?Chapter 867:


    A blind date?


    Ste’s head snapped up. “What are you talking about?”


    William? On a blind date? Impossible. He split his time between the Briggs Group, theb, and client meetings. That was his life. He wasn’t the type to go on blind dates.


    Amon chuckled at her denial, spreading his hands dramatically.


    “Nina went to the equestrian club in the suburbs today. And guess whose schedule ced him there at the same time? The Carter family’s been pushing for an alliance. You really think my cousin would turn down a better deal—for you? Don’t be so naive.”


    His words slid under her skin like venom.


    Ste told herself not to believe him, but his details—times, ces, names—sounded too precise to dismiss. And after Nina’s bold insinuations in theb yesterday, a cold weight settled in her chest.


    Could William really be meeting Nina… like that?


    No. He had made it clear he didn’t want Nina. He had said so himself. He’d never agree to marry her.


    Ste dug her nails into her palm, grounding herself. She wouldn’t fall for Amon’s games.


    When she finally spoke, her voice was cool, steady. “Mr. Briggs, thank you for stepping in. But who I’m with is none of your concern.”


    She bent to collect her phone and pepper spray from the floor, then strode out of the suffocating alley without a backward nce.


    Amon watched her go, his smile lingering, deepening with amusement and something harder beneath. He nudged one of the groaning men with his shoe and murmured under his breath, “Still stubborn. That’s what makes her interesting. Let’s see how you exin this one, William.”


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    Ste pulled into the research institute and parked, her grip on the wheel trembling. The pain in her back from being mmed against the wall hadn’t faded, but Amon’s words unsettled her far more than the physical ache. She kept telling herself not to trust him, but unease crept in, settling itself within her no matter how hard she tried to push it away.


    Before she realized it, Ste had her phone in hand, hovering over William’s name on WhatsApp. As she scrolled through their messages, she noticed something: he was always the one talking the most, while her replies remained short.


    William’s warmth had always been a steady constant. Could a man like him really be out with someone else?


    Ste’s teeth sank into her lip as her fingers hovered over the keyboard. She typed words, only to erase them again. She wondered what gave her the right to demand to know where he was. How could she even phrase it? Should she use him of not showing up when she needed him, or ask outright if he was on a date?


    The thoughts sounded foolish as soon as they formed, and Ste almostughed at herself for them.


    Finally, she gave up. Ste turned off the screen with a snap, stuffed the phone into her pocket, and sat there, irritation bubbling inside her.


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