?Chapter 1736:


    After receiving William’s call, she had taken extra care with her appearance. She wore a soft pink dress that made her look bright, delicate, and effortlessly charming. The entire ride over, she could barely contain the happiness bubbling inside her.


    She hadn’t expected William to be the one to reach out. In her mind, it could only mean one thing: he had finallye to his senses. Perhaps Ste had already ended things with him, and now, knowing she was pregnant, he wanted to give her and the child a proper ce.


    She couldn’t be certain what William was thinking, but she was convinced of one thing — he wouldn’t ignore the baby she was carrying. In families as wealthy as the Briggses, heirs were everything. If sheter revealed the baby was a boy, she might secure her position at his side permanently. She turned these calctions over in her mind with quiet satisfaction, and by the time the taxi pulled to a stop at the vi, her whole demeanor radiated delight.


    But the moment she stepped into the living room and saw William seated there, nked by two men whose expressions were dark and severe, the excitement drained from her instantly, reced by a creeping sense of dread.


    “M-Mr. Briggs… you wanted to see me?” she asked softly, slipping into the same timid, innocent look she always wore in front of him.


    William remained seated on the sofa. The instant his eyesnded on her, his face turned frighteningly cold.


    Steven and Jewell nked William on either side, standing watch like sentinels guarding a throne.


    The living room felt suffocating, the air so heavy it pressed down on Alisha’s chest. Panic surged through her, but she swallowed it back and forced her legs to carry her toward the sofa.


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    “Mr. Briggs, why did you ask me toe here?”


    Her hands fidgeted without her noticing, fingers twisting together as she stood there at a loss.


    Atst, William lifted his eyes. His tone was cold. “Who said you could go anywhere near Ste? Did everything I told you mean nothing to you at all?”


    Alisha’s pulse stumbled. She immediately schooled her features into an aggrieved expression. “Mr. Briggs, it truly was a coincidence. I ran into Ms. Russell at the mall by chance. I wasn’t looking for her. You’ve misunderstood the situation.”


    Steven let out a sharp, humorlessugh. He pulled out his phone and turned the screen toward her — a paused image from the surveince footage disyed clearly. “A coincidence? You deliberately went to the floor Ste was on and pretended to be unwell so she’d notice you. That’s what happened, isn’t it?”


    The footage unmistakably showed Alisha standing beside a trash bin. The color drained from her face. “Ms. Russell only got worried when she saw I wasn’t feeling well. She offered me a tissue — that’s all.”


    Steven’s patience snapped. “Alisha, this is thest chance I’m giving you. Tell us exactly what you said to Ste. Don’t make me ask again.”


    There was no trace of warmth left in his voice, none of his usual easygoing manner.


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