?Chapter 1009:


    She ended the call and tossed her phone back onto the counter, returning to her work as if he had never called.


    In her mind, Ste’s choice was more than fair. William had been keeping secrets, and the only reason he was scrambling now was because he had been caught, not because he truly wanted toe clean.


    She let out a sharp snort, certain that Ste was far too good for him. As for William, he could sit and drown in his own regrets for all she cared.


    William, on the other hand, was going crazy. Sharon’s rejection left him restless, pacing in circles in his head. He knew he had messed up, and the weight of it pressed harder with every passing minute. All he wanted was one chance to face Ste, to tell her the truth, and to apologize without hiding anything.


    He went over name after name in his mind, thinking of who might help him. None of them felt right until one came to him like a spark. Grabbing his phone, he made the call. This was it. Hisst card to y. If this person turned him away too, then he truly had no idea how he would ever reach Ste again.


    That weekend, the shopping district was alive with people, the streets humming with energy. Ste strolled beside Lainey, their arms linked as they went from one store to the next. Sunlight slipped through the spaces between tall buildings, spilling across Ste’s face in a soft, golden glow that gave her an almost radiant air.


    Lainey stopped in front of a shop window and held up a pale blue dress against herself. “What do you think? I’ve got an award ceremony next month and need something halfway decent.”


    “You’d look good in anything,” Ste said with a small smile.


    But even as she said it, her gaze wandered past the disy racks, as though her mind had drifted elsewhere.


    Lainey noticed. She put the dress back with a sigh and turned toward her friend. “You’ve been miles awaytely. Is this about William?”


    The moment his name left her lips, Ste’s expression cooled. “I came out today to enjoy myself, not to dig up things I’d rather forget.”


    She drifted toward another rack, running her fingers over the fabrics without really paying attention.


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    “Alright, alright, I’ll drop it,” Lainey said, falling into step beside her. Still, she couldn’t help ncing toward the mall entrance. Just two hours earlier, William had texted her.


    After William’s attempt to contact Sharon ended in rejection, his mind immediately turned to Lainey as the only person he could approach for help.


    In recent weeks, Lainey and Ste had barely spoken. Their days had been consumed by separate projects at the institute, with little more than polite greetings passing between them, so Lainey knew nothing about the quarrel between William and Ste.


    When Williamid out the matter to her with a serious tone, Lainey listened closely, and a jolt of shock rippled through her chest.


    “So… William, are you asking me to set up a meeting between you and Ste?”


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