?Chapter 1291:


    And unless she got those memories back, nothing would change. No one could fix what they didn’t understand.


    Luca exhaled quietly. He set the gift box at the foot of the bed. “Ms. Russell,” he said, voice low, almost careful. “Mr. Briggs asked that you change into the clothes inside. I’lle back for you in an hour.”


    Was she going out?


    The words pierced through the fog in Ste’s mind like a crack of light.


    She blinked. Slowly lifted her head. Her gaze drifted from the box to Luca, as if she couldn’t quite process what he’d said. Her lips parted—dry, trembling—but no sound came.


    Luca averted his gaze from her dull, lifeless eyes and added quietly, “Mr. Briggs has an important business event tonight at the ‘Royal Court’ club. He requires your presence.”


    A faint flicker of sarcasm appeared in Ste’s eyes—so quick and subtle it could easily be missed.


    She wasn’t naive. What kind of “event” would William ever need her to attend?


    Two years ago, when she had helped Marc build thepany from the ground up, she had attended countless business dinners with him. She remembered the greasy hair, smug grins, and the crude tone of those men perfectly.


    What did William think she was?


    Just a hostess?


    The thought almost amused Ste, curling at the edge of her mind like a dark joke.


    She had assumed that since he hadn’te backtely, he had finally lost interest in her.


    Yet she hadn’t expected new traps waiting in the shadows.


    She hesitated, gripping the side of her skirt, then finally asked, “Can I refuse to go?”


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    Luca nced at her, catching the frustration simmering in her eyes before quickly looking away. “I’m sorry, Ms. Russell, but this is Mr. Briggs’s decision.”


    Hearing that, thest sliver of hope inside her quietly crumbled.


    Well, Luca was only an assistant. What real choice did he have? Everything depended on William’s whims.


    She lowered her gaze, steadying her breath, reminding herself that even if the event was a business gathering, it meant she could leave the vi. Maybe… this was the chance she had been waiting for to escape.


    However, when she saw Luca open the gift box himself and lift the dress inside, a sharp wave of humiliation surged through her.


    Calling that thing a dress was generous at best.


    It was little more than scraps of fabric held together by thin ck straps that looked ready to tear with the slightest pull.


    The entire outfit was a deep, glossy ck, meant to cling to the body. The back plunged down to her waist, and the front had a daring V-cut that offered almost no coverage at all. The skirt wasn’t short, but the slit on the side reached all the way up to her hip.


    Tiny ck sequins glittered coldly across the dress, paired with stilettos so thin they resembled needles.


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