?Chapter 1545:


    The words had emerged as barely a whisper, as if Ste were speaking only to herself. But Tasha heard them anyway. Sympathy pierced through her chest, sharp and aching.


    Though Tasha had not worked in William’s household very long, she had witnessed enough of his vtile treatment of Ste. Initially, when Ste first arrived at the vi, Tasha had assumed the woman must have betrayed William somehow — that confinement was her punishment. But after spending time with her, Tasha hade to realize that was not the truth at all. Yet what could she actually do beyond offering empty words offort? Even if she pleaded with William directly, he would not listen to a servant. He certainly would not release Ste.


    A long stretch of silence followed, filled only by the sound of crickets drifting in from the garden.


    Then Tasha’s eyes brightened. “Mr. Briggs forbids you from leaving alone, but he has never said you cannot have things brought here to you.” She considered for a moment before asking carefully, “Ms. Russell, is there anything you enjoy? Any hobbies or interests?”


    The question caught Ste off guard. She searched for an answer, then slowly shook her head.


    She had liked things once — hobbies that had belonged to a woman who was free. But here, trapped in this gilded prison, what did any of that matter?


    Tasha studied her face. The denial was paper-thin, and they both knew it. She ventured again, her voice gentle. “Ms. Russell, I have heard that pets can be goodpany for someone who spends a lot of time alone. Have you ever liked small animals?”


    Ste’s head snapped up. “Small animals?”


    Tasha’s expression softened. “Yes. Back home, my neighbor had a daughter who had stopped smiling. Then her parents brought home a parrot — one of those chatty ones. That bird changed everything. The girl startedughing again.”


    Something flickered behind Ste’s eyes — faint, but unmistakable.


    Memories surfaced: herself as a girl, crouching on sidewalks to stroke stray cats, coaxing nervous dogs closer with patient hands. She and Marc had talked about it too, back when things were different. They had nned to adopt a dog after the wedding. She had always told herself they simply had not married yet. Now she understood — he had never intended to keep that promise at all.


    The light died just as quickly as it had appeared. Her mouth twisted into something bitter. “Thank you, Tasha. Really. But this is not my home, and William…” She trailed off. “He would not allow it.” She could not picture that man — so cold, so exacting — tolerating fur on his furniture or paw prints on his spotless floors.


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    But Tasha heard what Ste had not said. The longing was there, raw and undeniable. She squeezed Ste’s hand. “Do not write it off yet, Ms. Russell. Let me talk to Mr. Briggs when hees back. You never know — he might say yes.”


    Tasha’s kindness cracked something open inside her. That buried hope wed its way back to the surface.


    Ste bit her lip. What if this got Tasha in trouble? “Tasha, you do not need to—”


    Tasha waved her off. “It is settled. Next time he is home, I will bring it up. Do not you worry.” She bustled away before Ste could protest, leaving her standing alone at the window.


    Ste stared at the sprawlingwn below. She pictured a dog racing across the grass, tail wagging, circling back to her as though she actually mattered to someone. Maybe then this ce would not feel so much like a tomb.


    Three nightster, William came home without warning.


    Exhaustion carved shadows beneath his eyes, and beneath that — barely contained — something restless and sharp prowled just below the surface. Dinner passed in oppressive silence. The air between them felt thick and suffocating. Ste kept her eyes fixed on her te, chewing mechanically, unwilling to risk even a nce in his direction.


    The pet idea — the one small hope she had allowed herself — stayed locked behind her teeth.


    When dinner ended, William stood and disappeared into his study without a word. Ste exhaled slowly, climbed the stairs to her room, and shut the door with a quiet click that echoed louder than it should have.


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