?Chapter 976:


    In the end, Ste decided not to tell William about what Nina had said. She just couldn’t figure out how to bring it up.


    There was no point telling him. They already had their secrets. Maybe it was better that way.


    This whole thing about full honesty—no lies, no walls—was just something that sounded good in theory. Ste had been naive to believe it could be real.


    William was silent too, his eyes fixed on the road as if he were weighing her words, deciding whether to believe her or not. The silence inside the car stretched out, filling the air with tension.


    Finally, he spoke, his voice low but firm. “Stel, stay away from them. Marc’s never been a gentleman, and Nina… her intentions aren’t pure. I’m worried you’ll get hurt.”


    Worried she might get hurt?


    Ste couldn’t help but turn those words over and over, bitterly. If Nina was right… if William really had ties to Erebus, then the kind of hurt she’d be facing would go way deeper than any drama with Marc or Nina.


    But she kept it inside. No need to use him just yet—not when she had no proof.


    She needed more than Nina’s toxic gossip. She needed something real.


    Nina had mentioned the ring—the snake wrapped around the sword. That was a symbol of Erebus. And William himself had mentioned it before, saying it was only for the core members.


    So there had to be a way to find out for herself.


    Getting ess to his jewelry wouldn’t be hard.


    After a long stretch of silence, Ste’s mind drifted back to the little details she’d brushed off before.


    The way William had talked about Erebus, so casually, with a depth of knowledge that should’ve stood out to her. And then there was the way he’d instantly recognized Drake—without skipping a beat—even though there was nothing about Drake online.


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    It was like the pieces of the puzzle were finally starting to fit together. Details she’d once dismissed now stood out in sharp focus, forming a picture of William that feltpletely unfamiliar.


    Back at the vi, William ruffled her hair like he always did before heading into his study. He said he had things to deal with, leaving her alone in the living room. Ste stood there, feeling… strange. Like she didn’t belong here.


    It wasn’t her home—it was his. She was just a guest in his world. No matter how much they’d grown close, the truth was, she was still an outsider.


    Nina’s words lingered in her mind, cruel and insistent.


    “If you don’t believe me, check his jewelry. See if he’s got a ring with a snake wrapped around a sword. Once you see it, you’ll know I’m not lying.”


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