?Chapter 829:


    Outside, the scenery blurred into streaks of light. Inside, silence hung thick and heavy.


    Curtis’s fall wasn’t just an ident—it was a spark, a warning from the shadows. Whoever was behind this was finally losing patience. If they weren’t careful, they would be caughtpletely off guard.


    Ste pressed her fingers to her temple, staring fixedly at the road ahead. Her chest felt tight, her mind refusing to drift even for a heartbeat.


    The hospital corridors reeked of disinfectant. The atmosphere was suffocating—nurses rushing past, machines beeping in steady rhythms, heavy footsteps echoing against the sterile floors.


    By the time William and Ste arrived, his men had already locked down the floor where Curtis was being treated.


    ck-d bodyguards stood guard at every exit, their sharp gazes sweeping the halls. No one got through without permission. The tension was so thick it was hard to breathe.


    Luca rushed up the moment William stepped out of the elevator, his face grim.


    “Mr. Briggs, Ms. Russell—Curtis fell from a second-floor bathroom window. He hit the back of his head on the ground. The doctors diagnosed a skull fracture and intracranial bleeding. He went into emergency surgery, but…” Luca’s voice faltered, “He hasn’t…”


    “Passed the critical stage yet? The doctors say there’s a chance he could end up in a vegetative state.”


    Ste’s breath caught, and a sharp ache gripped her chest. Her fingers curled tightly at her sides. A vegetative state… That meant Curtis might never open his eyes again. Who could be so ruthless?


    William’s face hardened, his voice low and ice-cold. “Was it really an ident?”


    Luca hesitated, his tone cautious. “On the surface, yes. But…” He nced at Ste, then back at William. “It feels too coincidental. Just as we ramp up the search for his father, Harold, Curtis ‘falls’ while trying to escape? It doesn’t add up.”


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    William’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He didn’t need Luca to spell it out. He already knew.


    “Also,” Luca added, “our men were watching the corridor and the main entrance. No one went in. But the bathroom window… it’s a blind spot for surveince.”


    William’s gaze sharpened, a killing frost seeping into his expression. “This wasn’t an ident. It was a warning. Someone doesn’t want him talking.” He turned to Ste, his voice unyielding, deadly serious. “From this moment on, you don’t leave my sight. Not here, not anywhere. Do you understand? Alonzo wouldn’t hesitate to use any method to get what he wants.”


    The intensity in his voice sent a shiver down Ste’s spine. If he hadn’t let here with him tonight, what if this had been a trap to lure him away—leaving her unprotected?


    His protectiveness seeped into her chest, warming a ce she hadn’t realized was frozen.


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