?Chapter 1727:


    Sharon and Josie immediately schooled their expressions into nonchnce.


    “Of course not!” Sharonughed lightly. “She likes her noodles softer, and I like mine firmer. We were going back and forth about it, that’s all. Go on, get out of here — there’s too much smoke in here. We’ll be out in a minute.”


    She gently guided Ste back toward the door. Ste nced back at them once more but didn’t push it, turning and walking back to the sofa.


    Once she was out of earshot, Sharon exhaled quietly and finally gave in. She raised a single finger. “One week. But if William hurts her again during that time, or if Ste figures things out on her own, I’m not covering for anyone.” She could hold her tongue — but if Ste stumbled onto the truth herself, that was fate stepping in, and she wouldn’t stand in its way.


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    Josie nodded, relief flooding through her. “Thank you, Sharon.”


    After Sharon finished cooking and Josie ate, the three of them retreated to their separate rooms.


    Ste had sensed something was off when Sharon and Josie emerged from the kitchen, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on what. She knew the two had never gotten along easily before, and the fact that they had pooled their resources to buy a fifty-million-dor vi just for her still felt almost surreal. Were they actually nning to live together indefinitely? She kept those thoughts to herself.


    That night, neither Josie nor Sharon could sleep. They bothy awake, restless.


    Sharon spent the entire night sitting by the bay window in her room, reying every memory from the moment she had first met Ste until now. In her own room, Josie stared at the ceiling, equally sleepless.


    She had no idea whether trusting Steven was the right choice or a terrible mistake. But Sharon’s words kept circling through her mind. Had her feelings toward Steven already shifted into something different, simply because he had feelings for her?


    His face drifted into her thoughts — clean-cut features, that perpetual roguish grin ying at his lips.


    Josie finally fell asleep just as dawn broke, watching the sun climb slowly above the horizon and praying silently that Steven wouldn’t let her down.


    The week that followed passed in a blur.


    Ste remained at Sharon’s ce the entire time, cutting off all contact with William. She grew quieter with each passing day, often drifting into thought while Sharon and Josie exchanged nces and wondered what was running through her mind. She barely touched her food, and the weight began falling from her frame.


    Yet whenever one of them approached her to ask if she was alright, Ste would only force a faint smile and say, “I’m fine. I’m getting better, really. Please don’t worry so much about me.” When they couldn’t draw anything more from her, they had no choice but to back off.


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