?Chapter 798:


    They may have shared the Briggs name, but William didn’t hesitate to make it clear—if anything happened to Ste, blood ties wouldn’t save Amon.


    William flung him aside like trash. Amon staggered back several steps, coughing violently and clutching at his throat.


    Resentment flickered in his gaze, mingling with fear—but beneath it all glimmered a perverse satisfaction. His suspicion had been right. William cared for Ste enough to stand against him openly. That weakness was priceless.


    Even battered, Amon considered it worth the blow.<fncb1c> This update is avable on find{n}ovel</fncb1c>


    He lingered just long enough to throw Ste a lingering look before cutting a nervous nce at William. Then he turned and stumbled out of the cafe without another word.


    Only when Amon’s figure disappeared down the street did William whirl back toward Ste. Her face was pale, and his fury melted instantly into worry.


    “Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Were you frightened?” His hands closed over her chilled shoulders as he scanned her quickly, eyes raking over every detail as though afraid to miss even the smallest injury.


    For a long moment, Ste stood stunned. Then, with a sudden jerk, she shook his hands off.


    Her head lifted, and her calm eyes burned with anger—anger at the deception, and humiliation at being manipted by both William and his cousin.


    She met his gaze with an icy stare, her breath trembling as she spoke. “William, you Briggs are all the same. One sets a trap to deceive me, the other swoops in pretending to be a knight in shining armor. What are you really after—making me a fool?”


    The bandits had long since dragged themselves away with Amon.


    Now only Ste and William remained inside the cafe.


    The silence grew thick around them, Ste standing rigid and cold, like a statue carved from stone.


    William’s hands hung in the air, the trace of warmth from her shoulder fading while the sting of her rejection lingered. She had brushed him aside as though she were swiping away something foul, and the look she gave him carried only contempt.


    “It isn’t how you imagine it,” said William, his tone pleading.


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    Ste’s reply cut through his words like a de. “William, spare me. I don’t need your excuses.”


    Her gaze pinned him in ce, and the venom in her eyes struck deep, leaving a hollow ache in William’s chest.


    William bit down on his frustration, forcing himself to speak again in a strained voice. “That’s not the truth. I didn’t know Amon would appear. I hurried here because Luca warned me…”


    His voice faltered, and the rest of the thought never came.


    A cold smirk twisted across Ste’s lips. “Warned you about what? My whereabouts? You have people following me, don’t you?”


    William parted his lips to argue, but no denial woulde. The truth weighed heavily. He had arranged for someone to shadow Ste’s movements, certain that danger lurked in every shadow around her. His only wish was to protect her.


    “The mighty William Briggs. You already suspected your cousin might chase after me, but you pretended ignorance. And today, you appear here on cue with your noble act. Do you really want me to bow in gratitude? Should I worship you for saving me?”


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