?Chapter 691:


    But William cut her off, his voiceced with quiet fury. “This has nothing to do with her. I’m talking about you. Do you really think you can do whatever you want in my institute? That I won’t do anything just because you’ve got some reputation abroad?”


    He wasn’t one to be hard on women due to his upbringing, but Nina continually tested his limits.


    Nina frowned, clearly confused as she looked at William. “Come on, we’re clearly a better match. Why would you choose Ste over me?” She scoffed and pressed on, “Do you really think she appreciates it? You gave her that data just yesterday, and today she’s off with another man, leaving you behind. Is it really worth it?”


    William let out a cold chuckle. “Who told you that data came from me?”


    That shut her up. Nina stared at him, stunned. “Wait… it wasn’t you?!”


    William’s eyes shed with contempt, making Nina’s heart skip. His expression said it all. She stammered, “Then who else could possibly dig up that kind of information in such a short time?”


    He didn’t bother answering. He didn’t want to waste another second on her. But thinking of Ste’s burn from earlier that day, his gaze darkened further. “Nina,” he said sharply, “since you’re Henry’s disciple, I’ll give you onest warning—if you don’t know how to rein yourself in, I’ve got more than enough ways to make sure you’re publicly humiliated with nowhere to hide.”


    With that, he turned and got into the car parked at the curb. Before she could respond, he’d already hit the gas and sped off without a backward nce.


    Nina stood frozen as the car disappeared down the street, her heart twisting painfully in her chest.


    She had heard of William long before she ever met him—back when she was still overseas. A young genius. Head of a top-tier research institute. CEO of Briggs Group. Heir to the Briggs family. Famous for his ruthless business smarts and calm, calcting demeanor. That kind of reputation was enough to make anyone curious.


    And once she finally met him abroad, she couldn’t help developing a crush. Back then, it was just a fleeting attraction—something she could still keep under control.<fn935e> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n Find[?]ovel</fn935e>


    But after arriving in Choria and joining his research team… seeing him every day, working closely with him—it wasn’t just a crush anymore. She fell. Hard.


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    She wanted to be close to him, to make herself stand out—even if it meant constantly trying to impress him. But no matter what she did, the only one he ever had eyes for… was Ste. Just Ste.


    At a quiet cafe, Rutherford sat across from Ste, walking her through his business partner’s preferences.


    “She’s into jewelry… collects antiques… andtely, I think she’s been into paintings too. That’s all I really know.”


    Ste stirred her coffee with her good hand, a little surprised. If that was true, it would be easy enough. She could give the woman a Sterion piece—there were still a few left. Jewelry? Even simpler. Her next-quarter collection was nearly ready: a blend of agate, conch pearls, jade, and amber, all themed around “Eternity’s Pulse.” And as for antiques, she could just take Rutherford to the local antique market. They could find something unique there.


    “Mr. Schoenberg,” she asked, “are you thinking of just going with one gift, or nning to get all three?”


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