?Chapter 1344:


    Lance stared at her like she’d lost her mind. “No. Absolutely not. That’s insane. I’m not letting you take that risk.”


    He had the chance to take her now. Why stay behind and gamble everything on a n that could easily backfire?


    He wasn’t interested in destroying William. All he wanted was to get Ste out safely.


    Ste shook her head, defeated. “You don’t get it,” she said. “If we don’t stop him, he’ll never let me go. If you take me now, he’lle after everyone I care about.”


    This was the only n she’de up with in all her time at the vi. If she yed the obedient role, kept her head down, maybe—just maybe—she’d find a crack in William’s armor.


    At the doorway, she stopped. Her feet wouldn’t move any further.


    Lance turned to her, eyes pleading. But Ste just shook her head. “Don’te back,” she said quietly. “I’m not leaving with you.”


    Her voice didn’t waver. She meant every word.


    Then, without giving him another chance to argue, she turned around and shut the door behind her.


    Lance didn’t move. He just stood there, in the dark, staring at the door Ste had closed behind her. A hollow ache settled in his chest.


    If their family had stayed overseas, William’s influence wouldn’t have reached them. But they’de back because of Ste. And now, everything—their connections, their leverage, their strength—was still anchored on the other side of the world. Here in Choria, they were helpless against someone like William.


    After what felt like forever, Lance finally turned and walked away. His shoulders drooped with quiet despair, each step heavy with the weight of his helplessness.


    Inside, Ste turned back and found William standing halfway up the staircase, watching her silently. She walked over, lips tight. “I told you, I’m not leaving.”


    L?tｅst ch?pt?rs in g??lnovels.??ο??


    Then she walked past him, climbed the stairs, and slipped into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.


    Whatever had been happening between them before Lance showed up—it was gone now. William didn’t even try to continue. The spark had disappeared from his eyes.


    Ste stirred awake from another restless sleep.


    In her dreams, she kept reaching a fork in the road—over and over again. No matter which path she took, she always ended up right back where she started. Caught in a loop she couldn’t break.


    And always, in the distance, was a shadowy figure that looked like Marc from behind. She called out to him. Again and again. But he never stopped. Never turned around. Just kept walking, always just out of reach.


    No matter how hard she chased, she couldn’t catch up.


    When Ste opened her eyes, the sound of birds outside her window felt unnervingly peaceful. Too calm. Like the stillness after something breaks.


    A knock interrupted her thoughts. A servant stepped inside, holding a pale pink gift box.


    These days, just seeing a box like that made Ste tense. Her mind shed to that night at the party—how it had all spiraled—and her skin broke out in goosebumps.


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