?Chapter 299:


    He was her boss, not her brother or boyfriend. What right did he have to butt in? And besides, she’d never once made fun of his preferences.


    William’s face froze for a second. She actually admitted it that easily? That realization annoyed him more than he expected.


    The car suddenly fell into a heavy silence, so quiet that Ste could hear the rhythm of her own heartbeat. She nced sideways, wondering if her earlier words had pushed William to the edge of frustration.


    But then again, maybe the silence wasn’t such a bad thing. Whenever he did speak, his words were rarely kind anyway.


    Just as she was about to look away, William’s voice broke the silence. “If you really need a man, why not pick me? I am one. And we already spend most of our time together, so I’ve got all the time in the world for you.”


    Ste’s breath hitched. Had she heard that right? She turned to him, her body stiff. “What… what did you just say?”


    The half-open window let in a breeze that yed with her hair. The fading light cast a warm glow over her face. And something about that stunned, confused expression pulled William in. He couldn’t help but lean closer.


    Her mind went nk. All she could do was sit there, frozen, as he inched closer.


    What exactly did he mean? Her mind raced, and before she could make sense of it, panic surged in her chest. Just as William leaned in, the driver braked, bringing the Bentley to a halt at the research institute’s entrance.


    A sharp tap sounded on William’s window. Ste looked up, startled, and saw Luca standing outside, calm as ever. The intimate moment shattered like ss. Flustered, she smoothed her hair back into ce while William straightened in his seat, expression unreadable.


    The air inside the car felt thick with awkward tension. Without a word, Ste opened the door and stepped out, eager to escape. She walked briskly toward the building, and William remained seated, his gaze fixed on her retreating back, eyes clouded.


    He’d almost kissed her—again. What on earth was going through his head?


    The next day, a message from Céline arrived in Ste’s inbox, inviting her to the office to discuss the cooperation project in detail. Ste’s spirits lifted instantly. She grabbed the gift she had carefully chosen for Céline—a small box wrapped in pale blue paper—and headed off with a smile.


    Stay connected at g?lnσν????s?c?m


    When she reached thepany, she opened the door to Céline’s office and stepped inside. Céline sat gracefully behind her desk, wearing a red silk blouse tucked into tailored ck pants. Her frameless sses lent her an air of sophistication, and her glossy hair was loosely pinned up, effortlessly elegant.


    Hearing the door, Céline looked up and her expression brightened. “Ms. Gilbert, wee. Please, have a seat. I felt a strong connection thest time we spoke, and I’m truly looking forward to working with Neb. I hope everything goes smoothly between us.”


    Ste smiled warmly and reached into her bag for the gift. “Ms. Mendoza, the pleasure is ours. We’re excited to coborate and aremitted to making this partnership a sess. I meant to give you this at the banquet but didn’t get the chance. I hope you’ll like it.”


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