?Chapter 1323:


    Sharon wasn’t clueless. She knew exactly how William kept Ste in line. He didn’t need chains or guards. He just had to threaten the people she cared about.


    And Ste… Ste was the type who would burn before letting anyone else get hurt.


    Sharon gently turned her around. The moment Ste faced her, her eyes went red. She shook her head hard, tears welling but refusing to fall. “It’s not like that,” Ste whispered. “Sharon, please… don’t ask.”


    “Don’t ask?” Sharon’s frustration cracked through. “Stel, look at yourself. Where’s the girl who used to stand her ground? The one who loved fiercely and fought for herself? You’re willing to stay trapped like this forever?”


    “I’m not willing!”


    The words tore out of Ste. Her voice was raw, full of pain she could barely hold together. “But what can I do?” she said, almost pleading. “I can’t drag anyone into this anymore. He’s William. The Briggs heir. No one in Choria can go against him.”


    She lifted her head and met Sharon’s eyes, resignation settling over her like ash. “And if I really did hurt him… if I betrayed him like he says… then maybe I owe him. Maybe this is what I deserve. Better me than anyone else getting caught in the crossfire. Do you understand?”


    She couldn’t lose anyone else.


    She’d just found her family again. Her friends. Her life outside of him.


    She wasn’t willing to gamble any of it.


    Since she couldn’t fight William, she had no choice but to ept it.


    Sharon felt the words m into her. The sting was sharp, almost physical. All that righteous energy she walked in with drained away, reced by a helpless ache.


    She pulled Ste into her arms. “Silly girl,” Sharon murmured, patting her back gently. “How could you ever hurt him? You loved him so much you would’ve given up everything…”


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    She stopped herself. Ste’s memory was gone. Saying more would only confuse her… or reopen wounds she couldn’t exin.


    To Ste, William was a monster. To William, Ste was a traitor. It was a mess on every level.


    Sharon hesitated before asking quietly, “Has he… treated you badly these past few days?”


    The worry in her voice was unmistakable. She braced herself to hear the worst.


    Ste’s body tensed. Just a flicker—but enough. Images hit all at once—the shredded wedding dress, the sickening night at the club, that humiliating gown he forced on her.


    If “treated poorly” had a definition, that was it.


    But she swallowed it down. Hard. She pulled back from Sharon’s embrace, forced a faint smile, and shook her head. “No. He just doesn’t let me go out. Really, don’t worry.”


    She couldn’t tell Sharon the truth. If she did, Sharon would confront William without thinking.


    And he would crush her without hesitation.


    Sharon saw right through her smile. She knew Ste was hiding something… but Ste had drawn a line, and pushing past it would only make things worse. So she let it drop.


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