?Chapter 1117:


    Haley shot her a look and rolled her eyes. “Wow. Is that how you say thank you? I just saved your life.”


    Ste pressed her lips together, at a loss for words. No matter how she felt about Haley, she couldn’t deny the truth—Haley had just saved both her and Jeff.


    Once Haley steadied her breathing, she straightened and said, almostzily, “You know me. I don’t do anything for free. I saved you for a reason. But rx, I’m not nning to hurt you—at least not right now.”


    She gave a small, careless wave, brushed dust from her dress, and turned away. “I’lle to you when I need something. Don’t forget—you owe me one.”


    Ste watched Haley disappear into the distance, her heart tangled in a storm of emotions she couldn’t quite name.


    Beside her, Jeff clutched his injured finger, his face pale as paper.


    The sight snapped Ste back to reality. “You’re bleeding too much,” she whispered urgently. “We need to get you to a hospital.”


    They hurried to the school gate and gged down a taxi. The moment they climbed in, Ste pulled out her phone to text William. But then she caught the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Something was off—cold, calcted.


    Her heart tightened. “Jeff,” she murmured, “get out of the car.”


    Jeff’s hand went to the door handle.


    But before he could pull it, the driver turned around with a twisted grin. “Don’t bother,” he sneered. “You can’t open it. Just sit tight and behave.”


    The car lurched forward, speeding away from the school. Within seconds, it was swallowed by city traffic.


    Ste tried her phone again, but there was no signal. A faint hum filled the air—she realized there had to be a jammer. Her pulse spiked. They were trapped.


    After what felt like forever, the car slowed and stopped in a remote loading area.


    The streetlights were dim, the air heavy with oil and dust. Ahead, a ck van waited with its doors wide open. The light behind it made it impossible to see who was inside.


    When the driver shoved her forward, Ste stumbled—but in that instant, she slipped the star-shaped bracelet from her wrist and tossed it into the shadows beside the vehicle.


    It was William’s gift. A tracker. Her only hope.


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    The van doors mmed shut, cutting off the faint light from outside. Darkness swallowed them whole.


    As the vehicle rumbled to life, Ste felt around until she found Jeff beside her. “How’s your hand?” she whispered.


    Jeff’s voice trembled, though he tried to sound brave. “It’s fine. I’m sorry. I keep dragging you into this.”


    Ste shook her head, her throat tightening. “No, Jeff. They’re after me. You’re just caught in the crossfire.”


    Or maybe… even before this, he’d been pulled into her mess more times than she could count.


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