?Chapter 844:


    They sampled local cuisine together, andter that evening, William walked with her along the banks of an ancient river.


    The air was cool, the water reflecting strings of golden lights. It wasn’t the grandeur of the city that soothed Ste, but the easy silence between them. With William beside her, she felt a rare, unburdened calm, as if the shadows chasing her thoughts had finally paused.


    On the second day, William surprised her by booking dinner at a Michelin three-star restaurant.


    The restaurant was housed in a historic building, its stone arches softened by flickering candlelight.


    Romantic in its understated elegance, the atmosphere all but revealed William’s intention. Ste noticed immediately. She didn’t point it out, but she didn’t push it away either.


    They were just settling in, following the waiter’s guidance through the menu, when a sound broke the refined hush of the dining room—soft, broken sobs. The cries came from a corner booth, raw with helplessness. In such a polished setting, the sound was impossible to ignore.


    Ste’s head turned instinctively. A girl, no more than eighteen or neen, sat alone at the table. Her shoulders shook as she wept, head bowed.


    A menu sat untouched in front of the girl.


    She lookedpletely out of ce. Dressed simply, eyes swollen red from tears, she had the nervous air of someone far from home, stranded in a world she didn’t understand.


    Ste’s chest tightened with sympathy.


    William noticed too. He nced once in the girl’s direction, then turned back to his te, not wanting to get involved.


    But the sobs grew louder, pulling curious nces from nearby diners. A few whispered behind their hands; others frowned at the disturbance.


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    Ste could no longer sit still. She set her napkin aside and murmured, “I’m going to check on her.”


    William’s brow creased slightly, as though he wanted to stop her. Instead, he gave a short nod, his gaze sharpening as he watched.


    Ste crossed the room and crouched slightly by the girl’s table. She asked gently, “Are you alright? Do you need help?”<fnc8a9> Original content can be found at FindN0vel</fnc8a9>


    Startled, the girl lifted her head. Her face was blotchy with tears, eyes brimming with desperation.


    The moment she heard Ste’s voice, her reaction was almost frantic. “You—you’re from home?” she blurted, recognizing the familiar cadence of her native tongue. She grabbed Ste’s hand as if clinging to a rope in the middle of a storm. “Please, help me. My boyfriend… he ditched me here after we had a fight.”


    Ste’s heart softened at once. So, she was apatriot.


    Lowering her voice, Ste said, “Calm down. Tell me what happened, slowly. Why would he leave you?”


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