?Chapter 277:


    She snatched a tissue, half-expecting the worst, and sure enough, her fingers came away stained crimson.


    Maybe Sharon had a point, Ste thought with a sigh. Was she really so desperate for a man that her body had started rebelling?


    She drifted into a heavy, disjointed sleep at home and woke feeling only slightly less foggy. By the next morning, she dragged herself out of bed and forced her mind into work mode.


    Inside theb, Ste dove headlong into her experiments, letting her focus sharpen to a razor’s edge, driving herself harder than ever.


    Sandra shot her a sidelong look, amusement in her eyes. “Sylvia, what’s gotten into you? You’re acting like you’re trying to win a trophy for working hard.”


    Ste lifted one shoulder in a loose shrug. “You know how it is. If I don’t pay attention, one slip-up could ruin everything.”


    But deep down, her real motivation was simpler: she was determined to work herself into a new life, one where she could finally afford a ce of her own in Choria.


    Real estate in Choria was no joke—a decent apartment could easily run a million dors. Ste knew that if she didn’t push herself harder, her dream of owning her own ce would stay forever out of reach.


    If she was going to spend that much, it had to be somewhere spacious, somewhere she could actually see herself living for years. The thought of that hefty price tag sent a jolt through her chest.


    Around noon, she returned to the dorm, prepping lunch for William out of habit. She was about to hand it off to Rita, but Rita intercepted her. “Ms. Russell, Mr. Briggs said he wants to speak with you personally, so he asked you to bring his lunch yourself.”


    Ste’s nerves prickled with embarrassment—yesterday’s awkwardness still lingered. But since William had specifically asked for her, she had no choice but to swallow her difort and head over.


    During the meal, an ufortable silence stretched between them, broken only by the faint tter of silverware.


    Every minute dragged. Ste wanted to say something to ease the tension, but the words wouldn’te.


    L?t??τ cнαρτ?rs ιn g??l??ov?l?.??????


    Atst, William set his utensils aside, dabbed his mouth with a napkin, and finally spoke. “Neb’snded a major deal. It’s bigger than anything we’ve handled before. If we pull this off, your bonus will be more than triple what you’ve earned in the past.”


    Ste shot upright, meeting his gaze with determined eyes. “Really?”


    William’s expression stayed serious. “This coboration won’t be easy. It’s far moreplicated than the time you negotiated with Winston. You need to be ready for anything.”


    Memories of thest deal shed through Ste’s mind—she’d sealed it effortlessly with a few well-ced remarks, barely breaking a sweat.


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