?Chapter 1720:
But frustration coiled tight in Sharon’s chest, demanding release. She grabbed Josie’s arm decisively and caught Ste’s eye. “Stel, we need the restroom too. Wait here for us?” Without waiting for a response, she hauled Josie toward the nearby restroom entrance.
Ste watched Sharon’s unusually abrupt departure, a small pang of confusion crossing her face.
Once safely inside the restroom, Sharon’s expression turned grave. “Tell me you noticed how wrong the atmosphere felt between those two in that café.”
Josie’s heart dropped like a stone. She nodded slowly.
Sharon hesitated briefly before voicing the question weighing on both their minds. “Should we tell Stel what we saw?”
Josie shook her head immediately. “Her emotions only recently stabilized. She cannot handle another devastating blow right now. Besides, we have no idea what they actually discussed down there. What if it was purely professional?” Rushing to Ste with iplete information could only trigger unnecessary trouble.
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Sharonpsed into troubled silence before speaking again, her features darkening. “Did you see their bodynguage? Does that honestly read as professional to you?” If business was being conducted, why choose a private café? And why was that woman crying?
A helpless sigh escaped Josie. “Something is absolutely wrong — I’m not disputing that. But like I said, Ste’s emotional stability has to take priority right now.”
Ste had finally left William’s vi precisely because she could no longer endure hearing his name. Approaching her before they had assembled the full picture would cause more damage than it prevented.
Sharon and Josie locked eyes, worry and unease passing between them in silentmunication.
Agitation seized Sharon, her voice climbing. “So what’s our move? We can’t just pretend we saw nothing. I can’t do that.” Suppressing information went against every fiber of her nature — especially when Ste’s happiness hung in the bnce.
After several moments of concentrated thought, a solution materialized in Josie’s mind. “I could go talk to Steven.”
Surprise flickered across Sharon’s face. “Steven? He’s William’s closest friend. You honestly think he’d betray confidences, even if he knows something?”
Under normal circumstances, Steven’s loyalty would have guaranteed his silence. But these circumstances defied normalcy. William himself seemed barely conscious of his own actions anymore, and Josie suspected this was the optimal moment to get through to Steven.
That same day, after ensuring Ste arrived home safely, Josie found an excuse to leave and drove directly to Steven’s vi.
She pressed the doorbell, her heartunching into an inexplicable nervous flutter. She couldn’t recall thest time they had met alone.
The door swung open almost immediately, revealing Steven framed in the entrance. Recognition sparked instant warmth across his features before he adopted a deliberately casual tone. “What brings you to my doorstep today, Ms. Patel?”
Securing private meetings with her had historically proven nearly impossible, and his expression betrayed that he knew it.
Josie lifted her gaze to meet his. He wore a deep blue shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, exposing toned forearms that drew her attention despite her best efforts. The fading sunset light gilded his tall frame, tracing the strong lines of his silhouette in gold.
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