?Chapter 346:


    The two friends exchanged a long, silent nce and said nothing.


    They weren’t going to argue. Not with Marc being this far gone.


    Seeing the look on their faces only made him angrier.


    Without another word, he turned and stormed off toward the nearest club. Everything was spiraling, and he knew he couldn’t fix any of it right now. But he could drown it out—for a few hours at least.


    While Marc was off brooding somewhere, Ste and Sandra were having the time of their lives.


    They spent the entire day hopping from store to store, arms full of new clothes. Ste practically floated back to the research institute dorm, her hands weighed down with shopping bags but her mood light as air.


    The elevator dinged. As she stepped out, she was surprised to see William unlocking his door just across the hallway.


    She blinked. Wasn’t he supposed to still be in Wredo?


    They made brief eye contact. Ste gave him a small nod and turned to unlock her own door, not thinking much of it.


    But William had noticed everything—especially how happy she looked. She was carrying shopping bags, smiling like nothing in the world could bother her. And clearly, she’d been out with someone else.


    His chest tightened a little. She really didn’t miss him at all, huh?


    Before he could stop himself, he blurted, “This is for you.”


    Ste turned around. He was holding out a sleek ck gift bag.


    She raised a brow, silently asking what it was.


    “It’s from Wredo. A friend gave it to me,” he said casually. “I don’t need it, thought you might like it.”


    Ste paused, trying to remember what Wredo was known for. Ah—pearls.


    She took the bag and murmured a polite, “Thanks.”


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    A momentter, she added, “Want toe over for dinner tonight?” It felt weird just epting a gift without doing something in return.


    Cooking him a meal felt fair—and not too personal.


    Later that evening, Ste whipped up three dishes and a soup, all things she knew William liked.


    As they ate, she asked lightly, “So, what was the project in Wredo about? Was it rough?”


    William gave her a side-eye, smirking. “Asking so eagerly… Are you nning your next move at work already?”


    Ste clicked her tongue, ying annoyed. “Seriously? Can’t I just be concerned for a colleague? If that’s how you see it, forget I asked.” She stabbed her food like a sulking kid.


    William chuckled, clearly entertained. “Alright, alright. I was being petty.” He could see right through her, but he let it slide—and told her about the progress in Wredo anyway.


    Ste listened carefully, her brain ticking the whole time.


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