?Chapter 1415:


    Ste stood slowly. “You can go change or take a quick shower. I’ll have the servants warm up the food.”


    Her tone was unusually gentle. It threw him off. He didn’t say a word—just pressed his lips together and headed upstairs.


    When they finally sat down at the dining table, facing each other, the silence stretched.


    Lately, she hadn’t even been willing to sit and eat with him. But now, she even remembered the kinds of dishes he liked.


    For the first time, she reached out and ced some food on his te. “I wanted to talk about the amnesia,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry I didn’t believe I’d really lost my memory before. That misunderstanding… it made me think you were lying.”


    She spoke in a low voice, almost a mumble. There was no anger in her tone. Just honesty.


    William chuckled lightly but didn’t respond.


    Ste took a breath and added, “Even though I now believe I really do have amnesia… the truth is, I still don’t remember anything from before. So I’m sorry, but I still don’t feel anything for you. Right now, you’re just a stranger to me.”


    She didn’t want to hurt him, but she needed to be clear.


    Her only wish was for them to coexist peacefully.


    “I know it must be hard,” she went on, “and if you can’t ept that, I’m fine staying at the vi. I just hope we can respect each other and avoid… any more intimacy.”


    She was trying her best to move forward without me.


    William’s brows drew together as he listened. His expression darkened slightly. “So what—you’re telling me to just let everything go?”


    She shook her head. “No. I’m saying I don’t know if I’ll ever get my memory back. I just don’t want us to keep fueling more hatred.”


    He’d hated her once, thinking she’d betrayed him. She had epted that.


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    But now that most of those old misunderstandings were gone, wasn’t it time to stop holding onto the past?


    William suddenly set down his fork and knife with a sharp clink. His voice was low, but there was an edge to it. “What I choose to do with my feelings… that’s my business, Ste. You don’t get to decide for me. You’re not in that position.”


    And just like that, he stood up, turned on his heel, and walked away. The door to his study mmed shut behind him.


    Ste had been on edge all through dinner. Now that William was gone, she finally let herself breathe. Truth be told, she’d barely eaten more than a few bites.


    One of the maids had quietly witnessed the entire exchange between them and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy. Over the past few weeks, they’d seen enough to know Ste wasn’t some maniptive woman. Despite being confined here by William, she remained kind-hearted—calm, respectful, and surprisingly soft-spoken. Honestly, it was admirable.


    Tasha, one of the older maids, stepped forward and gently ced a bowl of soup in front of her. “Ms. Russell, have some more. It’ll warm you up. Mr. Briggs mighte off as harsh, but deep down, he’s not as cold as he looks. Try not to take what he said to heart.”


    Tasha had worked in the household long enough to spot things others missed. And from the way William looked at Ste… she was pretty sure he still cared, whether he admitted it or not.


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