?Chapter 1623:


    William closed his eyes and dragged in a long, steadying breath. His mood disorder was triggering dangerous emotional fluctuations again. He marshaled every ounce of his strength to suppress the terrifying sensation of losing control. When he opened his eyes, they had regained their cold rity, as though the momentarypse had never urred at all.


    “Carson, our n moves forward as scheduled. In three days, we tighten the and finish this.”


    The truth was that William had known all along that Merrick belonged to Arlo. He was in charge of the entire Briggs Group — how could he possibly have failed to notice that something was fundamentally wrong with the man? He had also remained keenly aware of Arlo’s mounting dissatisfaction stemming from his refusal to deliver Ste. But when it came to maniption, no one in this world possessed the skill or cunning to bend him to their will. He had already fulfilled his end of the bargain by wiring the payment. Since Arlo persisted in his treachery, William had no reservations.


    Carson studied him carefully before releasing a quiet sigh. “Mr. Briggs, sometimes I wonder whether pushing away those you care about is really worth it. Why not reveal your n to Ms. Russell? I genuinely believe she would stand by you.”


    William’s gaze turned icy. “I refuse to drag her into this nightmare. Arlo possesses the ability to alter people’s memories, and he’s capable of inflicting horrors far worse than that.”


    Carson raised an eyebrow. “So you’re finally admitting you harbor feelings for Ste, aren’t you?”


    William froze momentarily, caught off guard, and offered no response.


    Carson held his gaze with unwavering intensity. “But have you stopped to consider that your actions might be driving her further away with each passing day?” What would happen if one day Ste reached her breaking point and walked away for good? Could William guarantee he wouldn’t spend the rest of his life drowning in regret?


    William’s fingers dug mercilessly into his palms, the sharp pain helping anchor him to rity. “I don’t need her understanding or approval of my choices. Arlo’s true target was never Briggs Group — it was always Ste. The memories locked inside her mind hold crucial value to him.” Erebus had always harbored the ambition of forcing Ste to continue her mother’s research, and Arlo clearly coveted those experimental results as well. If Ste ever fell into their clutches, the consequences would be catastrophic beyond imagination.


    He had endured the memory extractor device himself and knew intimately the excruciating torment it inflicted. Even he had nearly brokenpletely — let alone Ste.


    The ward fell silent. Knowing he couldn’t persuade William further, Carson simply said, “As your friend, I feelpelled to say this — Ste deserves far better treatment than what you’re giving her. I sincerely hope you two find your way back to each other.”


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    William offered no response. He remained rooted in ce, eyes fixed on the window, staring for a long moment in the direction where Ste had vanished from sight. Eventually, something seemed to surface in his memory, and when he spoke, his voice came out hoarse. “Carson, I need you to do me a favor.”


    “What kind of favor?”


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