?Chapter 1011:


    All she’d wanted was a simple shopping trip, yet here he was again, clinging to her like an unwanted parasite.


    Lainey stood at Ste’s side, rolling her eyes so hard it hurt, wishing with all her might that William would appear and take Marc off their hands.


    A deep, steady voice rang out,ced with disdain. “Marc, still wasting your time shopping, are you?”


    Ste’s gaze narrowed, the sinking feeling in her chest warning her that things had just gone from bad to worse.


    Marc stiffened in surprise, his face twisting into an awkward smile. “William, what brings you here?”


    “I’m here to meet a business partner,” William replied evenly, his tone calm but firm as he fixed his eyes on Marc. At that moment, his gaze flicked toward the esctor, where he caught Lainey’s eye and exchanged a brief, knowing look with her.


    Lainey quickly leaned toward Ste and whispered, “We should slip to the other side while they’re distracted!”


    Ste, however, shook her head firmly. “We have nothing to be ashamed of, so why bother hiding?”


    Her eyes turned icy as she looked straight at the two men below, treating them with the indifference reserved for strangers. Once the esctor touched the ground floor, Ste walked forward without hesitation, and Lainey followed close at her side.


    “Stel, what a surprise running into you here!”


    Marc leaned forward with forced enthusiasm, deliberately ignoring William. “Out shopping as well, Stel? How about we go together?”


    Ste shot him a cold nce, her words dripping with disdain. “Spare me. I wouldn’t waste my time shopping with you.” She swept past William as though he were invisible, her steps brisk and determined to leave.


    William’s gaze darkened briefly, but he masked it quickly and said steadily, “Ste, I need a word with you. It concerns your experiment.”


    Lainey seized the chance and chimed in with a bright tone, “Stel, didn’t you mention running into some issues with your project? Why not ask William about it now?”


    New chapters now on gαlnσv??ls?c?m


    A flicker of hope crossed William’s gaze, certain that Ste seldom rejected work matters.


    Yet Ste’s voice came cool and detached, spoken without even looking his way. “It’s the weekend, and I have no intention of discussing work.”


    The reply left William momentarily stunned, and Lainey shifted uneasily, casting him an awkward nce.


    None of this could be med on her—she had been doing her best to push them closer together.


    Marc gave a low chuckle, his eyes sliding back to Ste. “Weekends should be about unwinding. You probably haven’t had dinner yet, right, Stel? I can reserve the restaurant you used to love. Your friend is wee toe along too.”


    Lainey bristled at Marc’s persistence. Cutting in before Ste could utter a word, she said curtly, “That won’t be necessary. We’ve got plenty of stores left to browse, Mr. Walsh, so we wouldn’t want to take up your evening.”


    .


    .


    .