?Chapter 1643:


    Jewell turned to William. “I’m going to see if I can get your results rushed through. Just wait here for a bit.” With that, William found himself standing alone in the corridor.


    Ste made her way toward the restroom, her pulse hammering in her ears, worried that William might pick up on something suspicious. Once safely inside a stall, she pulled out her phone with trembling fingers and dialed Lance’s number.


    “Lance, I managed to get the blood sample you needed. It’s at the hospital.”


    Relief and excitement flooded Lance’s voice. “That’s fantastic. I’ll be there within the hour to collect it. Ste, you’ve done well — I know this wasn’t easy.”


    He understood how difficult it must have been to obtain William’s blood without raising suspicion. The least he could do now was get the sample overseas as quickly as possible so the team could begin working on an antidote.


    After she ended the call, Ste let out a long, shaky breath and moved to the sink, sshing cold water across her flushed face. The icy water helped settle her frayed nerves. A few minutes passed before she finally lifted her gaze to the mirror. The woman staring back at her had bloodshot eyes and looked utterly exhausted. Ste pressed her lips into a firm line, dried her face, and steeled herself to return to William’s side.


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    While both she and Jewell were away, William had settled into one of the corridor chairs with his eyes closed. The grueling examination had left him distinctly dizzy — he couldn’t tell whether the sensation came from sheer exhaustion or from having so much blood drawn. Either way, he took slow, measured breaths to fight off the lightheadedness.


    “Excuse me, sir — are you feeling all right?”


    A soft, feminine voice drifted to his ears,ced with concern. William opened his eyes to find a young woman standing before him.


    The girl appeared to be around twenty years old, dressed inly in a white sweater and faded jeans, her long hair cascading loosely over her shoulders. Herplexion looked unnaturally pale, and tiny beads of sweat had gathered across her forehead — yet she was still concerned enough about William to ask after him.


    William had never been the type to tolerate interactions with strangers. His expression cooled immediately. “Do you need something?”


    The girl shook her head quickly. “No… I just thought you looked unwell. But if you’re all right, I’ll leave you alone. Take care!” She spun on her heel to walk away, but her body suddenly swayed. In the next instant, she fell toward William.


    His arms shot out on pure instinct, catching her before she hit the ground. His heart skipped. She weighed almost nothing — so light that holding her felt like cradling a feather. Her long hair tumbled aside, unveiling a delicate face with soft, innocent features.


    The moment his eyes focused on her properly, William wentpletely still. This girl bore a striking resemnce to Ste — at least seventy or eighty percent identical, particrly around the eyes. They held the same clear, stubborn quality that Ste’s had possessed back during her university days.


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