?Chapter 1174:


    Joy and relief washed over him. With this patent, the studio could finally attract the funding it desperately needed.


    Marc looked at Ste, torn between awe and guilt. Her brilliance had endured despite everything—and the memory of leaving her for someone else struck harder than he expected.


    Seeing his expression, Ste’s lips curved into a gentle smile. She hesitated, then spoke softly, almost shyly.


    “Marc… if thepany uses this patent… can I be listed as the inventor?”


    She had asked before, but he had refused.


    Now, without a second thought, Marc nodded firmly. “Yes. Your name will be on it. I’ll make sure everyone knows it’s your invention. Thepany will share future profits with you, Stel. I promise.”


    He would not make the same mistake twice.


    Ste blinked, surprise giving way to uncontainable joy.


    She hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Marc!”


    Determined to celebrate, Ste decided to prepare avish meal herself. She nned a quick trip to the supermarket for ingredients.


    Marc offered to apany her, but she shook her head. “You focus on reviewing this patent. Leave the shopping to me. I’ll be back soon.”


    He studied her for a moment, then nodded, watching as she left the mansion.


    At the supermarket, Ste pushed her cart slowly, mentally nning the dishes for the night and cing ingredients inside one by one. She wandered through the aisles, lost in thought, when a young woman in smart attire—with ck-framed sses—approached her briskly.


    The moment their eyes met, Ste immediately noticed the shock and confusion on the woman’s face.


    Before Ste could ask what was wrong, the woman blurted out, urgency cracking through her voice.


    “Sylvia! Why haven’t you shown up at the institute for so long? Your phone’s been unreachable too. We were all worried sick—we thought something terrible had happened!”


    Sandra was panting as she spoke. Lately, she hadn’t been able to contact Ste at all. She knew there had been an ident on Ste’s wedding day with William—something that had abruptly interrupted the ceremony—but she didn’t know the details.


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    She had even gone to Ste’s old apartment and William’s mansion, hoping to find her, but every attempt had been in vain. If she hadn’t run into Ste at the supermarket today, she would have believed Ste had vanished without a trace.


    Ste stood frozen, her hands resting lightly on the shopping cart as she stared at the unfamiliar woman in front of her. A polite, distant smile curved her lips.


    “I’m sorry… but you must have mistaken me for someone else,” she said softly, her voice calm and measured. “I don’t think we’ve met.”


    Sandra blinked, taken aback, convinced Ste was joking. “Sylvia? What are you talking about? It’s me—Sandra! Our team’s project is stuck at a critical stage. We’ve been waiting for you! And William… what happened with him? Neither of you has shown up for ages!”


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