?Chapter 1420:


    Josie stared at her, disbelief painted across her features. “Why? Have you… have you fallen for him?”


    After all, Ste had loved William before the amnesia stole those feelings away—falling for him again wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.


    But the suggestion ignited something fierce in Ste’s chest. “How could you even think that? My heart belongs to Marc. Being with William wasn’t a choice—I was forced into this arrangement. I had nowhere else to turn!”


    She wasn’t the same Ste who carried sweet memories of William anymore. Her heart remained anchored to Marc, unshakable and absolute.


    Josie’s expression clouded over, shadows crossing her features.


    “Stel, about Marc… he—”


    Ste cut her off, raising one hand. “I know what you’re about to say. A woman named Haley called me. She told me she and Marc had history.”


    Recognition shed across Josie’s face—Haley.


    Hadn’t Haley moved abroad? How had she gotten Ste’s number, and why was she calling now?


    Josie’s reaction confirmed what Ste had suspected—that woman genuinely had ties to Marc.


    “I know Marc lied to me. But I still need to hear the truth from his own lips. I need to know if he ever cared about me at all, even a little. William refuses to let me see him, though. So the only path forward is to dismantle William’s control over me.”


    Josie’s breath quickened, her chest rising and falling with sudden rm. “Are you nning to go up against William?”


    “Not against him exactly. I just want us to live separate lives without interfering with each other. But he refuses to let me go, which means I have to carve out another way forward.”


    Josie couldn’t quite grasp the full scope of Ste’s n, but friendship demanded unwavering support. “What do you need from me?”


    “William modified my phone. I can receive calls but can’t make any outgoing ones. You can reach me by calling, but he monitors everything. Do you remember that code we created back in college?”


    Ste had invented the code herself years ago. Only the two of them understood its intricacies. Like Morse code, it relied entirely on rhythm and cadence—a series of taps that conveyed meaning through their pattern alone.


    “I remember. If you need to tell me something, use the code. I’ll understand.”


    Taking advantage of their rare freedom, Ste and Josie headed to the theater and watched aedy. Steughed without restraint, the sound bubbling up from somewhere deep inside—a joy she hadn’t experienced in what felt like forever.


    Watching Ste’s face light up with genuine happiness, Josie felt a sharp pang of helpless affection pierce through her chest. She could do so little to truly help her friend.


    After dinner, as the sun dipped toward the horizon and painted the sky in shades of amber and rose, Ste asked Josie to drive her back to William’s vi.


    Ste unbuckled her seatbelt and paused, her hand resting on the door handle. “Josie, I know you have reasons for not telling me everything about these past two years. That’s okay. I understand. I’ll find a way to remember on my own.”


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