?Chapter 309:
Ste shot him a scornful look, her lips curling into a sneer. “What’s with the theatrics? You never cared when you had it—now you want to act like it matters?”
“Stel…” Marc tried to reach for her hand, desperation etched across his face.
Before he could even brush her skin, William—seated coolly beside Ste—reached out and blocked him, his tone clipped and icy. “Mr. Walsh, do yourself a favor and learn some boundaries. How many women do you n on pestering in public before you finally get the message?”
Marc’splexion drained of color, and he jerked his arm free from William’s grip. “William, don’t tter yourself. Do you actually believe Ste’s into you? She was out having dinner with a crowd of guys the other night—you’re nothing more than a convenient distraction. She’s just ying games. I’m the only one she really cares about. The rest of you? She’s just using you to get under my skin.”
Ste nearlyughed out loud at his delusion. Was he that foolish?
“Marc, when did I ever try to make you jealous? Stop kidding yourself. You’re not that important.”
Marc drew a shaky breath, refusing to let it go. “Don’t lie to me, Stel. I saw you. At the bar. Drinking with some guy. Don’t even think about denying it.” The memory of Shaun flickered through Ste’s mind just as a dry, teasing voice broke in from behind them.
“Oh? Is Mr. Walsh referring to me?” Shaun appeared, lips curled in a faint smirk. “Well, if Ms. Gilbert’s willing to y games with me, then I must be a lucky man.” Everyone at the table turned, the tension thickening with Shaun’s arrival.
Shaun breezed in, radiating a cocky, unbothered charm in his slouchy sweatshirt and rxed wide-leg pants. “I have nothing but respect for Ms. Gilbert. If you’ve got a problem, bring it to me. Tell me, Mr. Walsh—are you this bitter because you’re jealous? ndering her isn’t love. If you cared, you wouldn’tsh out like this.”
You’re just trying to wreck what you can’t have.” Another headache had just walked in, and Ste’s patience snapped like a dry twig. Would it kill the universe to let her finish a meal in peace?
Marc, already simmering, stiffened when he caught sight of Shaun. His face clouded over, words lodged somewhere behind his clenched jaw. He stared at the discarded charm lying abandoned in the trash, hands balled into fists, and then stormed out without looking back.
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Doreen, who had quietly watched the drama unfold from the sidelines, sprang up and hurried after him, falling in step just behind his shadow.
She said, “Mr. Walsh, please don’t take it to heart. You’re always outstanding in my eyes. Maybe Ste just needs time to cool off. Trust me, you’re the best man I know. Sooner orter, she’ll see it too.”
Marc drifted along quietly, the weight in his chest easing just a little at Doreen’s gentle reassurance. “Thank you, Doreen. I mean it—you always know how to lift my spirits.”
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