?Chapter 1212:


    Then a pinprick of light broke through. The sharp smell of disinfectant hit her nose, apanied by the steady beeping of monitors. Her eyelids felt impossibly heavy as she forced them open.


    “Stel, you’re awake?” Marc’s voice—thick with what sounded like concern—pulled her fully back to consciousness.


    Her eyes finally focused on his face. His eyes were bloodshot, the whites threaded with red.


    When she tried to speak, her voice came out raspy and raw, like sandpaper against her throat. “What… what happened?”


    Thest thing she remembered was being at home. Now she was in a hospital.


    Marc leaned closer, his hand covering hers. “How are you feeling? Does anything hurt? Do you remember passing out?”


    He’de home to find her crumpled on the sofa, unconscious. His heart had seized before he’d scooped her up and driven straight to the hospital.


    The doctor had run tests and concluded it was stress-rted—severe emotional trauma manifesting physically. That exined why she kept cking out.


    Ste’s brow furrowed as she tried to dig through her memory, but sharp painnced through her temples. “I… I can’t remember. I ate lunch at home, and then these strange memories started flooding in…”


    She pressed her fingers to her forehead, her eyes still hazy with confusion and the fragile vulnerability of someone who’d only just woken up.


    The amnesia already made her lose focus constantly. Now, with these fainting spells piling up, it felt like everything was getting worse.


    Marc softened his voice deliberately. “Don’t worry, Stel. I talked to your doctor. Your body’s still adjusting after being unconscious for two years. It’s not serious—it just takes time.”


    Ste managed a weak nod. Then something urred to her.


    “I hope this hasn’t messed up your work schedule.”


    Having just regained consciousness, she barely had the energy to hold her thoughts together.


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    Marc’s hand settled on her shoulder with calcted gentleness. “Work’s fine. Don’t waste energy worrying about it.”


    Ste made a small sound of acknowledgment. Then the memory of thewyer’s visit surfaced. She hesitated, turning it over in her mind, before finally deciding to tell him.


    “Marc… awyer came to see me. A few days ago.”


    Marc didn’t miss a beat, as if he’d been expecting this. “Don’t believe anything he told you. Listen to me carefully—we have some bad history with Briggs Group. It’s better if you avoid any contact with them from now on.”


    Ste studied his face, confusion creeping in. “Wait—you already knew about the visit? And the things he said about William Briggs… are they true? Do you and William have some kind of history?”


    Marc had noticed Ste acting strangely days ago. A few discreet inquiries had confirmed his suspicions—William’swyer had gotten to her.


    He met her eyes, forcing conviction into his voice. “Stel, William and I go way back—and not in a good way. This is them ying dirty, trying to mess with our rtionship. Whatever they told you isplete bullshit. Don’t listen to a word of it.”


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