?Chapter 212:


    Ste faltered, her voice edged with surprise. “William?”


    He turned away from the ledge, his silhouette outlined by the faint city glow. His expression softened as he saw her. She hesitated, awkwardness flickering across her face before she found her voice, “You’re here too? Talk about a coincidence.”


    A sleek telescope stood in front of him, angled toward the murky night sky. Ste’s eyesnded on it, a spark of curiosity lighting up her features.


    “With all these clouds, are there any stars worth looking at?” she asked, her tone half teasing.


    William’s reply was low and easy, the wind catching his words and carrying them to her. “Give it a minute. Once the clouds break, the sky will open right up.”


    There was such quiet certainty in his voice that Ste found herself intrigued, despite herself. “What, are you some kind of astronomy buff now?”


    She tried to keep it light, but there was real interest beneath the banter. He offered a modest shrug, a faint smile ghosting across his lips. “Picked up a little bit back in college.”


    For a heartbeat, she could only blink, caught off guard by this new side of him.


    So he wasn’t just here to clear his head—he actually knew what he was doing. She’d clearly underestimated him.


    With a tilt of his head, William nodded toward the telescope. “Wanna check it out?”


    Ste wavered for a moment. She’d onlye up here for some fresh air, but the sight of the sleek telescope made it impossible to say no. She found herself nodding despite her hesitation.


    He bent over the instrument, making quick, practiced adjustments. “Try it now.”


    His breath, warm against her neck, sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. She instinctively sidestepped before leaning in, peering through the eyepiece.


    A gasp escaped her lips. “Oh—wow! I can see them!”


    Delight lit up her face. She’d never looked at the stars through a real telescope before—suddenly, the sky seemed vaster and more alive, glittering with possibilities she’d never noticed with the naked eye.


    “Astronomy’s incredible,” William murmured, his voice drifting on the night air. “I never saw the stars as just balls of gas. It’s like they’re alive—like they’re whispering secrets across the universe.”


    For a moment, Ste just listened, surprised by how much he was saying—so different from his usual quiet reserve.


    She edged away from the telescope, curiosity flickering in her eyes as she snuck a look at him.


    He continued, “To be honest, the cosmos fascinates me far more than people do. All that mystery, the sense of something infinite—there’s nothing else like it. People areplicated in the worst ways, but the sky… it’s endlesslypelling.”


    A yful note crept into Ste’s voice. “So that’s what pulled you into scientific research?” Was it all because he found the celestial bodies more interesting than people?


    William let out a quietugh, shoving his hands into his pockets. “In a way, yeah. I had zero interest in running the family business, so I threw myself into science—no hesitation. No one at home really gets why, but I’m happy here. I get to chase the things that truly intrigue me, and that’s enough.”


    .


    .


    .