?Chapter 1270:


    The rage inside him swallowed thest trace of control he had left.


    He suddenly let go of Ste’s chin, seized the neckline of her gown, and as her frightened cry rang out, he ripped the fabric apart with violent force.


    The sound of tearing silk echoed sharply, and the shreddedce drifted to the floor, soft and broken, like the fallen wings of a wounded butterfly.


    A shiver crawled across her body as the cold air touched her bare skin. Only the thin fabric of her undergarments remained, doing little to hide her.


    A scream tore from her throat as she folded in on herself, clutching her arms around her body. The flood of shame and terror swallowed her whole.


    Her sobs came fast and uneven, her shoulders shaking as though the storm had found a home within her. “You monster! What do you want from me? Why won’t you stop? Marc,e and help me!”


    William stared at her, trembling and small on the sofa, her pale skin catching the light, streaked with the red traces of her struggle.


    Every plea she made for Marc stoked the fire inside him, burning away what little reason he had left.


    Restless fury welled up inside him, refusing to be contained.


    What was he after?


    Revenge burned through him, and he wanted her to feel the sting of suffering, to confess her wrongs.


    Silence filled the room as he pressed his weight across her delicate body.


    “You will learn what I want. You n to stay virgin for Marc? I will not let that happen.”


    Cruelty shed in his gaze, and Ste immediately understood what he intended.


    Panic took hold as she kicked and struggled, trying desperately to break away. “No. Stop it. You can’t do this to me!”


    The tales you love are at g?lnσν???s?c?m


    Her repeated refusals only provoked William further. His rage slipped free of reason and became something he could no longer contain.


    When it finally ended, Ste had no strength left to fight or cry. Her gaze fixed on the ceiling, where the crystal chandelier zed above her, its brilliance blurring into nothing.


    She felt broken.


    William had believed that revenge would quiet the storm inside him, yet seeing her so small and terrified filled him with no triumph at all. Only a hollow ache settled in his chest, mixed with shame he couldn’t name.


    The sound of her sorrowful wails filled the room, haunting him like a voice determined to drive him mad.


    He averted his gaze at once and reached for his clothes, moving with clipped, impatient gestures. The mere sight of her threatened to chip away at thest of his control. One more nce, and he feared he might falter for someone so faithless.


    When the silence grew unbearable, his voice cut through it, low and edged with disdain. “Have you finished your crying? Keep your tears, Ste. They’ve lost their power over me.”


    Ste’s eyes, red and aching, flickered faintly, but she couldn’t bring herself to face him. Curled on the sofa, she looked small and abandoned, like a toy no one wanted anymore.


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