?Chapter 1711:


    William struggled to open his eyes, unable to make out her words. All he could perceive was a feminine silhouette backlit by the dim light from the hallway — a figure his drugged mind immediately interpreted as Ste, her eyes brimming with concern and love. He was surprised. He hadn’t expected Ste toe to him.


    “Stel…” The name fell from his lips as he reached toward her.


    Alisha’s heart hammered against her ribs as she stared down at William’s disoriented form sprawled across the bed. She had steeled herself for what would happen when she agreed to Hurst’s scheme — but she hadn’t anticipated this. William was calling out Ste’s name, mistaking her for Ste. Even drugged senseless, he was thinking of her.


    Before Alisha could form a response, William’s arms shot out and dragged her down against him, his heated breath brushing against her neck.


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    “I’m so sorry, Stel. Everything I said — I was just angry. I don’t even know why I keep hurting you. Please don’t be angry with me anymore. There’s nothing between me and Alisha, you know that. You have to know that. In my heart, there’s only ever been you…”


    Desperation and regret saturated every word. In his drugged delirium, the walls he had built had crumbledpletely, and the truth he had been unable to voice when sober poured out freely — his heart belonged entirely to Ste, and always had.


    Alisha went rigid in his arms, listening to the tender confession, and felt her heart twist with agonizing pain. These were the exact words she had dreamed of hearing from his lips — but he was saying them to someone else.


    His arms tightened around her desperately. “Don’t leave me… I can’t survive without you, Stel. I love you…”


    Each wordnded like a de driving straight into Alisha’s chest. The brutal truth crystallized with painful rity — she could never rece Ste in William’s heart. Before tonight, she had convinced herself that William didn’t actually love Ste, that his coldness toward her meant indifference. But now she understood. It was simply his nature not to express love when sober. Only in a state like this could he pour out his true feelings without restraint.


    William didn’t dislike Ste — he loved her with an intensity that consumed himpletely.


    Jealousy and resentment wrapped around Alisha like strangling vines. Even with William’s arms locked around her, she felt utterly hollow inside. Could she actually go through with Hurst’s n now?


    William remainedpletely unaware of her crisis of conscience. His hands roamed across her body with increasing urgency, his scorching kissesnding on the side of her neck.


    Alisha’s entire body went rigid as nausea crashed over her. How could she let this happen? She had always believed her feelings for William were genuine — that she loved him for himself, not his money or power. So what was she doing right now?


    If she slept with him while he was drugged and calling out Ste’s name, how would she ever look at herself in the mirror again?


    The thought galvanized her into action. Alisha shoved William away hard and stumbled backward several steps.


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