?Chapter 1306:


    He covered the distance in a few long strides, tension rolling off him, and stared toward the open stall where Ste knelt. She hadn’t bothered to shut the door—or maybe she never got the chance.


    Ste was on her knees over the cold marble floor, fingers mped around the rim of the toilet, body shaking with every heave.


    Her slim ck dress had ridden up and twisted, baring most of her back, the skin flushed a sickly red.


    She retched like she was trying to turn herself inside out. Her sleek hair stuck to her damp cheeks and neck, tangled with tears. She lookedpletely wrecked.


    Ste hadn’t even registered that someone hade in. All that mattered was getting the poison out. She didn’t know why she kept doing this to herself.


    She could have just curled up in a corner, yed dumb, and waited for William’s night of drinking to end.


    But her chest felt crushed. First he’d taken her by force, and now he paraded this fresh humiliation in front of her.


    The only relief she could find was at the bottom of a ss. She figured if she drank enough, the thoughts would finally shut up.


    Tears slid down, mocking her for ever believing things could get better.


    The air reeked of booze and bile. When there was nothing left to bring up, she let her head hang and gave a low, bitterugh.


    Her life was one long string of disasters.


    Every time a sliver of light appeared, something mmed the door shut and reminded her hope wasn’t on the guest list.


    William stood framed in the doorway, watching it all, his frown carving deeper, irritation spiking higher.


    Fresh content live now g?lnσν????s


    A couple minutester, her stomach finally surrendered. Only then did she catch the faint shift of movement behind her.


    She dragged her head up with effort and nced back. The alcohol had turned everything fuzzy; shapes blurred at the edges. She could make out a tall figure backlit by the hallway glow, but the face stayed out of focus.


    Maybe it was the booze, but for once the silhouette didn’t scream William. Another shadow rose from the back of her mind instead.


    She wasn’t sure if it was the dream guy who’d haunted her for months or Marc—the one who’d almost been her husband. Right then, that blurry shape felt like safety, not the monster who’d stolen her life.


    A giant wave of hurt crashed over her, drowning everyst bit of caution.


    Feebly, she reached one hand toward the figure in the doorway and pushed herself up from the floor. Her voice came out raw and thick from all the vomiting, stuffed with tears, andced with a soft whine she didn’t even notice.


    “You came. I feel terrible… so terrible…”


    She tried to shuffle closer, but her legs buckled the second she was upright. She pitched forward.


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