?Chapter 454:


    Ste gave a quick nod. “It’s totally fine.”


    Later that evening, in a cozy private room by the window at Sunset Restaurant, Steven got up with a grin as soon as he spotted William and Ste walking in. “Took you two long enough.”


    Ste looked a little embarrassed and gave him a polite nod. “Sorry, Mr. Harrison. Something came up at theb at thest second. Thanks for being patient.”


    She’d found a data error after work that took her a good half hour to fix and then got stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic for another thirty minutes.


    Steven brushed it off with augh. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve just been enjoying the air conditioning and taking it easy.”


    William gave him a pointed nce, silently clocking how easily he worked the room.


    Steven handed her a menu with a friendly smile. “Take a look, Ms. Gilbert. You can’t go wrong with most of the stuff here—just skip the grilled fish. Trust me.” It was a pretty high-end ce, and Ste didn’t recognize half the things on the menu.


    She had been eyeing the grilled fish and was just about to say it out loud when Steven shut it down before she could.


    “Is it really that terrible?” She raised a brow at him.


    “William, do you want to tell her how you managed to choke that thing downst time?” Steven asked with a smirk. Just thinking about that dish made him cringest time, he’d barely swallowed a bite without gagging. That fish had been a disaster for him.


    But William leaned back in his chair, lookingpletely unbothered. “It’s just a normal dish. You don’t like it, sure, but lots of people do.”


    Steven, used to William’s usualments, just went with it. “Yeah, yeah, fair enough. I’ll get it for you then—let’s see if Ms. Gilbert sides with me or you.” Steven was convinced she’d hate it as much as he had.


    But once the fish arrived and Ste gave it a try, she didn’t think it was bad at all.


    “It’s not the best I’ve had, but it’s not bad either,” shemented casually. Steven looked genuinely shocked, while William rxed into his chair with a smug grin.


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    Steven thought to himself, “Yep, when two people vibe, even their taste buds are in sync.”


    That was when Steven realized—maybe he’d been trying to squeeze into a space that wasn’t meant for him in the first ce.


    William and Ste just… got each other. Meanwhile, Steven felt like the odd one out.


    Ste noticed the vibe shift and felt a little uneasy. It was just dinner, but it felt like she’d identally taken William’s side.


    She shook it off and decided, “Forget it. Let’s just eat.”


    During the meal, she and Steven discussed future ns for Neb Group, and surprisingly, their thoughts matched up well.


    Just as they were finishing up, William’s phone started vibrating.


    “Is that Willow on the line?” Steven gave a teasing smile. William shot him a look, picked up his phone, and walked out. “It’s a call from the Briggs Group,” he said offhandedly over his shoulder.


    Left alone with Ste, Steven let out a soft sigh and shook his head. “Managing the Briggs Group all on his own, it’s a heavy load on his shoulders.”


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