?Chapter 1712:


    William fell back against the pillows, his eyes fluttering open in confusion, hurt swimming in their depths. “Stel…” he mumbled. Was she still angry?


    Alisha’s teeth sank into her lower lip as violent tremors shook her body. Tears poured down her face unchecked. She wanted to scream that she wasn’t Ste — that she was Alisha. But telling him the truth would destroy any chance she had of ever being with him.


    Words failed herpletely. She refused to be a substitute for Ste, but she couldn’t bear to abandon the n entirely either. The only middle ground was to remain in the room until morning and deceive William then.


    The drug had reached its full potency by now. William didn’t have the strength to rise from the bed and reach her. So he simplyy there, Ste’s name falling from his lips at irregr intervals.


    Watching him suffer sent conflicting emotions churning through Alisha’s chest. She curled up in the corner, letting the darkness hide her, wrapped her arms around her knees, and cried silently.


    After crying for what might have been minutes or hours, she scrubbed the tears from her face and slowly rose to check on William. He had finally lost consciousness, his breathing harsh andbored, deep lines carved between his brows. Even unconscious, he found no peace.


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    Staring at his face, Alisha felt a sharp, piercing painnce through her heart. Sheughed bitterly at herself. She couldn’t even be ruthless enough to follow through with the n. If she had actually slept with him while he was drugged, everything else would have fallen into ce. But she simply couldn’t force herself to cross that line.


    As gray dawn light began filtering through the windows, Alisha hesitated only briefly before sinking her teeth hard into her fingertip. Bright red blood welled up from the wound. She held her finger over the white sheets and let several drops fall, creating damning stains.


    She waited, watching William carefully until his fingers began to twitch — a sign that consciousness was returning. Only then did she strip off her dress and slip beneath the covers beside him wearing nothing but her underwear. She didn’t dare make physical contact, lying rigid and still, waiting for him to wake.


    The light outside grew brighter.


    Several minutester, William’s bloodshot eyes dragged open. The instant awareness returned, a pounding headache and dry mouth struck him simultaneously. An unfamiliar ceiling greeted him. Disorientation crashed over him.


    As he moved to sit up, soft breathing registered from beside him. He wasn’t alone in this bed.


    Startled, William turned his head to find Alisha lying beside him, her bare shoulders visible above the sheets. Several conspicuous red stains marked the white fabric between them, telling a story he desperately didn’t want to believe.


    William’s mind wentpletely nk, as though a bomb had detonated inside his skull. His gaze locked on Alisha, his voice emerging horribly hoarse. “What are you doing here?”


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