?Chapter 1186:


    “It really is you, Ms. Russell,” he said, stepping forward.


    Then his gaze lingered on Marc. “And this is…”


    Without missing a beat, Marc moved slightly in front of Ste, his tone cool but steady. “I’m Marc Walsh—Ste’s fiancé.”


    The man blinked. “Fiancé?”


    His surprise deepened. “But… what about Mr. Bri—”


    “Ah! What a coincidence!”


    Luca’s voice cut in smoothly from behind the man. He appeared as if summoned, his smile professional and practiced.


    “Mr. Hensley. I was just about to reach out regarding the project Mr. Briggs mentioned before his departure.”


    Mr. Hensley blinked, clearly thrown off, before recovering quickly. “Ah, yes, yes. Mr. Briggs did mention something about that before his… business trip, didn’t he?”


    Luca’s polite chuckle masked the sharpness in his gaze. “Exactly. He’s attending to urgent matters overseas. I’ll handle the follow-up in his absence.”


    For a moment, Ste looked puzzled. The exchange felt oddly stiff, though she couldn’t ce why. Still, she smiled and held Marc’s arm a little tighter.


    Marc, however, caught the undercurrent instantly—the way Luca’s words carried a warning only he would understand. He gave a short nod. “You’re busy, Luca. We won’t keep you.”


    Without another word, he guided Ste away, his hand firm around hers. He could feel Luca’s eyes on him the whole time—sharp and unyielding.


    He knew what that look meant. William’s disappearance had been contained well, but secrets like that had an expiration date. The Briggs family was already starting to stir.


    Marc didn’t care. Whatever storms were brewing in the Briggs Group had nothing to do with him—unless they threatened his rtionship with Ste. And he wouldn’t let anyone, least of all William’s family, drag her into it.


    Ste, blissfully unaware, assumed the man they’d met was just one of Marc’s business acquaintances.


    After all, in their world, familiar faces were easy to forget. She brushed it off and moved on.


    Your escape begins with g?lnσν???s?????m


    At Briggs Group headquarters, sunlight filtered through floor-to-ceiling windows, but the air inside the boardroom was anything but warm.


    The chair at the head of the table—the one that had always belonged to William—was now upied by Howe Briggs. His polished fingers tapped against the glossy surface, each tap echoing through the tense silence.


    Across from him, Luca stood—calm, poised.


    “So,” Howe said with a faint, cutting smile, “where exactly is William? It’s been weeks, Luca. No contact, no updates. Are we really supposed to believe an assistant is running thepany now?”


    Luca’s tone remained even. “Mr. Briggs is currently overseeing an overseas project. It’s confidential. Everything regarding thepany has been arranged under his directive. I’m simply executing his orders.”


    Howe chuckled—a low, humorless sound. “Confidential, even from family? Tell me, Luca, should we start worrying that something bad has happened to him?”


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