?Chapter 725:<fn4349> Th?s chapter is updated by f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn4349>


    He stopped at her window and asked quietly, “Car trouble?”


    Ste pressed her lips tight and stayed silent.


    His eyes moved to the car’s hood, and he thought he saw faint wisps of smoke rising, though he wasn’t sure if it was real or just in his head.


    “Can’t get it to start?” he asked in a low voice that gave nothing away, leaving Ste guessing what he was thinking.


    Unbothered by her silence, William moved to the front, ran his fingers along the hood’s edge, then eased it open with a soft pop.


    Ste frowned deeply and leaned out the window. “What are you doing?” she asked.


    William carefully lifted the hood and held it up, bending over slightly, then said clearly, “I’m here to help you fix it.”


    William didn’t even open the trunk for tools. He looked like the type who thought he could fix anything with just his hands and confidence.


    The night air carried the faint scent of sandalwood from him, making Ste’s breath hitch for a moment. She gripped the car door a little tighter, unsure if she should get out or stay seated.


    In the end, she realized she wasn’t asposed as she thought.


    Unable to keep quiet anymore, she opened the door and stepped out. She walked to the front of the car, where William was leaning over the open hood, his expression focused as he checked each part.


    “Mr. Briggs, you really don’t need to bother,” she said, her voice as chilly as the night breeze. “I’ve already arranged for a tow truck, and it’ll be here any minute.”


    William kept working with steady precision, giving no sign that her words had reached him. His eyes moved carefully over eachponent, studying every line and connection. After several moments, he spoke calmly.


    “It doesn’t seem like a big problem. We can either jump-start it or push it to get it running. There’s no point in calling a tow truck, or you’ll be stuck waiting for at least an hour because there’s a party nearby and the roads are jammed.”


    His certainty only made something inside her bristle. She didn’t really know why she was upset; she just felt a strong urge to stay away from him.


    gα?ησν???s has your next chapter


    “Mr. Briggs, must you always push your way into other people’s business? I told you, my problems aren’t your concern!” Her voice carried the kind of chill that shut doors.


    William stopped and straightened slowly, his figure almost blocking the light, which only made Ste’s mood feel heavier.


    The neon glow lit them both as William looked at her tight, worried face with his deep eyes, as though trying to see straight into her heart.


    In the stillness, his voice cut sharp. “Really? Then I suppose your adoptive parents’ sudden deaths have nothing to do with me either?”


    Ste froze, her whole body tense as if struck by something invisible. How could he possibly know that?


    Her fist clenched at her side, lips pressed tightly together as she summoned every ounce of control to mask the storm his words had unleashed.


    But her uneven breaths gave her away. Her chest heaved as her mind spun with shock and questions.


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