?Chapter 849:


    Heat crept up her cheeks. She nced away, flustered. “Thanks.”


    The driver was already waiting outside the hotel. The car wound through historic cobbled streets before stopping at the base of a small hill.


    Together, William and Ste climbed the stone steps to an old viewing tform at the top.


    By the time they arrived, the massive sun was sinking toward the horizon, the sky aze in vivid golds and reds. The rooftops of the ancient city glowed beneath it, bathed in warmth.


    There were only a handful of tourists scattered around, each one hushed in awe of the view.


    Ste and William stood shoulder to shoulder at the railing, wordless, letting the silence and beauty wash over them.


    The sunset’s glow fell over their faces, stretching their shadows long and merging them together on the stone floor.


    “How did you find such a beautiful ce?” Ste asked softly. She never would have discovered it on her own.


    William’s answer came low, tinged with memory. “My mom loved it here. She used to say the sunset had a way of making all your troubles go away.”


    Ste stilled. William had never mentioned his mother before.<fn0280> This update is avable on find{n}ovel</fn0280>


    She turned toward him, her eyes warm and searching.


    “She must have been really kind.”


    He didn’t look at her—his gaze was fixed on the horizon, but his voice carried both warmth and longing.


    “Yeah… she was the gentlest person I ever knew.”


    Ste’s heart gave a faint ache. Beneath William’sposed, unshakable exterior was a son carrying his own quiet grief.


    He hadn’t been born tough—life had carved that into him.


    Then he turned to her. Thest rays of the sun framed his profile, painting his features in a soft, golden light. His gaze was steady, sincere.


    “I understand how you feel about your adoptive parents. Because… I feel that way too.”


    His mother had never really fit into the Briggs family. She had nothing inmon with them.


    His words struck her deeply, opening a tenderness in her chest. William didn’t just want to stand beside her—he truly understood her.


    “William, I…” Ste began, her voice trembling with emotion.


    But William gently cut her off, his eyes soft.


    “You don’t have to say anything. The sunset’s still here. Let’s just enjoy it.”


    He didn’t say anything else. Instead, he turned back to the fading horizon, reaching for her hand.


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