luca looked confused. “Are you heading out, Mr. Briggs?”


    William fixed his cor calmly. “She’s our partner now. We just signed that deal—if something happens to her, it could affect thepany.”


    His exnation made sense, and Luca quickly nodded. “I’ll take you there, sir.”


    On the way, Luca kept sneaking nces at William in the rearview mirror.


    Was this really just about business?


    Somehow, it didn’t feel like it. He’d never seen Mr. Briggs act like this over any woman—not until Ms. Russell.


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