?Chapter 972:


    “Don’t act so high and mighty, Ste! You think you’re worth anything now? You’re nothing but a disgraced whore. Nobody else would want you but me!”


    Ste’s reply was cial. “My life and my choices are none of your concern. And even at his worst, William is a thousand times the man you could ever be. At least he isn’t a lying cheat.”


    Rage rushed to Marc’s cheeks. He lifted his hand with sudden violence, but the crowd in the park caught his eye. Slowly, his arm dropped back to his side, though his stare turned vicious, seething with malice.


    Then, like a spark of mischief, a smug grin slid back onto his face.


    “Ste, don’t be so sure of William. You’ve been by his side long enough, yet do you even know who he really is—other than the Briggs Group’s heir everyone bows to?”


    Ste’s chest gave a sudden jolt, yet she kept herposure. “What foolishness are you spewing this time?”


    Marc curled his lip into a sneer. “Foolishness? He’s been hiding the truth from you all along. There’s a side of him you couldn’t possibly handle. My advice is to walk away now, or you’ll be the one left broken.”


    With a sharp arch of her brow, Ste let her disdain show. “Do you expect me to be fooled by your pitiful attempts to pit us against each other again?”


    He had pulled this game before.


    As though anticipating her disbelief, Marc slid his phone from his pocket and gave it a little wave. “I’ve got the evidence. William’s secrets aren’t as clean as you think. Care to take a look?”


    For an instant, Ste went rigid. What other truths about William had she been denied?


    Memories of William’s knowledge about the Erebus dealings resurfaced, along with the way he had dodged her questions with half-hearted replies. An uneasy chill stirred inside her.


    Could it be that William had been concealing far more than she ever guessed?


    Determined not to show weakness, she steadied herself and shot Marc a cold look. “No thanks. I don’t care for whatever proof you im to have.”


    But Marc brushed aside her refusal and pressed on. “Tomorrow, three in the afternoon, Encounter Cafe. I’ll put the evidence in front of you, and you’ll finally see what the man you depend on has been keeping in the dark. Don’t bother pretending, Stel. I can tell you’re desperate to know.”


    Marc’s eyes lingered on her with a pointed gleam before he turned away, leaving her with the impression that his visit had served no purpose other than nting suspicion about William.


    Ste remained rooted in ce, her chilled fingers pressing hard into her palm. In her mind, she argued that Marc’s schemes were nothing new. His bruised ego must have been the only reason he kept trying to tear her from William, hoping to relish her downfall.


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