?Chapter 996:


    She stormed upstairs, mmed the bedroom door behind her, and leaned against it, her hands covering her face as the sobs took over—loud, aching, and uncontroble.


    Downstairs, William didn’t move.


    He just stood there, hands limp at his sides, the air between them now cold and hollow. His expression cracked under the weight of everything unspoken. His hands trembled slightly.


    He hadn’te here to fight. He’de looking for answers—for reassurance. Lately, she’d been distant, and he couldn’t shake the idea that it had something to do with Jeff.


    Was it stupid? Maybe. But it had been eating at him.


    He let out a dry, bitterugh. He never thought he’d be this guy—begging for emotional security like some love-struck fool. But when it came to Ste, he kept bending. Always bending.


    It waspletely dark by now. William sat alone on the couch downstairs. Only a floormp lit the living room, casting soft light and long shadows. He sat there, unmoving, for what felt like hours. Then finally, slowly, he stood and climbed the stairs.


    Stopping outside her door, he raised his hand and knocked—soft, hesitant. “Stel… can we talk? Please?”


    No answer. His voice dropped, almost a whisper. “What’s going on with you? You’ve been off ever since Marc and Nina talked to you. Did they say something? What are you not telling me?”


    He had asked before. She always said “nothing.” But everything about her said otherwise. He wasn’t trying to use her. He just needed to understand.


    Behind the door, Ste heard his voice, but she didn’t move. Didn’t answer.


    It wasn’t about Marc or Nina. Not really. He was hiding something.


    She had trusted him. She had stood up for him in front of Nina.


    But then… that ring. That stupid little detail had crushed all her certainty like ss underfoot.


    William was still standing outside her door. Ste could see his reflection on the floor through the crack underneath.


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    She swallowed hard, her voice quiet but sharp. “Do you really not get it, William? After everything—you still think you’ve done nothing wrong?”


    The words hit him like a p. He blinked, stunned, his heart sinking as the silence between them grew heavier. “What… what are you talking about?” he asked, his voice tight. “Stel, please. Just tell me. I’m done guessing.”


    He sounded frustrated, but not angry—just lost. Like a man walking in circles inside a house he helped build, now watching the walls fall apart.


    Inside, Ste sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes red and tired. She stared straight ahead, not at the door—but through it. As if she could see past the wood, past the distance, and into his heart.


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