?Chapter 862:


    He stopped talking for a moment, almost as if giving her time to let the words sink in.


    “For Karson’s sake, I’ll leave it at this. But know this— I can’t stand underhanded games. You’ve crossed the line, Nina. Be careful from now on.”


    Without sparing her another look, William slipped his arm around Ste’s shoulders and led her out, leaving Nina pale and speechless.


    The harsh light from the hallway stretched his tall, imposing figure across the floor. Walking beside him, Ste could feel both the anger still burning in him and the strong protectiveness he showed toward her.


    Nina, meanwhile, remained frozen in her office chair, her mind nk. Once the shock wore off, what remained was pure resentment aimed squarely at Ste. Her nails dug deep into her palms as she ground her teeth, whispering through clenched jaws, “Ste, this isn’t over. I’ll make you pay for humiliating me. A thousand times over! Just wait and see!”


    Seething with rage, Nina sat in her office, her re fixed on the glowingputer screen as her temper boiled. Not long after, her phone rang. It was thepetition organizers.


    “Ms. Carter, apologies, but today’s contest is on hold. Some contestant’s data was lost, and we’re investigating.”


    Nina’s chest tightened with rage. She mmed the call off and hurled the phone to the ground, stomping on it until it shattered.


    “Damn it!” she screamed, sweeping everything off her desk in a violent motion. “William pulled strings for Ste!”


    The thought burned her alive—William, who never interfered, had bent the rules just for Ste. Proof enough of where that bitch stood in his heart.


    Fury consumed her as she stood amid the wreckage of her office, breathing hard.


    Outside, the staff remained frozen at their desks, wide-eyed and listening intently. No one dared step in to check on her. They only whispered quietly among themselves, not even brave enough to breathe too loudly.


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    Ste, however, paid no mind to Nina’s tantrum and headed back to herb. The moment she walked in, Sandra and the others noticed the heaviness on her face and instantly grew anxious. “Sylvia, what happened? Are you okay?”<fn94c5> Fresh chapters posted on find?novel</fn94c5>


    Ste gave a small shake of her head. “It’s nothing. Let’s just focus on the experiment.”


    Everyone knew only one team would be chosen for thepetition. Ever since Nina’s return, the rivalry between their groups had grown sharper. Yet, because the project had dragged on for so long, there were times when it almost felt like Ste and Nina were working side by side rather than against each other.


    Back in her office, Nina slumped into her chair, spent after the storm she had unleashed.


    What frustrated her most was how little Ste seemed to care about her words. She had already yed her cards, going through Marc and even William, knowing that neither would dare challenge the Carter family outright. And still, none of it mattered—Ste didn’t flinch.


    Closing her eyes, Nina could still see William’s face in her mind. That cold, dismissive stare had cut deeper than she wanted to admit. The look alone had stripped her of all the pride she carried, leaving nothing but humiliation.


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