?Chapter 1134:


    William blinked, caught off guard, thenughed. “If you want to learn self-defense, I can hire you a proper instructor. Rita’s just the housekeeper.”


    “You’ve never seen her fight,” Ste countered, half-smiling. “She once took down three men all by herself. I swear, she’s amazing.”


    That made William pause.


    He knew Rita for her calm presence and her cooking—not for throwing punches.


    He’d never imagined she could fight.


    Still, as capable as Rita might be, Ste thought it would be smarter to learn from someone trained to teach.


    She didn’t need to be an expert, just capable enough to handle herself if danger came again.


    Those few tricks Rita had taught her so far? Barely enough to get by.


    After turning Marc away so decisively, Ste didn’t expect him—or anyone from his side—to show up again.


    But the next afternoon, as she stepped out of the research institute, she froze. Standing by the gate was Jazlyn.


    The once-proud woman looked almost unrecognizable now—thin, tired, standing in the drizzle with a faded umbre and clothes too in for someone who’d once loved silk and jewelry.


    Before Ste could even process it, Jazlyn suddenly stumbled forward and dropped to her knees right there on the wet pavement.


    “Stel, please… save Marc!”


    Her voice broke halfway through the sentence, raw and desperate. The sound carried, and people nearby turned to look. Ste stood rooted in ce, caught between shock and disbelief.


    “What are you doing? Get up!”


    But Jazlyn clung to the hem of her coat like it was the only thing keeping her alive.


    “If you don’t promise to help, I’m not getting up,” she cried, her tone rising. “Marc’spany is copsing—we have nothing left! Please, I’m begging you!”


    A small crowd began to form. Someone even lifted their phone to record.


    Ste’s face flushed with difort. She tried to pull Jazlyn up, but the older woman wouldn’t budge—surprisingly strong for her frail frame.


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    “Jazlyn, please,” Ste whispered, trying to stay calm. “We can talk about this somewhere else.”


    But Jazlyn’s eyes shed with something wild. She suddenly raised her voice for everyone to hear.


    “Everyone, look at her! My son’s ex-wife is letting hispany go bankrupt—she’s even helping outsiders destroy him!”


    That hit Ste like a p. Anger rose in her chest, burning through the embarrassment. She should’ve known—wherever Jazlyn appeared, chaos followed.


    Her expression hardened. “Marc and I are divorced. His problems have nothing to do with me,” she said, her tone cold and steady. “If you keep this up, I’ll call the police.”


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