?Chapter 666:


    Inside her bedroom, Ste finally broke down.


    She locked the door, threw herself on the bed, and buried her face in the pillow. The sobs came in waves, silent but gut-wrenching, her tears soaking through the fabric.


    Only now did she truly understand just how cruel fate could be.


    In the days that followed, Ste threw herself back into her usual routine—working in theb, proofreading data, burying herself in silence.


    Sandra had thought things were starting to move forward between Ste and William after thatstb interaction.


    But now, every time William came near, Ste would quietly turn and walk away.


    Even in the cafeteria, if she spotted him from across the room, she’d stand up immediately and clear her tray—anything to avoid sitting near him.


    In theb, Sandra watched as Ste kept her head down, focused entirely on her experiments. She leaned over and tugged Jamir’s sleeve. “Hey, do you think Ste and William are fighting again?”


    Jamir shot her a warning look and motioned for her to stay quiet. Even though Sandra had kept her voice low, theb was quiet—and Ste could definitely hear her.


    Sandra pressed her lips together and didn’t say another word.


    As Ste wrapped up her day and stepped out of the institute, she spotted Rutherford casually leaning against a sleek ck car parked nearby.


    The moment he saw her, he waved enthusiastically. “Ms. Gilbert, off work already?”


    Ste blinked in mild surprise. Rutherford didn’t usually show up in Choria unless it was for something important. Thest time she’d seen him around, it was strictly business.


    Holding her bag, she walked over and asked softly, “Are you here on another work trip, Mr. Schoenberg?”


    Heughed lightly. “No, nothing official. A friend of mine is celebrating their birthday tonight, so I came for the party.”<fnf9a0> The source of th?s content is </fnf9a0>


    “Oh.” Ste gave a slight nod, thinking that had nothing to do with her.


    Your imagination thrives at  punt


    She was just about to politely take her leave when Rutherford added, “The party requires everyone to bring a date, and honestly, I don’t know any other women here. Would you minding with me for a bit?”


    Ste hesitated. Her first instinct was to turn him down, but as if he sensed her hesitation, Rutherford continued, “You won’t have to stay long. Juste in with me, say a few hellos, and I’ll make up a reason to drop you off early.”


    Ste understood how much social image mattered in circles like his. Showing up solo when everyone else had a partner could easily lead to teasing or worse. She remembered how Rutherford had really helped her out once, so she felt she owed him and finally agreed. “Should I change into something formal?” she asked, figuring a birthday party like this was probably going to be pretty fancy.


    Rutherford smiled and shook his head. “No need to go home. I picked up a dress for you earlier today and left it in the car.”


    She looked at him, surprised, then let out a smallugh. “You were that sure I’d say yes? What if I had ns?”


    Opening the car door like a true gentleman, he answered, “Then the dress would’ve just been a gift from my trip here.” It didn’t seem to bother him either way.


    Ste wasn’t put off by his confidence. She slipped into the car and settled into the seat. Just as Rutherford closed the door, her eyes caught sight of Williaming out of the institute.


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