?Chapter 486:


    The Lawsons and Briggs families had alreadymitted to several partnerships together.


    Any move to end the engagement now would threaten everything bothpanies had nned.


    “Willow was out of line today, and she’ll face the consequences when we return home. The Lawson family will take full responsibility for everything Ms. Gilbert suffered—medical bills, emotional pain, you name it.”


    Willow’s father, Beckham Lawson’s words rang out with a generosity that almost sounded rehearsed, as if Ste ought to feel grateful for his offer. All they needed was for William to stay quiet about breaking things off, and the Lawsons would agree to whatever terms he wanted.


    Even so, William remained unmoved. “The Briggs Group doesn’t need an arranged marriage to secure its future.”


    Anyone could tell which family stood to benefit most from this arrangement. The Lawsons managed to secure their partnership with the Briggs family thanks to a connection abroad.


    William’s grandfather, Dexter, believed that Willow might help William manage that overseas link, hoping it would spare him the trouble of patching up Isabe’s blunders just to keep the shipping route open.


    Dexter was only trying to protect William’s interests.


    Still, William would have preferred to reim the route from Isabe himself than to go through with a marriage to Willow.


    Willow broke downpletely, tears streaming down her face as she nearly crumpled into Gail’s arms after William made his stance clear.


    Not able to bear watching her friend in such distress, Gail pointed straight at William. “How could you do this? Willow’s never cared for anyone the way she cares for you!”


    With a mocking grin, William responded. “So I’m supposed to marry Willow just because she ims to love me?” He found the whole idea absurd.


    Gail stood speechless, unable to respond.


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    Wiping her swollen eyes, Willow lifted her head from Gail’s shoulder and faced William directly.


    “William, I’ll apologize to Ms. Gilbert. If that’s not enough, I’ll even kneel. Everything I’ve done, I did it because I love you. Can’t you forgive me, just this once, after everything we’ve been through?”


    Sharon, catching the sound of Willow’s pitiful plea, let out augh. “Saying sorry on your knees isn’t going to fix anything. If you want to show you’re sorry, why don’t you jump into the sea and stay there for five minutes? But even then, you won’t wipe away what you put Stel through. Understand?” Josie, for once, found herself siding with Sharon.


    Tears still streaking her face, Willow edged closer to Ste. “Ms. Gilbert, please have mercy. I can’t go on without William. Name your price. Just let me have him back!”


    Ste hadn’t asked for any of this. She’d simplye here to secure a deal with Jon, not to end up caught in a web of someone else’s problems.


    Yet the way Willow spoke, anyone would think Ste was the viin trying to snatch William away.


    By now, Willow’s desperate pleading only seemed pathetic to Ste.


    “Miss Lawson, whatever is happening between you and Mr. Briggs isn’t my concern. If you want to be with him, talk to him directly. He’s not a trophy anyone can just hand over. Even if I told you to take him, that wouldn’t change a thing.”


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