?Chapter 1116:


    Amon only shrugged, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Just teaching you a lesson. You already know I’m here for you. Come with me quietly, and I promise I won’t touch your junior.”


    Jeff struggled against the ropes, managing to knock the towel from his mouth. His voice came out hoarse but defiant. “Ste, don’t worry about me! They won’t dare do much on campus—go get help! I can handle this!”


    One of the bodyguards pressed the cold metal rod against his neck. Jeff sucked in a sharp breath, his injured finger throbbing in agony.


    Seeing the man raise the rod again, Ste cried out, “Stop! I’ll go with you—but you have to promise you’ll release him the moment I leave.”


    William grabbed her arm, his eyes narrowed in disapproval. “No, Stel. You can’t go with him.”


    Ste turned toward him, her heart torn. “I can’t let Jeff keep getting hurt because of me.” Her voice was soft, but firm enough to leave no room for argument.


    Jeff had already suffered enough. Innocent as he was, he kept getting dragged into her mess. If she didn’t face the danger herself, she’d never forgive the guilt lodged in her chest.


    William’s jaw tightened as his gaze shifted to Amon, who lounged nearby, his expression unreadable. “Amon, do you even realize what you’re doing?”


    Amon leaned back in his chair, a faint, careless smile tugging at his lips. “Of course I do. You’ve said it for years—’like father, like son.’ Well, here I am, proving you right.”


    Ste froze. She didn’t want to believe he meant that. There had to be something more behind that mask of indifference.


    Before anyone could speak, a gunshot cracked through the air. The sound tore across the auditorium, shattering a light overhead. ss fragments rained down, glittering like broken stars.


    Screams erupted as panic spread through the crowd. The guards on stage scattered, and Jeff was left alone under the harsh spotlight.


    Amon’s expression shifted in an instant. Whoever had managed to bring a gun in—it had to be Erebus. He sprang to his feet, muscles tense.


    But Ste didn’t think, didn’t hesitate. She dashed toward the stage, pushing through the haze and chaos, reaching for Jeff.


    Suddenly, smoke bombs rolled across the floor, flooding the auditorium with thick fog.


    G  a lno  ve ls . is where the magic begins


    Someone grabbed her arm. In the confusion, Ste felt herself dragged offstage—Jeff right beside her.


    They stumbled through the haze, down the back exit, until they burst into the open air behind the school. Only then did Ste see who had saved them. Haley?


    They ran across thewn, where Haley finally released Ste’s hand, panting, hands braced on her knees.


    Ste was still catching her breath a few steps behind her, her chest rising and falling. Shock flickered in her eyes, quickly giving way to suspicion. “Haley… why were you in the auditorium?”


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