?Chapter 1008:


    For a few seconds, only silence filled the line before Haley gave a softugh, its meaning unclear—part amusement, part disappointment.


    “Very well. If you’re so gracious, I’ll take it back. But should you change your mind, you can reach me through this number at any time.” With that, Haley ended the call without hesitation.


    Ste lowered her phone and let out a quiet sigh. She couldn’t discern Haley’s real intentions, but her instincts whispered that distancing herself from it was the safest path.


    Her own troubles were already more than enough. How could she possibly waste her strength on the tangled feud between Marc and Haley?


    The rain that had drenched Choria for days finally broke, leaving the streets washed clean.


    Wasting no time, Ste gged down a cab and left William’s vi with all her luggage. She had chosen this moment on purpose, slipping out while he was still tied up at thepany. She didn’t want to face those uncertain, half-hidden looks of his again.


    Back at her own apartment, silent and untouched for so long, she dropped her bags at the door, showered, and sank onto the sofa.


    The silence pressed in until her phone lit up. William’s name glowed on the screen. She didn’t move. The ringing went on, but she let it die out as if she hadn’t heard a thing.


    Unable to reach her, William paced in his office, torn between showing up at her door and keeping his distance. In the end, he chose neither. Instead, he asked Luca to dig up Sharon’s number and dialed.


    Sharon nearly dropped the box of face masks she’d been sorting at her salon when she saw his name. “William? Why are you calling me?”


    “I need you to check on Stel. Make sure she’s alright.”


    She froze, frowning. “Why don’t you ask her yourself? Did something happen between you two?”


    He faltered, unable to put it into words. All he could do was repeat his plea. With a sigh, Sharon shot Ste a quick message and got a reply almost right away. Relieved, she then forwarded the update to William. “She’s fine and at home. What exactly did you do to her?”


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    Her tone chilled as the pieces came together. If Ste had run back to her own ce, it wasn’t hard to guess why.


    Cornered, William hesitated, then offered the barest outline. “It was a misunderstanding. I should’ve told her the truth a long time ago. She won’t give me the chance now, so I was hoping you could help me arrange a time to talk to her.”


    Sharon didn’t even need to think about it.


    “William, no. I’m her friend. If she doesn’t want to see you, I’m not about to make her. You had more than enough chances to be honest, but you chose silence every time, and now you’re just paying the price. This is on you. Don’t drag me into it, and don’t call me again.”


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