?Chapter 515:

    His hand pressed over his abdomen. William’s tone dropped low. “Can you see if the old wound reopened?”

    Ste knelt in front of him, nerves making her bite her lip as she carefully lifted his shirt.

    His abdomen showed where the injury had mostly closed up. New, pinkish skin covered the spot, a clear contrast to the rest of his body.

    Ste brushed her fingers gently across the raised scar. “Is it sore here?” A slight grimace crossed William’s face as she touched it.

    Worried she’d caused pain, Ste yanked her hand back and stammered, “Did that hurt? I’m really sorry. I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

    William caught the worry shing in her eyes, something he almost never saw from her.

    He offered a calm reply, “It’s not pain. Your hand just feels cold, that’s all.”

    Relief eased some of the tension in Ste’s chest. “So, are you ufortable here, or is it somewhere else?”

    With a thoughtful look, William shook his head. “Hard to say exactly where it hurts. Maybe you can try to find out?”

    The suggestion left her momentarily thrown. Had the man who once guarded his personal space like a fortress now dropped all defenses?

    Ste’s slender fingers, tipped with a gentle blush of pink, hovered over his skin. She made sure not to press too hard, tapping lightly and pulling away after each spot she checked.

    “Does it hurt when I touch here? Or maybe here?”

    She worked her way over nearly every inch of William’s abdomen, but he only seemed more unsure, never settling on an answer. Suspicion crept in, so she tried poking him elsewhere.

    This time, Ste didn’t hold back as much, focusing on his face instead of where her handsnded. “What about this spot?”

    “Maybe there’s a bit of pain…”

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    Ste’s eyes widened as she realized he’d been joking the whole time. She froze, pulling her hand back and eyeing him with suspicion.

    Noticing the sudden change in Ste’s demeanor, William cracked open his eyes just in time to catch a sofa cushion flying straight at him.

    “William, do you really think tricking me like that is amusing?”

    The moment he saw her genuinely upset, William’s attitude shifted. “I wasn’t trying to fool you.”

    Ste was almost amused by his unapologetic look. She folded her arms, locking her gaze on him. “Oh, please. You expect me to believe that? I was already confused about how Marc could hurt you. You kept acting like you were in pain, even when I barely touched you!”

    Frustration simmered inside her. Ste always took his health seriously, but William liked to act helpless whenever he was around her.

    She remembered the car ident—he looked like he was on death’s door, but in reality, it was a minor scrape.

    The more she dwelled on it, the more her irritation grew. Without another word, she spun around to leave.

    A wave of panic washed over William. He shot his hand out and caught her arm. “Ste, please, don’t go!”

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