Chapter 1849:
Did he have any idea what he was throwing away? If he died from this poison, what good would his love for Stella do him then?
William knew there was no point trying to explain. They’d been raised in completely different worlds with completely different values. She’d never understand.
He took a step back toward the car. “I’m sorry, Anika. Stel is waiting for me. I need to go.”
Anika stared after him, bitterness flooding her voice. “You’re going to regret this decision, William!”
William didn’t slow down or look back. He climbed into the car, heading straight back to the villa. Maybe he’d regret it someday. But right now, in this moment, he didn’t regret a damn thing.
The car pulled away from the curb, leaving Anika standing alone on the empty street. She watched the taillights disappear around the corner, a tangle of emotions playing across her face. Part of her genuinely admired the depth of William’s devotion to Stella.
𝖢𝘩𝗶𝘯𝖾𝘀𝘦 𝗻о𝗏𝖾𝘭𝘴 𝗍𝘳a𝘯𝗌lа𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼ո 𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘯o𝗏е𝘭s.𝗰o𝗺
But that same devotion only made her more determined to have him for herself. If William wouldn’t cooperate willingly, she’d just have to approach this from a different angle—through Stella herself.
During the ride home, William pushed Anika’s ultimatum completely out of his mind. All he could think about was how Stella’s face would light up when she saw the cake he’d picked up.
He’d never realized before how simple loving someone could actually be. Her happiness was his happiness. It really was that straightforward.
William turned his gaze to the window. Sunlight poured down on the tree-lined streets, everything bright and green and alive. For now, he pushed all the darker thoughts aside and buried them deep.
The moment William opened the front door, Stella jumped up from the couch. She rushed over to meet him. “How did it go? Did the treatment go well? Are you feeling alright?”
William nodded and smiled. “Everything went fine. I passed by that dessert shop you like on the way home and grabbed you something.”
He held out the bakery box, his expression soft. The lie slipped out so smoothly it almost surprised him.
Relief washed over Stella’s face as she took the box from him, her eyes brightening. “Thank you! Do you want half?”
William kicked off his shoes and joined her on the living room couch to share the cake.
Thirty minutes later, a sudden onset of tinnitus hit him.
Panic shot through him—if his nose started bleeding again in front of her, she’d know something was wrong. He stood abruptly. “I need to use the bathroom.”
He gripped the edge of the sink and stared at his reflection in the mirror—too pale, with worry etched between his eyebrows.
Even without the real antidote, he needed something to mask the symptoms—at least enough to keep Stella from noticing. Stella was too observant, too attuned to him. If he had another nosebleed or passed out in front of her, she’d figure out that something was seriously wrong.
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.
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