?Chapter 1608:


    “This is an emergency tracker,” he said quietly. “If you’re ever in danger, press this button. I’ll get your location immediately.” He paused, his gaze sharpening. “And don’t confront William head-on. He isn’t the man he used to be. You have to protect yourself.”


    Ste closed her fingers around the tracker and gripped it tightly. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she nodded. “I understand, Lance. I’ll be careful.”


    After Lance left, the ward gradually sank back into silence. Luca stepped closer, adjusted the speed of Ste’s IV drip, and spoke gently. “Ms. Russell, you should rest for a bit. I’ll be right outside — just call if you need anything.”


    Ste truly was exhausted. The blood loss and lingering pain had drained nearly all her strength, and a sleepless night had pushed her to the edge. She closed her eyes, convinced that thoughts of William would keep her awake — but the moment her head touched the pillow, she slipped into sleep.


    In her dream, she returned to the days when she and William had been choosing a wedding dress and nning their future together. The dress was already chosen. She stood on the stage, gazing at William in his immacte suit, her eyes brimming with tenderness and unspoken love. Then, without warning, the world tilted violently. The ground beneath her feet copsed, and she fell into emptiness, watching helplessly as William drifted farther and farther away. No matter how hard she reached for him, she couldn’t move. Atst, he shrank into a tiny dark point and vanishedpletely from her sight.


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    Ste jolted awake, her breath uneven. She stared out at the sky beyond the window, gauging the angle of the sun. Even without checking her phone, she knew it was already afternoon.


    A soft knock at the door pulled her fully back to reality. The door opened, and Jewell appeared in the doorway. Ste was mildly surprised — she hadn’t expected him at this hour. “Dr. Vance?”


    Jewell stepped inside, his eyes briefly settling on her pale face, a trace of sympathy flickering across his expression. “I came to let you know that things on William’s side are stable. He didn’t have any episodes at thepany today.”


    Ste managed a weak smile. “That’s good to hear.” William’s condition had been unpredictable, keeping Jewell, Steven, and the others in a constant state of cautious vignce, always worried he might suffer a sudden episode.


    Jewell nced at the freshly bandaged wound on her arm and let out a quiet sigh. “If you wanted to leave the vi, you didn’t have to go this far. What if your arm ends up permanently damaged?”


    Ste hadn’t thought that far ahead. At the time, her mind had been fixed on one thing only — reaching Lance as quickly as possible and getting his help to find a way forward.


    Jewell paused. The room settled into an uneasy quiet before he spoke again, his voice deliberately subdued. “Steven and I have been going through William’s recentmunication logs. We found that he’s still in contact with Arlo — and…” He seemed to struggle with how to put the rest into words.


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