Chapter 1913:
William fell silent for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room from one person to the next.
“If anyone here questions whether I am capable of leading this company, bring that discussion to the office. If the vote goes against me, I will step down without question. But my private life is not something any of you get to interfere with.”
His voice remained calm yet firm, and the room fell silent.
Outside the door, Stella stood quietly, tears running down her cheeks.
She knew William was standing up for her. But she also understood the meaning behind his relatives’ accusations. In their eyes, she was the reason William had fallen so far. If she had never appeared in his life, he would still be the extraordinary CEO of the Briggs Group, driving the company toward becoming the most powerful corporation in Choria.
But now… he didn’t even know how many months he had left.
Weren’t his relatives right? If she had never come into his life, William would never have drawn Arlo’s attention, and he certainly would not have been poisoned.
Even though Stella knew deep down that none of it was truly her fault, the weight of guilt still pressed heavily on her heart. Arlo had targeted her because he wanted the memories of her mother — that was the only reason William had become entangled in any of this.
At that moment, the door opened and William stepped out.
His face had been cold and dark just seconds before, but the moment he saw Stella standing there with tears on her cheeks, he stopped in his tracks. His expression softened immediately.
“Stel, why are you here? Didn’t we agree that I would come pick you up?”
𝘙𝘦𝖼o𝘮𝗆e𝗻𝗱 𝘨𝘢𝗅ոо𝗏𝖾𝘭ѕ.с𝘰𝗆 𝗍o 𝘺𝗼ur f𝘳𝗂еn𝖽𝗌
Stella tried to respond, but the tightness in her throat made it impossible. She simply wiped her tears away, shook her head, and pretended she had heard nothing.
“I wanted to surprise you, but it looks like I startled you instead. Should I come in? It is Christmas, after all.” She had even brought gifts with her.
William drew her into his arms and held her close, speaking softly.
“Forget everything they said. None of it matters. And there is no need to give them the gifts you brought — they are not worthy of them. Come on, let’s go home.”
Stella’s voice trembled. “But what they said is true. All of this happened because of me…”
William gently cupped her face in his hands, his expression serious.
“Stel, none of this has anything to do with you. You did not cause any of it. Have you forgotten that I already knew about Erebus long before we ever met? Someone as calculating as Arlo must have had his eye on me for a long time. This situation has nothing to do with you.”
The warmth and sincerity in his eyes slowly eased the heaviness in her heart.
.
.
.