?Chapter 1473:


    If they were genuinely ipatible, she was perfectly capable of walking her own path without him.


    Witnessing Ste finally make peace with the situation filled Sharon with overwhelming relief.


    Her deepest fear had been that Ste would be trapped in a cycle of confusion and helplessness after losing her memory.


    But clearly, she had severely underestimated Ste’s inner strength!


    That evening, Ste returned to the vi, and within minutes, Luca pulled up at the entrance in a sleek ck car.


    He stepped out and opened the rear door with practiced formality. “Ms. Russell, Mr. Briggs instructed me to collect you.”


    Ste acknowledged him with a brief nod and slid into the backseat.


    As the vehicle pulled away from the vi, Ste nced anxiously toward the rearview mirror, catching Luca’s eyes. “Did he mention who would be attending the dinner tonight?”


    Luca caught the nervous tension in her expression through the mirror and hurried to reassure her. “There’s no need to worry, Ms. Russell. Tonight’s gathering is with Mr. Briggs’ personal friends—most of them are people you’ve already met.”


    Friends?


    The revtion caught Ste off guard.


    She had automatically assumed William was dragging her to yet another tedious business dinner, where she’d serve as nothing more than decorative arm candy to impress his associates.


    The car glided to a smooth stop outside an elegant restaurant entrance.


    As Ste emerged from the vehicle, she took in the restaurant’s striking architectural design—clearly an exclusive, members-only establishment that screamed luxury and privilege.


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    She provided William’s name at the host stand, and an impably dressed waiter immediately materialized to escort her inside.


    The heavy door to the private dining room swung open, and Ste’s gaze swept across the interior.


    Besides William, she recognized Steven and Jewell seated at the table, along with an unfamiliar man who was strikingly handsome. He watched her with a gentle, surprisingly warm expression that held no trace of hostility.


    For reasons she couldn’t quite articte, Ste experienced an odd flutter of recognition, as though she’d encountered him somewhere in a life she could no longer remember.


    William sat rigidly in his chair, his sharp eyes catching every nuance of the nce exchanged between Ste and Rutherford.


    He swallowed his irritation and pulled out the chair directly beside him with barely controlled restraint. “Sit here.”


    Ste didn’t dare refuse him and moved obediently toward the seat at his side.


    But just as she lowered herself toward the chair, Rutherford interjected smoothly, “I noticed Ms. Russell seems hesitant about that particr spot, and I can see why—it’s positioned directly beneath the air conditioning vent. Sitting there for an extended dinner would be quite ufortable. Perhaps she might prefer a different seat?”


    Ste froze mid-motion, her eyes instinctively darting toward William.


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