?Chapter 321:


    William looked a little startled. Payroll wasn’t something he handled personally; Luca and his team managed that. Maybe payday hadn’t arrived yet?


    He cleared his throat awkwardly, unsure how to respond. However, Ste went on, “These days, I’m basically broke. Housing prices in Choria are insane, and I’m short on funds. If I pay in full now, I’ll be stuck eating in toast for a month.”


    As soon as she mentioned real estate, William felt something tighten in his chest. “You’re thinking about buying a house?”


    She nodded, eyeing him as though he’d asked the world’s most obvious question. “Mr. Briggs, I’m not a kid anymore. I can’t stay at the institute forever. I need a ce of my own.”


    Obviously, buying a home meant security. If she had her own space, no matter what happened in the future, she wouldn’t be left with nothing.


    William lowered his gaze slightly, using his longshes to hide the flicker of emotion in his eyes. If she bought a house, that would mean she’d move out. And if she moved out, she wouldn’t be around the institute as often. They wouldn’t run into each other, talk after work, or—worse—share meals.


    He didn’t like that thought.


    “It’s easier to work when you’re here,” he said, trying to sound logical. “Whether it’s institute matters or Neb, I can always reach you directly. If you move, how will we keep everything coordinated?”


    Ste blinked, a little surprised by the question. “We have phones, you know?” It’s not like she was moving to a different. This was the age of instant messaging and video calls. Moreover, they’d still see each other at the institute during the day anyway.


    William, however, wasn’t satisfied with that answer. “You’ve just taken over Neb. It’s a heavy load. Moving right now would be an unnecessary hassle. If you must move, at least wait until things settle.”


    He left the timeline vague—because, honestly, he didn’t want her moving at all.


    Ste hesitated. She knew her work required regrmunication with William, but buying a home didn’t mean she’d be disappearing. She could still stay in her dorm ormute. And she certainly didn’t n to drop everything just because she had a new address.


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    Sensing that she was still weighing her options, William added another line of reasoning. “The market’s too high right now. If you buy now, you’ll be overpaying. Give it some time—it’ll cool down, and you’ll save tens of thousands.”


    As he kept talking, it hit Ste—this wasn’t about housing markets or logistics. He just didn’t want her to leave because she was his personal cook. Without her, he’d be stuck with Rita’s vorless disasters again.


    That thought made her fold her arms and eye William with a teasing glint. “Mr. Briggs, if you’re so worried about keeping in touch, why not just buy the ce across from mine? That way, we’ll still be neighbors, and your ‘convenient work setup’ can stay intact.”


    Just then, the car pulled up in front of the institute. Without missing a beat, Ste opened the door and stepped out. She didn’t even nce back to see if William was following.


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