?Chapter 1240:


    Before they’d left, both Arlo and Drake had drilled the story into her—what to say, how to say it. But now, looking into William’s hollow eyes, her voice trembled. “You treated her well,” she began, forcing the words out. “But her heart was never yours. It always belonged to her ex-husband. She used you, William. From the very beginning. She led you to that cliff so Marc could get what he wanted. She never loved you at all. And the moment you disappeared… she set a wedding date with him.”


    The lie slid out smoothly, but her chest tightened with every word. Even she didn’t know what was true anymore.


    William said nothing. His brow furrowed slightly, his expression unreadable as he turned his gaze back toward the clouds beyond the window.


    Nina’s heart raced with anxiety and confusion.


    Hadn’t Arlo said the hypnotist had rewritten his memories? That he’d trust her implicitly? Then why did his silence feel so dangerous—so uncertain? But she dared not question him.


    The old William had always intimidated her, but this version was worse—colder, sharper, like he’d been stripped of everything human.


    The minutes dragged until, finally, his voice came again, quieter this time. “Did I love her?”


    The question made her chest ache. For once, she couldn’t lie.


    “Yes,” she whispered. “You loved her more than anything. You gave her everything you could. You turned away from everyone else for her.”


    William didn’t respond. His gaze drifted to the horizon, eyes unfocused, as though he were watching something that only he could see.


    By the time the ne touched down at Choria Airport, he hadn’t spoken another word. Nina followed him down the steps, her face hidden behind oversized sunsses.


    News of William’s return had already rippled through the Briggs Group like wildfire.


    Thepany had been hanging by a thread during his absence, and though Luca had done everything he could to hold things together, he’d barely managed to keep Howe’s people from tearing the ce apart.


    Every tale finds a home at g?lnσν???s


    When the message came that William was back, Luca almost couldn’t believe it.


    But momentster, there he was—striding through the ss doors of Briggs Group, alive,posed,manding as ever. Employees froze in ce. Some gasped. Others simply stared. Their missing CEO had returned.


    Luca rushed out of the elevator, nearly stumbling in his haste. His voice cracked slightly when he spoke. “Mr. Briggs, you’re back!”


    William’s memories of Ste had been twisted, buried—but everything else remained intact.


    His tone was firm, his expression unreadable. “Well done,” he said simply.


    Luca, a man who rarely let emotions show, felt a sudden sting behind his eyes. He shook his head quickly, swallowing hard. “That’s just my job, sir.”


    The moment William stepped into his office, the air shifted—cold, sharp, controlled. He didn’t bother with greetings. “What has Howe been doingtely?”


    Luca straightened. “Mr. Howe Briggs has been trying to enter the board and push for full authority. But now that you’ve returned, he’ll have no choice but to step back.”


    William’s lips curved, but there was no amusement in his expression. “A month,” he said, voice low. “I disappear for one month and he already shows his true colors?”


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