?Chapter 343:


    Sandra blinked. “Wait, what?”


    Steughed at her confused face and gently flicked her on the forehead. “I’m good on my own.”


    She wasn’t against love—she just didn’t depend on it. A man was never going to be the centerpiece of her world again.


    After a pause, Sandra nodded, eyes sparkling. “Yeah! You don’t need anyone to shine. Sylvia, you could have a new admirer every damn day if you wanted.”


    Ste chuckled, half amused, half exasperated. She wasn’t chasing anyone. Her life was already wide open with possibilities.


    They had barely gone a few steps when Sandra suddenly elbowed her. “Uh, Sylvia… isn’t that Marc?”


    Ste looked up. Of course, it was.


    Sandra rolled her eyes. “City this big, and we keep running into him. What are the odds? That guy’s like a cockroach.”


    Ste gave a shrug. “Let’s just walk past.”


    But Marc had already noticed them. And seeing Ste so unbothered—so radiant—must’ve struck a nerve. He stepped forward.


    “Stel, you really shouldn’t have danced with William just to get back at me. I admit, it got under my skin. But you did promise me something once, remember? I never danced with anyone else that night. I only took Doreen out there to make you jealous. But you… you didn’t even care. While you were dancing with William, didn’t a single memory of us cross your mind?” Marc was rambling, and he knew it. None of it would change anything, but he couldn’t help it—he just wanted to talk to her a little longer.


    “Stel,” he pressed on, “won’t you even look at me? You’ve always been the one for me. No matter what happened, I never stopped seeing you as my wife.”


    Ste was so done. She rubbed her earlobe, clearly irritated, then finally shot him a look. “Mr. Walsh, drop the act. You and Doreen already slept together, didn’t you? Or did that little detail slip your mind?”


    Marc’s expression cracked. He hadn’t expected her to know.


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    Ste didn’t let up. “She’s pregnant. Time to man up and take responsibility. It’s a whole life you’re dealing with—and your precious family’s big on passing down the name, aren’t they?”


    Marc blinked,pletely thrown. Pregnant? Passing down the name? He opened his mouth to ask, but Ste had already lost interest. “Keep following me and I’ll report you for harassment.”


    She didn’t wait for a reply. Just linked arms with Sandra and headed straight into the mall, leaving Marc standing there like an idiot.


    Marc took a few steps, then stopped cold. Ste’s words kept echoing in his head, leaving himpletely unmoored. He wasn’t even supposed to run into her today—he was here to meet Jazlyn. He nced toward the mall, jaw clenched, then turned on his heel and hurried off.


    Meanwhile, inside a nearby juice bar, Jazlyn and Doreen sat across from each other, the tension thick. After shing with Ste earlier, Jazlyn had called Marc, saying she needed to talk.


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