?Chapter 411:


    “That’s just the fitting room,” the shopkeeper said quickly. “There are customers inside.”


    The man headed straight for it.


    “Hey! You can’t just barge in! They’re just buying clothes.” But he ignored her.


    Inside the cramped fitting room, Ste and William stood frozen, facing each other, anxiety rising with the sound of those heavy footsteps.


    William’s eyes locked onto hers. Then he suddenly pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against his chest.


    Ste gasped, startled by the sudden closeness, her face flush against his bare skin. She frowned, whispering through gritted teeth, “What are you doing?”


    “Don’t move. Just go with it,” he murmured low.


    Before she could argue, the curtain was yanked open.


    At that exact moment, William reached down and gave her waist a firm pinch, and she yelped.


    The man outside froze, stunned by what he saw—William’s back to him, arms wrapped around a woman, her face hidden. “Get lost!” William barked without turning around.


    The shopkeeper stepped up beside the man, a bit stunned herself.


    “See? I told you. Nothing suspicious. They’re just… caught up in their own thing.” The man squinted, then snorted and let go of the curtain. “Young folks really do have a lot of energy, huh?” With a chuckle, he walked off.


    The curtain fell back into ce, but Ste didn’t dare move.


    Only when the room outside wentpletely silent did she start to pull away.


    But just as she shifted, William tightened his grip again.


    “Not yet,” he whispered close to her ear. “No one walks off that fast. Give it a minute.”


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    Ste found herself speechless, instinctively leaning back against William’s steady chest. Even after knowing each other for nearly two years, the closeness made her nerves jangle.


    Heat red across her cheeks, and she kept her eyes fixed on the floor, too shy to nce up.


    The silence stretched on, broken only by the steady thrum of his heartbeat against her ear.


    She finally whispered, “Can we move yet?”


    Her voice was barely above a breath, wishing she could wriggle free from the awkwardness.


    But William only held her tighter, repeating softly, “Just a little longer.”


    Surprisingly, his arms felt safe—his embrace, both strong and gentle, made her feel oddly protected. Though she appeared delicate, there was a warmth to her that he hadn’t expected.


    Ste clenched her lips, forcing herself to breathe slowly and endure the strangefort a bit longer. William dipped his head, eyes meeting hers, his voice dropping to a gentle murmur. “You’re burning up.”


    A surge of unease froze her in ce, her cheeks burning anew. “What are you even implying?” she hissed, shooting him a sharp, embarrassed look.


    He just shrugged, not the least bit bothered. “Just telling it like it is.”


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