?Chapter 1002:


    William had seen Ste act distant before, but this coldness struck him differently. It unsettled him in a way he couldn’t figure out how to bridge.


    After wrestling with hesitation, he finally stood and walked toward her. “Should I drive you?”


    Ste lifted her eyes to him, her gazeplicated, emotions flickering behind it.


    In the end, she only gave a small shake of her head. “No, thank you. I’ll just call a cab.”


    She brushed aside his hand and strode out without ncing back.


    Left behind, William let out a long sigh. His chest felt heavy, as if weighed down with stones.


    At the door, Ste paused when a light drizzle began falling outside. She hesitated, her thoughts scattered.


    William noticed at once and stepped closer. “It’s raining, and hailing a cab here won’t be easy. Why not wait until it clears?”


    Ste still longed to leave, yet she wasn’t eager to make her situation worse. The rain was steady, and without an umbre, stepping out would only leave her drenched and miserable.


    This house had been her shelter for years. Waiting a little longer wouldn’t change much now.


    Dragging her suitcase back, she lowered it beside the sofa.


    She unlocked her phone and tried to book a ride. For some reason—perhaps the area was too far out—no driver epted the request, even after ten minutes had passed.


    As the rain pounded harder against the windows, Ste felt a sinking certainty that she would not be leaving that day.


    While she tapped at her phone, trying to secure a ride, William remained seated nearby, watching quietly without uttering a word to hold her back.


    When the drizzle swelled into a full downpour, he finally spoke in a low murmur. “I just checked the forecast. It says the rain willst for the next couple of days. Maybe… you should stay for now.”


    His throat tightened with nerves as the words left him, afraid she would turn him down t.


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    Ste gave no answer. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the sheets of rain outside, her chest weighed down with unease.


    Why did the sky have to break open like this today of all days?


    That evening, with her departure dyed, Ste retreated to her room. After dinner, William carried a ss of juice upstairs, determined to reach out. He rapped gently on the door, then tried the handle and realized it hadn’t been locked.


    A spark of hope red in his chest as he stepped over the threshold. “Stel, I brought you some freshly squeezed orange juice.”


    Ste lifted her eyes from the desk long enough to give him a small nod, then turned back to her work without another word.


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