Chapter 49

Jazlyn looked over at Haley, confused.

Haley had said earlier that Stella agreed to sign the contract because she was terrified the pictures might go public.

Then what was Stella doing hére now?Shouldn't she be laying low?

And why hadn't the pictures surfaced?

What Jazlyn didn't know was that Haley had the exact same questions.

Those pictures!

Why were they still hidden?

Stella walked into the venue, her face unreadable, deliberately ignoring Marc and the group as she moved forward without pause.

Marc's chest tightened. Seeing her so

composed made something inside him twist.The fear that she might've betrayed him stirred a desperate urge to run after her.

But before he could move, Haley clutched his arm.

"Marc, don't let her intimidate you. My family's reasonable. Even if you leave Stella, they won't judge you. I'll still feel the same about you."

Marc started to draw his arm back, his brows knitting together, but before he could, a woman wrapped in a fur coat stepped forward.

It was Beatrice Smith-Haley's mother.

She'd been Marc's key contact in past business deals with the Smith family, one of his most significant clients.

The Smiths were one of the most respected families in Achury. Beatrice, however, was originally from Ushain and had deep roots here,

which is how Marc and Haley had first crossed paths.

As she passed Stella, Beatrice cast her a look full of disdain.

Beatrice stopped beside Haley and offered Marc a polished smile. "Mr. Walsh, our family usually wouldn't consider a man who's been divorced. But since Haley's chosen you, we won't stand in the way. Just make sure you resolve things with your ex-wife properly, and we won't object to your marriage. Everyone knows the problems in your first marriage weren't on you."

As Beatrice delivered the final line, she shot a pointed look in Stella's direction.

Stella's expression brimmed with biting irony.

So, they'd already condemned her, no proof needed,just theatrics.

And poorly executed ones, at that.

With a champagne flute in hand, Stella pivoted and walked straight toward Marc once more.

Haley,now flanked by Beatrice on one side and Jazlyn on the other, stared at Stella with smug confidence.

The pictures hadn't gone public, but she wasn't worried. She had backup, two people beside her, while Stella stood alone. What did Stella possibly have that could rival that?

"Stella, is it? After everything you've done,you'd be wise to sign the divorce papers and spare yourself the shame." Beatrice spoke to Stella like she wasn't worth basic politeness.

To her, Stella was beneath notice.

Stella didn't respond to her at all. Instead,she looked directly at Marc.

His face held a tangled mess of unease and hesitation, and Stella let out a soft laugh.

"Well, Marc," she said, voice calm but cutting,"tell me, what was my crime in this marriage?What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment from you?"

They weren't even legally separated, yet here he stood, silent, as these people dragged her through the dirt.

Was this what he meant when he spoke of love?

Haley and Jazlyn shared a glance, unsettled by Stella's composure yet convinced the plan had worked.

Jazlyn assumed Stella's fear of exposure had forced her to surrender.

Haley believed the pictures were still in Jazlyn's hands and would come out eventually.

They both blinked, mistaking each other's confidence for certainty.

Jazlyn was the first to speak, her tone dripping with scorn. "Stella, is this the kind of behavior you think suits a daughter-in-law? And you still have the nerve to ask what you did wrong? You were sleeping around while married, openly shameless. Isn't that reason enough?"

As soon as Jazlyn finished, Haley jumped in without hesitation.

"Ms. Russell, I used to believe your refusal to divorce came from real feelings for Marc. But if you truly cared about him, how could you be involved with other men and take such vulgar pictures? No one forced you in those shots, and the props, the outfits... I never expected you to be like that. I won't let Marc continue to be with someone like you!"

She spoke with a tone of moral outrage, as if it

were her duty to save Marc from ruin.

The surrounding guests turned their attention toward them, eager for more drama, as if Stella and Marc's scandal was the day's highlight.

"Seriously, Stella? Are you really that reckless?That's disgusting. Don't you even worry about your health?" Someone called out from the crowd.

The jeers escalated, each comment worse than the last.

"Honestly, someone from outside our circle probably wouldn't understand basic decency.No wonder Marc would rather be with the Smith girl after what Stella pulled."

"Who could tolerate their wife being with other men? Just imagining it is sickening."