?Chapter 1159:


    He shouldn’t have even been there. After losing hispany, he had no business showing up at Ste’s wedding. Yet the thought of her walking down the aisle with William had driven him toe.


    But what he saw instead had frozen him in ce. Nina, along with an unfamiliar man, had dragged Ste into a ck SUV.


    In an instant, William seized him by the cor, fury shing across his face. “If you’re making this up, Marc, I swear you’ll regret it.”


    Marc’s voice trembled, but he forced himself to speak clearly. “I memorized the te number! And I heard them mention Mr. Wells’s arrangements. They said something about a remote area outside the city.”


    Without dy, William instructed his men to trace the car, still watching Marc with suspicion as he released his grip. “What’s your reason for helping me?”


    Marc straightened his wrinkled shirt, a faint, self-mocking smile tugging at his lips. “Help you? Hardly. I just can’t stand by and watch her get hurt.”


    After everything that had transpired, he realized he loved Ste. He had failed her once, and though no one would believe him now, his feelings were real. He had been reckless, selfish, and unworthy, but the thought of her suffering made his chest ache.


    William studied him for a long, silent moment before turning away and sliding into the driver’s seat. Just as he was about to shut the door, Marc climbed in beside him and fastened his seat belt.


    Marc held William’s icy stare without flinching. “I know that remote area better than you do. I used to visit it often when I was a kid.”


    All throughout the drive, William kept trying to reach Ste, but her phone remained out of service.


    His chest felt tight, torn between fear and guilt.


    If he had only listened to her and sent someone else to retrieve the ring, would things have turned out this way?


    Half an hourter, the car rolled to a stop at the edge of a deste vige.


    The signal tracker in William’s hand flickered weakly—so faint it was nearly gone. Whoever had taken Ste knew exactly how to cover their tracks.


    William stepped out, scanning the surroundings. An ancient forest loomed ahead, dense and oppressive, shrouded in mist that carried the scent of rot and rain. He nced at Marc beside him. “Let’s find her first.”


    Why Marc seemed so familiar with the area—and how he knew Ste had been brought here—was something William would questionter. For now, Ste was all that mattered.


    Chapters live now at ??????σ????????.cоm


    Marc’s sharp voice cut through the silence. “This area’s huge, and there are only two of us. When will your team arrive?”


    “Twenty minutes,” William replied curtly.


    He had already ordered Luca to bring reinforcements, but even they couldn’t match the speed of his Maybach.


    Marc exhaled, his breath fogging slightly in the cool air. “Then we split up. We’ll cover more ground that way. Call if you find anything.”


    .


    .


    .