?Chapter 1499:


    Provoking William came with consequences too grave to risk. She couldn’t take that chance again.


    And it wasn’t just herself she worried about—what if William directed his rage toward her friends? Her family?


    Sharon’s expression darkened. “Honestly, even if this hadn’t happened, I would’ve told you to stop. Marc is pathetic. Two failures already, and yesterday I heard he managed to alienate his business partner too.”


    Ste blinked in surprise. “That can’t be right…”


    Her memories painted Marc aspetent.


    How else could he have built apany in the first ce?


    She’d been so certain he would pull through.


    “Stel, you lost two years, but…” Sharon’s voice cracked. “I can’t lie to you anymore. Marc isn’t worth any of this. He’s nothing. Thatpany only survived because of you—then and now. Without you, he aplishes exactly nothing.”


    Josie was startled and quickly reached out to tug at Sharon’s arm. “Sharon, stop. Have you forgotten what the doctor said?”


    The doctor had warned them not to stimte Ste’s memories, or the consequences could be serious.


    Sharon shook off Josie’s hand, frustration pouring out. “How long am I supposed to keep holding back? It’s because I listened to the doctor and hid the truth from her that she ended up taken by William and locked up here. Do you really think the doctor is always right?”


    Josie stopped talking.


    The consequences of keeping Ste in the dark stood right before them—she knew nothing, and she was trapped here, suffering.


    More than once, Josie had wondered whether any of this could have been avoided if they had told Ste the truth sooner.


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    Ste watched them argue, her head pounding so fiercely it felt as if it might split apart.


    “What are you even talking about?” she demanded, her voice tight with frustration. “Why does everyone keep saying I’ve forgotten something, but no one will tell me what it is? If you know, just say it!”


    She was undergoing memory recovery with Jewell because she couldn’t remember, yet here were Sharon and Josie, acting as though she was supposed to stay in the dark.


    Was this really what they wanted—to trap her in ignorance?


    Josie let out a long, weary sigh and loosened her grip on Sharon’s arm. “Go on,” she said softly. “Tell her.”


    Sharon held Josie’s gaze for a moment, then sat down, beckoning Ste to take a seat as well.


    “Stel, we didn’t tell you before because the doctor warned us not to trigger your memories,” Sharon began, her voice trembling slightly. “But since you’re asking now—especially about Marc—I can’t keep hiding it anymore.”


    Ste’s chest tightened. This was the closest she had ever been to the missing pieces of her past. She braced herself and listened intently.


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