?Chapter 1161:


    He darted a nce to the side. The cliff was only a few meters away. Beyond it, a storm-tossed sea churned like a hungry beast.


    Another bullet hissed past his face, slicing his cheek open. Warm blood trickled down his jawline, the sharp pain snapping his focus back.


    He pressed himself against the rock, chest heaving.


    No gun.


    No backup.


    No way out.


    A grim smile curved his lips. So this was how it ended?


    Ste’s face shed in his mind—her eyes, her smile.


    “I’m sorry, Ste,” he whispered, his voice nearly swallowed by the roar of the wind.


    And then he ran.


    Bullets chased him as he sprinted to the cliff’s edge—and leapt.


    The gunman rushed forward, firing a few more rounds into the dark water. “Search the coastline!” he barked. “Find him—dead or alive!”


    Meanwhile, deep within the forest, Marc found his way to a secluded cave.


    A faint sound—barely audible—drifted out. He moved closer, steps careful, every nerve taut.


    When his eyes adjusted to the dim light, his stomach clenched.


    Stey on the cold stone floor, pale and unmoving. Beside her stood Nina in a ck gown, a syringe gleaming between her fingers. The needle hovered inches above Ste’s arm.


    “What are you doing?” Marc’s voice thundered through the cave.


    Nina froze, startled. She had deliberately sent the others away and brought Ste here alone, never expecting anyone to find her.


    But when she saw who stood at the entrance, she exhaled and smirked.


    “Marc. Why are you here? Don’t tell me you still have feelings for her.”


    Her tone dripped with mockery.


    “After everything William and Ste did to you, you still want to y the hero? How pathetic. If you ask me, once she’s gone, everything will be over. With your status, you could have anyone.”


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    Marc’s brows furrowed, his voice low and cold. “And what about you, Nina? Aren’t you doing all this for William too?”


    His gaze hardened. “Tell me—how are we any different?”


    Others might have missed it—but Marc saw it clearly.


    Everything Nina had done was for William. Every scheme, every lie, every reckless act. With Ste gone, she believed she’d finally have a chance with him.


    Marc almost pitied her. To him, it was a delusion—a dream built on desperation. But Nina didn’t care about reality. She only saw what she wanted: William. And Ste was the obstacle she needed to erase.


    Nina’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “What I do is none of your business. You can’t stop me anyway!”


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