?Chapter 222:


    Haley’s lips curled into a triumphant little smirk as she watched Ste keep quiet, unable to defend herself. She wanted to paint Ste as nothing but a slut in front of everyone, to see her ruined.


    Ste’s gaze dropped, her lips parting to speak—but a sudden interruption sliced through the air. From somewhere in the crowd, a speaker crackled to life, ying a damning recording.


    “A slut like Ste thinks she canpete with me? Marc only likes her because she ys innocent and sweet, right? Fine. I’ll just find someone to ruin her for good and see if Marc still wants her after that! That bitch embarrassed me in front of everyone at the party. I’m not letting it go. Follow her, hire some bodyguards, and make sure she regrets ever crossing me.”


    There was no mistaking that voice. Haley—tonight’s darling, now exposed for all to hear.


    The audio kept rolling, one vicious confession after another, every line dripping with malice. Haley schemed to ruin Ste’s name, to destroy herpletely—and by the end, her ns escted to talk of murder.


    A horrified hush swept through the venue. Conversations sputtered, then erupted as the crowd turned their outrage squarely on Haley.


    “Did you hear that? She’s actually unhinged. Is this real? That’s not just jealousy—that’s criminal! She wrecked Ste’s marriage, and now she wants to finish Ste off?”


    “Now it makes sense why Ste disappeared back then. What if she barely made it out alive? People like Haley are dangerous—they smile in public, but God knows what’s underneath.”


    Haley’s eyes widened in panic, her re sharp as daggers. “Ste! This is your fault! You hacked my phone, didn’t you? This is all your doing!”


    Ste’s gaze swept the crowd, just as bewildered as everyone else about how those recordings had started ying. Who on earth was backing her from the shadows?


    She pressed her lips into a thin line and pped Haley’s hand away. “Sorry, Ms. Smith, but I’m just as lost as you are. Maybe you’ve stirred up so much trouble that even Marc’s ex-wife decided to crawl out of her grave for payback. That’s karma for you—actions always have consequences. You’re just reaping what you sowed.”


    Haley trembled with fury, whipping around to face Marc in desperation. “Marc, you have to believe me! Someone’s ying fake recordings to set me up! Find them for me—right now!”


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    Marc blinked, thrown off bnce by the barrage of damning audio—most of it as shocking to him as to the crowd.


    He’d always known Haley had a maniptive streak, but with her family’s sway in Achury, he’d learned to look the other way. Now, confronted by her venom in surround sound, there was no way to ignore it.


    Jaw clenched, Marc pried Haley’s hand from his arm. “Haley, what the hell was that? Exin yourself.”


    Haley’s hands trembled, her face rigid with panic. “Marc, it’s not real—those recordings are all fake! I never said any of that. We’re getting married soon. Don’t you trust me?” Her voice pitched higher, desperate. “It’s that woman—she’s behind this! She’s trying to set me up!”


    Before anyone could respond, the giant screen flickered again, filling the ballroom with a new wave of damning evidence.


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