?Chapter 271:


    Marc’s eyes stayed locked on Ste. He looked like he meant every word. Then, slowly, he dropped to one knee right in front of her. “Stel, can you just give me an answer?”


    Tommy and the rest stood behind,pletely stunned. At that point, everyone in the bar had turned to watch.


    Ste let out a coldugh, clearly annoyed.


    Without hesitation, she picked up a ss of water and flung it right at him. “Marc, are you still stuck in your fantasy? Just the sight of you turns my stomach. Do everyone a favor and disappear, will you?”


    Marc’s fingers, which had been holding up the ring with trembling anticipation, stiffened. His entire body seemed to flinch at her words.


    “This ring… we picked it out together, remember?” His voice cracked as he looked at her. “Are you saying none of it meant anything to you?”


    “Not even a little,” Ste replied tly, sipping from her drink as if he were no more than background noise. “You can swallow it, pawn it, toss it in the trash, or better yet, give it to the next fool you manage to trick. Makes no difference to me.”


    “Alright then,” Marc muttered bitterly. “If it means nothing, there’s no reason for it to exist.”


    With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the ring through the air.


    It flew in a delicate arc, thennded with a clear, ringing clink on the ceramic floor. The little diamond rolled across the smooth tiles and came to a stop right at the feet of a woman in sleek ck heels.


    The woman bent down, picked it up delicately, and smiled. “Um… sir, if you really don’t want this, may I have it?”


    Her voice was soft, almost shy, and when she smiled, it had that same youthful innocence Ste once had when they first met.


    Marc looked at her nkly for a moment before giving a hollow nod. “It’s yours.”


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    Her face lit up like a child given candy. “Thank you so much, sir!”


    She carefully tucked the ring into her pocket, then nced up at him again with genuine enthusiasm. “You’re really generous. I’m just a college student, and I don’t have much… but I really appreciate this!”


    Marc’s eyes wavered slightly at her words, not because they meant something, but because they reminded him—painfully—of the past.


    The young woman took a small step closer. “By the way, I’m Doreen Greville. You’re really kind. Um… if you don’t mind, would you be willing to buy a few more drinks for me? They’re not expensive at all, and I get a smallmission from each one.”


    In this lounge, waitresses earnedmission from each drink they sold, so Doreen’s request made perfect sense.


    She figured, if he could casually toss away a diamond ring, buying a few bottles of wine would be nothing to him.


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