?Chapter 1248:


    William finally lifted his gaze. His eyes met Steven’s with a coldness that stripped away any sense of reunion or relief.


    “I was handling some personal matters,” he said quietly. His voice was low and rough, giving nothing away—and leaving no space for questions.


    Steven’s smile froze for a split second.


    Personal matters?


    What kind of personal matters could William possibly keep from him?


    They had always been close—closer than brothers, even. William had never hidden anything before.


    Steven’s mind drifted back to that day. Before his disappearance, William had gone after Ste, trying to save her. Then came the news—the fall from the cliff, the rumors of death. But William was standing here now. Alive. Changed. And Steven couldn’t help wondering what exactly had happened during that time.


    He pulled out a chair and sat down, choosing not to push too hard. Instead, he began going overpany reports and pending projects that needed William’s approval.


    William listened quietly, only speaking when necessary. Each decision he made was crisp and exact—sharper than before, almost unnervingly decisive.


    Steven couldn’t ignore it anymore. William wasn’t just different. He was… colder.


    When the meeting ended, silence filled the office, thick and suffocating.


    Steven hesitated for a long moment before finally saying, “William, we’ve covered work. Now… can you tell me what really happened between you and Ste?”


    The moment her name left his mouth, something in William shifted.


    His entire demeanor froze over, his fingers tightening around the armrest until the veins stood out.


    Steven noticed but pressed on carefully. “I know it’s personal, and I shouldn’t interfere. But there are things you should hear. The rumors about her… she’s been seen a lot with Marctely. They look like they’re back together. And—”


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    He stopped, watching the faint flicker in William’s eyes before forcing out the rest. “The Walsh family is already preparing a wedding. It’s said to be at the end of this month.”


    Less than two weeks away.


    If William didn’t do something, Ste might actually marry Marc.


    The word “wedding”nded like a heavy stone in William’s chest, breaking the calm surface he’d been holding onto.


    His pupils shrank sharply.


    Memories he’d tried to bury came surging back like a flood.


    The hypnotist’s voice echoed in his mind, soft but venomous. “She never loved you. Her heart always belonged to Marc…”


    Images shed before his eyes—Ste smiling in Marc’s arms, her expression tender and radiant, so different from the guarded warmth she’d shown him.


    And Arlo’s words kept resounding in his head, poisoning every thought. “She betrayed you. Everything you lost—she caused it. The one you should hate isn’t me… it’s her.”


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