?Chapter 1006:


    He had thought she had gone back to Achury—gone for good. And yet here she was, standing before him, transformed and worlds apart from the messy, defeated figure he remembered.


    Collecting himself, he studied her warily. “Why are you here? I thought you went back to Achury.”


    Haley’s red lips curved into a restrained smile. “I did. But I’m back for business. Tell me, are you on your way to see Ste? Still chasing after her, I see.”


    Her gaze flicked briefly to the designer handbag in his hand, clearly meant for a woman, yet her tone carried no mockery, no jealousy, and not even the faintest hint of reproach.


    There was something unsettling about the way she carried herself—so cool and detached, as though he were just some stranger she barely remembered. Marc, who was used to her fiery temper and overbearing ways, felt oddly thrown off.


    At the same time, he also felt relief. Clearly, she had let go of the past and wasn’t here to stir up trouble.


    As long as she stayed out of his ns with Ste, it made no difference to him whether she had returned for work or something else.


    Haley slipped a business card from her clutch and handed it to Marc. “Thepany I’m working with this time seems closely connected to you. Chances are we’ll be meeting again. That’s my current number.”


    Marc took the card, his mouth tightening as his eyesnded on the unfamiliar digits printed across it. But when his gaze shifted to her listed position and thepany name, his eyes widened in disbelief. It was the very firm he had been chasing relentlessly for a partnership. Never had he thought Haley would appear before him as their representative.


    Marc’s expression changed, growingplicated. The hesitation he had shown toward her earlier disappeared, giving way to unease and agitation. In matters of business, he knew exactly where prioritiesy.


    Abandoning a partnership he had worked so hard to secure was not an option, even if the person tied to it happened to be Haley. Considering their past and the calm way Haley carried herself now, Marc reasoned that she would not go out of her way to trouble him.


    Conflicting thoughts crowded his mind before he forced out a dryugh, his voice slipping into politeness. “I didn’t expect to see you as thispany’s representative. What are the odds?”


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    Haley gave him a faint smile, her eyes shifting toward the entrance of the institute. “A coincidence, indeed. I have an appointment waiting, so I’ll be leaving. Someone else will reach out to you about the work.”


    With that, she slipped on her sunsses, raised her umbre, and turned with effortless poise, striding toward the institute’s main entrance. The sharp click of her heels echoed on the ground, and not once did she look back at Marc.


    Marc remained rooted to the spot, his emotions tangled in chaos.


    Haley’s sudden reappearance had thrown his ns to reim Ste into disarray. The partnership with herpany meant everything to Walsh Group, and at this stage, he couldn’t afford to cross Haley again.


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