?Chapter 1309:


    Inside the car, Ste was a little calmer, yet her body remained curled in on itself, soft pained sounds slipping from her lips now and then.


    William looked at her pale face, his brows drawing tight as unease churned restlessly in his chest.


    Meanwhile, in another private room of the Royal Court Club, Marc tossed back a full ss of hard liquor, trying to drown out the image burned into his mind.


    A trust-fund kid known for his sharp tongue wandered over with a wine ss in hand, smirking as he said, “Hey, Marc. What’s with the face? You went to the restroom and came back looking like the world ended. I think I saw… William in the club too, with some woman next to him. Was that Ste?”


    His words were like gasoline dumped on an open me. Marc’s temper snapped. He mmed his ss onto the table with a sharp crack, instantly drawing attention from the nearby crowd. ring at the man’s mocking grin, Marc spat, “Shut up. Keep talking nonsense, and I’ll tear your mouth apart.”


    The rich young man didn’t flinch. Instead, he let out a short snort and kept poking at him. “Seriously, Marc? That’s it? The girl you like got taken away, and all you can do is sit here drowning your sorrows and snapping at me?”


    Everyone in their circle knew Marc’s habit of picking on the weak while avoiding anyone stronger than him.


    He didn’t dare go after William, so he could only sit here drinking himself into frustration. His outburst only made people look down on him even more.


    A kept man lounging beside the trust-fund kid added his own jab. “Exactly, Marc. If you really like her, why care about William’s position? At least go up and talk to him. You can’t even look the guy in the eye—no wonder Ste didn’t choose you back then.” His pointed gaze settled on Marc’s face, deepening Marc’s humiliation.


    Earlier at the wedding, watching William walk away with Ste had already been a p to his pride, sending him to the bar to drown his shame. Yet even now, while trying to calm himself withpany, he was still being ridiculed.


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    Marc’s cheeks burned, his pride shredded, but he had noeback. All he could do was seethe, frustration boiling over. “What do you know? Do you even understand who William is? Try messing with him yourselves!”


    “We wouldn’t dare, but if it were for my woman, I’d risk everything.” The trust-fund kid shrugged, speaking lightly, but each word hit Marc like ash. “Looks like your so-called ‘love’ isn’t worth much.”


    Theughter and disdainful nces from the others made Marc’s skin crawl. Unable to bear it any longer, he shot to his feet, pushed past the people around him, and stormed out of the club in a humiliating retreat.


    When Marc finally drove back to the vi that had once been meant to be his and Ste’s marital home, his expression remained gloomy.


    Jazlyn was sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching TV.


    She instinctively frowned when she heard the disturbance and nced up to see her son in such a depressed, drunken state.


    Since Ste had been taken away, Jazlyn wasted no time moving into the vi.


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