?Chapter 256:


    “You went to see Haley today?” William asked, his voice low but firm.


    Ste stopped mid-bite, the spoon suspended in the air. “I did.”


    “You let her walk free?” William had seen Haley’s apology statement online. He didn’t need the details to understand the deal Ste had made.


    But he didn’t agree with it.


    Keeping thewsuit active meant Haley would’ve stayed locked up. And as long as Ste didn’t back down, William could’ve made sure of that.


    He couldn’t understand her logic. A public apology didn’t carry much weight, especiallying from someone like Haley. Was it that important to Ste?


    His appetite vanished in an instant.


    “Don’t you think she’ll retaliate?” he asked, looking directly at her. “You should be extra careful now.”


    Someone like Haley didn’t turn over a new leaf. If she could change, Ste wouldn’t be caught in this endless loop of chaos.


    But Ste only smiled, the calm in her eyes sharp enough to cut ss. “Of course she’lle for me again. That’s exactly what I’m counting on.”


    William hadn’t expected Ste’s answer to catch him so off guard.


    He’d always assumed he had her figured out—yet here she was, making a move he’d never seening.


    With an air of calm authority, Ste pressed on. “She’s a stranger in this city. We have no real evidence against her, just a handful of nder usations and ims about starting a fight. At most, she’d spend two weeks in detention—nothing more. We’d be better off letting her go. That’s the only way we can catch her in the act.”


    William couldn’t help but wonder if Ste was far more calcting than he’d imagined.


    He sat quietly for a beat, then reached for another slice of spicy beef. The moment he took a bite, his mouth exploded with searing heat.


    He shot her a look, color rushing to his cheeks. “Seriously, how many chili peppers did you throw in here?”


    gα?ησν????s is your gateway to fiction


    Ste shook off her distraction and offered a casual smile. “Oh—my bad, I forgot to mention. I picked up some extra-spicy chilies this time.”


    William tossed back an entire ss of water, but the fiery heat clung stubbornly to his tongue.


    Narrowing his eyes at her, he asked, “Ste, are you telling me you did this on purpose?”


    With a look of pure innocence, Ste replied, “Not at all. I just wanted to try a new recipe I found online. They said these chilies were amazing. Is it too much for you? Maybe our spice tolerance just isn’t the same. Mr. Briggs, maybe you should be in charge of your own meals from now on.”


    In Ste’s mind, she genuinely hadn’t meant any harm—she simply assumed William could handle it and dialed up the heat without holding back.


    .


    .


    .