?Chapter 696:


    William’s eyes flicked toward him, sharp and annoyed. “How would I know?” His tone was clipped, cutting the question short.


    Steven raised both hands slightly, dropping the subject. “Alright, alright. So, why’s she avoiding you then?”


    Steven’s endless questions were starting to grate on William’s nerves. William stared at him for a beat, silently daring him to keep going.


    William hade to the office to go over some documents. However, the documents were locked up and the key was with Ste, which neither William nor Steven had expected. When Steven called Ste, he told William it was a golden opportunity. If Ste showed up, they’d get to see each other. They could grab dinner, talk more, and maybe connect. A few drinks, and who knows? They might start opening up about their real feelings.


    Steven’s imagination was running wild, but reality was far less rosy. Neither Steven nor William had expected Ste to t-out refuse dinner.


    Seeing William’s face sour, Steven jumped in to smooth things over. “Sylvia, you’re cooking tonight? Mind if we tag along for dinner?”


    Ste pressed her lips together. Before she could answer, Steven went on, “Josie’s been hyping up your cooking like it’s some Michelin-level masterpiece. Said I had to try it. So hey—perfect opportunity.”


    That caught Ste off guard. Josie had been talking about her cooking to Steven? Since when were the two of them that close? She suddenly felt like she needed to catch up with Josie sometime.


    “You didn’t say no,” Steven grinned, seizing the moment. “So I’ll take that as a yes. Let’s go, William. We’ll swing by a store and grab her a little thank-you gift on the way.”


    He was about to throw an arm around William’s shoulders when William’s eyes locked on Ste’s wrist.


    “Your hand’s injured. How are you nning to cook like that?” William’s tone dropped, clearly unhappy.


    She was hurt, and she was still nning to cook? Was she always this careless with herself? It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her brush off an injury. Didn’t Marc ever tell her to rest when she was sick or hurt?


    Ste’s fingers trembled slightly. She paused, then said, “It’s just a burn. It’s not like it’s broken or anything. I can still cook.”


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    She wasn’t some delicate porcin doll who would shatter over a little burn. She wasn’t raised with maids waiting on her, either.


    Ste had always handled things on her own. A minor burn wasn’t about to keep her out of the kitchen. Honestly, if William hadn’t dragged her to the hospital that day, she would have just pped some burn cream on it and gone about her day.


    “She said it’s fine, so quit worrying already,” Steven cut in. “Let’s go. I’m starving.”


    They headed down to the underground garage and split into two cars. Ste drove ahead while William trailed behind in his own car.


    As they pulled out of the garage, William muttered, “Are you that desperate for…”


    Steven blinked. Everything seemed fine a minute ago—why was William suddenly in a mood? “What did I do now?”


    William didn’t look at him. “Her hand’s hurt, and you’re making her cook for you? You don’t have staff at home, or is your head just full of air?”


    He didn’t want her cooking tonight. He’d rather take her out to eat. That way, her hand could rest, and she’d heal faster.


    Steven let out a slow sigh, giving William a side-eye. “You’ve got a lot to learn, man. Sometimes, when a woman says no… she might actually mean yes.”


    William’s brows knitted together. What nonsense was that?


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