?Chapter 1640:


    The smile slipped from Haley’s face, reced by a sh of surprise, as though she hadn’t expected Ste to remember things from years ago. She pressed her lips together tightly. “I was only trying to help you—”


    Ste cut her off before she could finish. “I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t need your help. Goodbye, Haley.”


    Without another word or a backward nce, Ste brushed past her with Sharon and Josie at her side. She had warned Haley before that she didn’t want to see her face again. Whatever feelings she had once harbored for Marc were long gone, and she couldn’t care less about him now — but that didn’t mean she could simply forget everything Haley had done to hurt her in the past.


    The night breeze swept through the air, cool and refreshing, carrying away thest traces of the restaurant’s heat from their faces.


    Ste stood at the edge of the street, her mind reying everything that had unfolded during the day. After a long moment, she turned to face Sharon and Josie. “Sharon, Josie, I need you both to help me figure out the real reason Haley came back to the country.”


    Her expression hardened, her gaze growing colder and sharper. “I don’t believe a word she said. For my own peace of mind, I need to know what she’s really doing here.”


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    Josie gave a firm nod. “Don’t worry, Stel. I’ll dig up whatever you need to know.”


    Gratitude flickered across Ste’s face. She nced at her watch, realized howte it had gotten, and decided to head back to the vi.


    Just as her car neared the vi entrance, she caught sight of another vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. One look at the license te told her everything — it was William’s car. Her heart gave an involuntary lurch. She stepped out, her fingers curling into tight fists at her sides.


    William, however, didn’t seem to register her presence at all and strode directly toward the vi entrance. She bit down on her frustration and quickened her pace to catch up. “William, wait up!”


    At the sound of her voice, his steps faltered for just a fraction of a second — but he still didn’t turn around.


    They entered the vi together, and Ste attempted to ease the atmosphere. “William, I ran into Haley today. I have no idea why she showed up so suddenly, but something about it feels off. You should be cautious.”


    Surprise flickered across William’s features. He hadn’t expected her to warn him about anything.


    “Have you eaten yet? We could have dinner together if you want.” Ste had already grabbed something to eat while she was out, but she wanted to spend more time with him. William had spent the evening with Merrick and clearly hadn’t eaten.


    Ste noticed his hesitation and turned to Tasha immediately. “Tasha, would you be able to prepare something for us?”


    Tasha nodded without missing a beat. “Of course! Just give me a few minutes and I’ll have everything ready.”


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