?Chapter 1679:


    William’s gaze shifted to Ste. She stood quietly beside him, watching him with a calm, unreadable expression, as though it made absolutely no difference to her whether he left with Alisha or stayed. Herplete indifference rekindled the irritation that had been simmering beneath his skin all day. If she didn’t care what he did, why should he insist on leaving with her?


    He turned back to Alisha’s eager face and raised an eyebrow. “Fine. You can show me around — I need to meet with the university presidentter anyway.”


    Delight zed in Alisha’s eyes. The students surrounding them traded significant looks and knowing smiles.


    Only Ste’s expression shifted, a small frown creasing her brow. “You weren’t feeling well a few minutes ago…”


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    Before she could finish, William cut her off. “If you want to leave, then leave. Don’t wait around for me.”


    His dismissal killed the rest of her concern before it could reach her lips. So he could push through obvious difort to tour the campus with Alisha — just to avoid disappointing her? A bitterugh built in Ste’s chest, but she swallowed it down. Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.


    William watched her go, a dull, persistent ache spreading through his chest. He wrenched his gaze from her retreating form and turned back to Alisha.


    “Right this way, Mr. Briggs!” Alisha’s smile bloomed bright and victorious as she gestured for him to follow her in the opposite direction.


    Once they were out of earshot, the cluster of young women resumed their gossip. “Alisha is so lucky — getting to give Mr. Briggs a private tour like that!” “Yeah, and Mr. Briggs doesn’t seem to mind herpany at all.” Chattering among themselves, they drifted away from the auditorium.


    As they walked, Alisha enthusiastically pointed out various campus improvements, but William’s attention wandered, barely registering her words. His mind remained fixed on Ste.


    As they approached the Chemistry Lab Building, William came to an abrupt halt.


    Memories surfaced — Ste’s intense passion for research, the long hours they had spent together at the institute. They unspooled like scenes from a film, vivid and precise. These memories were crystal clear, utterly distinct from the fabricated ones Arlo had nted in his mind.


    Alisha noticed he had stopped moving and turned back, pulling him from his reverie. “Mr. Briggs? Is something wrong?”


    William returned to the present with a small jolt. He shook his head without offering an exnation and continued walking.


    Meanwhile, Ste made her way alone down one of the tree-lined paths crisscrossing the campus. Dry autumn leaves crunched beneath her feet, somehow making her mood feel even heavier.


    This wasn’t the first time William had abandoned her for someone else. She was almost getting used to it by now — almost. It seemed he couldn’t go a single day without finding some new way to hurt her. The realization would have been funny if it weren’t so utterly soul-crushing.


    All she could do was pray that Lance would make a breakthrough soon — something to stabilize both William’s bipr disorder and the chaos the false memories had created. Because if things kept deteriorating at this rate, she honestly didn’t know how much more she could endure.


    “Ms. Russell?”


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