?Chapter 224:


    She could barely process it.


    He was notorious for steering clear of drama, always keeping his distance from other people’s messes. So why now? Why drag her secrets into the spotlight, right in front of everyone she wanted to impress?


    Her legs threatened to give way. She clutched at empty air, her eyes brimming with panic and a dawning sense of helplessness.


    “W-Why are you doing this?” Her voice trembled, as if searching for a lifeline. “I’ve never hurt you. Why go after me like this?”


    William let out a cold, humorlessugh, his gaze sharp enough to cut ss. “If you don’t want the world to see what you’ve done, Ms. Smith, maybe don’t do it in the first ce. That’s all there is to it.”


    He stood in front of her with the calm assurance of someone holding all the cards. When William decided to destroy someone’s reputation, they never got back up.


    A shiver ran through Haley; for the first time, she realized she’d gone up against someone way out of her league.


    The guests all kept their gaze fixed on her, tension stretching as they waited for the police to arrive.


    A celebration meant to be brimming withughter had twisted into chaos—like a scene ripped from a high-stakes courtroom thriller.


    But before the tension could break, a plump figure shouldered her way out of the crowd, cheeks flushed with indignation. “You people have gone too far! I’m not letting this end like this!”


    As Ste looked up, she recognized the voice—Jazlyn.


    Jazlyn stormed forward, her finger pointed straight at Ste, face twitching with rage. “Drop the act, Ste! You really think changing your name would erase your past? You’re not Sylvia, not even close!”


    Her voice rose, trembling with fury. “You faked your identity just to bag a richer man! And you faked your own death to get rid of my son. You’re disgusting. Maniptive to the core. And now you’re dragging your new man into this? What, trying to humiliate my future daughter-inw too? What’s your endgame here?”


    Jazlyn’s voice cracked, venom dripping from every word. “You’ve always been a whore. Cheating even before you married Marc. And now you want to take Haley down with you? Keep dreaming.”


    She sneered. “Haley’s been nothing but sweet and respectful since she joined our family. But you? You couldn’t even give Marc a child after all these years. You know why? Because you ruined your body sleeping around when you were younger.”


    Your hub for updates: g?lnovels.c??m


    The room fell quiet for a beat—then a voice popped up from the crowd. “I’m pretty sure I saw Ste at a hotel once. And she wasn’t with Marc.” The whisper triggered a wave of murmurs. People turned toward Ste, hands over mouths, whispering like wildfire.


    Marc stood frozen in the middle of it all, stunned. He thought today would be just another engagement party. A formality. Nothing more. But now it had spiraledpletely out of control.


    He looked across at Ste. His expression flickered with uncertainty.


    He knew the truth—he knew exactly why she couldn’t get pregnant. But right now, with all eyes on them, he couldn’t speak up. He wouldn’t.


    .


    .


    .