?Chapter 839:


    His gaze rested on the cemetery with quiet intensity, his brows furrowed in concern. Yet the moment he caught sight of Ste leaving, that look swiftly disappeared.


    Ste froze for a beat, startled to see him there. Had he been waiting all this time?


    Ste’s pulse quickened wildly, and her steps faltered without her realizing it. Amid the silence of the graveyard, their eyes met, and the world seemed to stop turning around them.


    A fleeting mix of emotions crossed William’s eyes before he pushed open the car door and stepped out. Instead of closing the distance right away, he remained beside the vehicle and asked in a steady voice, “Have you finished your visit?”


    Ste gave a small nod and moved toward him, her tone still raspy. “Why are you here?”


    “I guessed you’de on a day like this,” William said, his voice low yet tender. “I worried about you facing it alone. That’s why I stayed nearby, though I didn’t want to intrude on the time you spent with your parents.”


    Ste’s steps slowed as she absorbed his words. So he had been there long before, quietly waiting with her in mind.


    What he said unsettled Ste’s heart in the gentlest way, and the warmth in his voice began to chase away the damp chill that clung to her from the rain.<fnf923> Content originallyes from f?ndnovel</fnf923>


    “Thanks,” she whispered, her gaze falling to the ground.


    William’s eyes lingered on her damp hair, his expression shadowed with concern. “Why didn’t you carry an umbre?”


    “It wasn’t raining when I left,” she answered honestly.


    The downpour had begun midway, and since she was already on the road, turning back felt pointless. Besides, the rain hadn’t seemed strong enough to stop her.


    “Come inside. The rain may have eased, but the air is still cold.” William’s voice held quiet insistence as he opened the passenger door, his gesture unforced and considerate.


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    Inside the car, aforting warmth reced the chill she had just left behind. As soon as Ste settled into the seat, William passed her a fresh towel.


    “Here. Dry your hair, or you’ll catch a cold.”


    Ste took it without protest and gently dabbed the water clinging to her hair.


    The silence between them was filled only by the low hum of the air conditioner. The car glided away from the cemetery, carrying Ste farther from the resting ce of her adoptive parents.


    With William’s eyes steady on the road, he finally spoke in a calmer tone.


    “Do you feel a little better now?”


    “Yes, I said a lot to them, and it eased my heart.” Ste’s reply was soft.


    William hesitated, as though weighing each word before it left his lips.


    “I’m d. Ste, I know what this day carries for you. The pain Alonzo brought to you and your parents can’t simply vanish. I can’t change the fact that I share the Briggs name, and I don’t expect forgiveness toe quickly just because of me.”


    His eyes flicked toward her for a moment, filled with quiet honesty.


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