?Chapter 559:


    Rutherford hade hoping for a peaceful dinner with Ste, but William had thrown that off course.


    Not wanting William to spill more about his past, Rutherford stood up. “Ms. Gilbert, I’ve got to take care of something back at the office. Let’s catch up another time.”


    Ste didn’t read too much into it and gave a polite nod. “Goodbye, Mr. Schoenberg.”


    She was nearly finished with her meal anyway, and after a few more sips of soup, she felt ready to get up and leave.


    William, still beside her, leaned in and asked in a quiet tone, “Can you tell Rutherford likes you?”


    Ste stared at him, surprised and puzzled. “What are you talking about?” She frowned slightly, unsure how he had arrived at that conclusion.


    “The Schoenbergs have been working overseas for a long time. Now they’re looking to branch out here. Rutherford, being the eldest, has to manage all that, and every move he makes reflects on the whole family.” Ste looked down and pressed her lips together.


    She didn’t know much about Rutherford’s family, but she understood what William meant—someone like her wasn’t likely to fit into that world.


    That realization left a bitter taste in her mouth.


    She met William’s eyes, her tone steady. “I don’t see Mr. Schoenberg that way. We’re just working together, and I owed him a meal for helping me out recently. That’s all.”


    William smiled as soon as he heard she didn’t return Rutherford’s feelings.


    But that smile faded quickly as she went on, “I’m not into these wealthy family dramas. I don’t want to get caught up in any of it. I just want to focus on my work. So please, don’t go around spreading rumors like this again, or I might think you have nothing better to do.”


    Once Ste was done talking, she stood up, tossed her bag over her shoulder, and walked out without sparing William another look.


    A chill crept over him, and a heaviness settled in. Was she talking about people like him when she mentioned those rich families?


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    The idea made him feel strangely empty. For the first time, his wealth felt more like a cage than a gift. If he’d been a regr guy like her, could he chase after her without making thingsplicated?


    As Ste walked away from the restaurant, she made up her mind—aside from work, she needed to steer clear of the upper-ss crowd, especially when it came to feelings. She couldn’t afford to be careless.


    She often thought she was just being friendly, but others took it the wrong way, like she was flirting.


    It was too easy to misread. From now on, she’d be more careful.


    She was tired of telling William again and again that she had no interest in those men.


    When she got back to her dorm at the research center, she saw that it was still early. She remembered the groceries she had bought—they were still in the fridge and starting to go bad.


    Not wanting to waste them, she figured she’d cook a few dishes and take them along for lunch the next day.


    Everything she had was simple and meant for homemade meals. She whipped up a few dishes, packed them nicely, and popped them back into the fridge. The next day at noon, she went to warm up her lunch in the office microwave. Just as Sandra came back with her own food, she was instantly drawn in by the delicious smell filling the room.


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