?Chapter 1198:


    Each of Sharon’s efforts felt like dropping pebbles into a deep, still pond—ripples formed for a moment, only to fade into silence again. Though Ste sometimes paused mid-thought or drifted into brief spells of confusion, her memories of William remained sealed away, locked behind something neither time nor familiarity could break.


    Weighed down by helplessness, Sharon finally sought someone to confide in. She met Josie at a small café in the mall, desperate for relief.


    “Help me! I’vepletely run out of ideas!” Sharon eximed, stirring her coffee with more force than necessary. “I’ve taken her everywhere that used to mean something—yed the songs she loved, surrounded her with old friends—and still, nothing sticks. It’s like those memories slip right through her fingers every time they start to surface!”


    Sharon rested her forehead in her hands, too weighed down to look at Josie across the table. Silence stretched between them until she finally lifted her head, her eyes clouded with worry.


    “Do you think I’m pushing too hard? Am I helping her, or just making things worse?”


    Sharon feared her urgency might take a toll on Ste’s health. Yet if she dyed, Marc would have her marching down the aisle in no time.


    Josie, sitting opposite her, spoke with a rare calm. “You’ve done everything you can. The doctor said this sort of recovery takes time. Maybe it’s not about effort, but about waiting for the right moment. None of this is your fault.”


    She, too, had been digging through articles and research on memory loss, but every page led to the same frustration—nothing truly worked unless the mind chose to remember.


    Before Sharon could respond, a voiceced with mockery cut through the air.


    “Well, you two seem to have plenty of time for coffee.”


    Both women looked up to find Steven standing before them, his face shadowed with disapproval. His usualposed appearance was gone; his tie hung loose, and his suit jacket was tossed over one arm as though he’d left work in a hurry.


    Josie blinked, startled. “Steven?”


    Steven’s cold gaze swept across the table before settling on her. The conflict in his eyes was obvious, but his tone was sharp and using.


    Your next chapter is here gα?ησν???s


    “Ms. Patel, William’s missing, and instead of doing anything to help, you’re sitting here having coffee? You’ve let Ste spend all her time with Marc, and now you’re wasting time like nothing’s wrong. Is this what friendship looks like to you?”


    Steven’s ignorance of Ste’s condition only made his anger burn hotter. In his mind, she had cast William aside without a shred of guilt, choosing instead to rebuild her life with Marc.


    Sharon shot to her feet, fury shing in her eyes. “Steven, what on earth are you talking about? You have no idea what’s really going on!”


    Steven let out a cold, humorlessugh. “I don’t need to know every detail. What I do know is that William would have given his life for her. And Ste’s response? nning a wedding with another man.” His gaze sharpened. “Tell me, Sharon—what could be more heartless than that?”


    Steven had once hoped to pursue Josie, but loyalty to William came first. When faced with a choice between friendship and affection, he didn’t hesitate—he chose loyalty. No matter how deeply Josie stirred something in him, William’s well-being outweighed any personal longing. He refused to let his feelings cloud his sense of right and wrong.


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