?Chapter 1247:


    Nina’s words tumbled out, faster than her thoughts could keep up. “But why work with someone like him? Those mercenaries are ruthless—they’ll do anything for the right price.”


    Arlo was hardly the kind of man anyone sane would call an ally.


    William stayed calm, his tone t. “I don’t care, as long as I reach my goal.”


    Goal?


    What goal?


    She was about to ask when he cut in, “I have a meeting soon. If that’s all, you can go.”


    Her protests caught in her throat, leaving her torn between speaking and silence.


    After a long pause, she finally asked in a small voice, “Is it because of Ste?”


    That name was poison to him now—off-limits.


    His face hardened, his voice dropping lower. “You can go.”


    Nina didn’t dare linger. Afraid of pushing him further, she turned and left, ncing back a few times before stepping out.


    Outside, she spotted Steven waiting.


    The look on her face said it all—her talk with William had gone nowhere.


    “Oh, shut down, huh?” Steven muttered. “Don’t think you can take advantage of the mess between Ste and William. You’d better drop that idea.”


    Nina’s face went pale. “Don’t mention Ste in front of him,” she warned.


    With that, she walked out of Briggs Group without looking back, not caring if Steven understood or not.


    Steven had no clue what she meant.


    From where he stood, he still didn’t understand what had really happened during William’s disappearance. Ste’s marriage to Marc made no sense either.


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    He wanted answers—and nned to get them from William himself.


    As for Nina, he didn’t believe a word she said. He’d never liked her, and her warnings only made him more suspicious.


    When he pushed the office door open again, the sight of William behind the desk struck him. For the first time, Steven realized just how much he’d changed.


    For a moment, Steven almost thought he’d stepped into the wrong office.


    The air felt sharp and cold, nothing like the warm, woody scent William used to favor.


    Even with the curtains drawn wide, there was no hint of warmth—only a chill that clung to the room, as if winter itself had taken residence there. The cold made Steven’s shoulders tense.


    William looked noticeably thinner than he had a month ago. His features had be sharper, almost sculpted, and his once steady eyes now held the stillness of a frozenke—dark, deep, and distant.


    The ck shirt he wore only made his pallor stand out more, and there was a quiet intensity about him, a kind of restrained power that made the air feel heavier.


    “William?” Steven called softly, pushing down the unease rising in his chest. He tried to sound lighthearted, forcing a familiar smile as he stepped forward.


    “You vanished for more than a month without a word—nearly scared me to death. Luca and I searched everywhere for you. It was like you’d dropped off the face of the earth! So, mind telling me where you’ve been hiding all this time?”


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