?Chapter 827:


    Ste’s breath caught, her eyes widening in shock. “Harold’s alive? But why would he suddenly appear now?”


    “That’s exactly what I need to know,” William replied, his tone dark and measured. “His timing is far too perfect. I’ve already sent people to track him down.”


    William’s expression tightened, his gaze unreadable as it lingered on Ste.


    “As for Alonzo… I’ve suspected him for a long time. I believe your adoptive parents identally stumbled across his moneyundering scheme. That’s why they were silenced.”


    Though Ste had already heard this from Marc, hearing William confirm it felt like ice water pouring into her chest. Her heart clenched, every breath sharp and painful.


    “Who exactly is this uncle of yours,” she whispered hoarsely, “that even you tread so carefully around him?”


    William’s jaw hardened. “I don’t have the evidence yet.”


    He knew his uncle too well. Without hard evidence, Alonzo was untouchable.


    He leaned forward, voice low and firm. “He’s ruthless. Cunning. He buries his tracks so well, even shadows can’t catch him. If we make a wrong move, he’ll notice—and the first thing he’ll do is target you.”


    His fingers closed over Ste’s cold hand, the heat of his grip fierce. “I’m not protecting him. I’m waiting for the right moment to destroy him and his entire organization. Until then, keeping you safe is my only priority.”


    The sincerity zing in William’s eyes left no room for doubt. Ste stared at him, dazed, her icy defenses beginning to melt. Could it be true?


    Had William really been hiding things not to control her, but to shield her?


    Her emotions tangled into a knot of confusion.


    After a long silence, her voice softened, fragile yet searching. “So… what now?”


    Let your imagination soar with gα?ησν????s．?ο??


    Hearing her tone shift, William finally felt the knot in his own chest ease.


    “Leave everything to me,” he said firmly. “Just trust me. Stay safe.”<fnf391> Follow current nov?ls on f?ndnovel</fnf391>


    He didn’t give her a chance to respond before continuing, his voice sharp. “Marc’s goal today was to sow mistrust between us. Don’t let his words shake you. Harold’s sudden reappearance and the damaged film mean they’re watching. And as for Amon—stay away from him, no matter what.”


    He unlocked his phone, pulling up an encrypted folder, and handed it to her. The screen disyed several restored images from the damaged reel.


    “These are from back then. The expert is still recovering more, but Harold’s our best lead now. I’ll find him soon.”


    Ste’s gaze lingered on the blurry emblem in the photo, her mind shing back to that day over ten years ago. Her throat tightened, but when she looked back at William, her voice was steady.


    “William, I can trust you. But I need to know everything, step by step. Don’t keep me in the dark again. I’m not a fragile bird for you to cage. If there’s something I can do, I want to be part of it.”


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