?Chapter 1448:


    That evening, Ste sat across from William at the dining table. Her dishes were light and nd, while a perfectly seared steak rested on his te.


    She lifted her spoon, sipped her soup twice, then finally broke the heavy silence. “Are you going to a wine event tomorrow?”


    William nced up, his expression unreadable, but he didn’t answer.


    Ste steadied herself and continued, her voice careful. “Could I go with you? I just want to get out for a bit.”


    A soft chuckle escaped him. “You could barely walk today. And now you want to attend an event with me tomorrow?”


    Her fingers tightened around the spoon. “It’s not like that. I felt much better after the medication earlier. I just want to look around. I might even see my brother.” She hurried on, afraid he would cut her off. “I won’t say anything inappropriate. I promise. Just take me with you. Even ten minutes is fine.”


    She had never felt this desperate before. As she watched him, her heart raced, already scrambling for ways to persuade him if he said no again.


    Instead, William wiped his mouth calmly. “If you can walk normally on your own tomorrow, I’ll take you.”


    With that, he stood up and went straight to his study, closing the door behind him.


    Ste sat there, stunned. Only after a few seconds did it sink in—he had agreed. A smile bloomed on her lips before she could stop it, and she let out a quiet breath of relief.


    On the day of the wine event, Ste wore a long-sleeved dress with a faux fur coat draped over her shoulders. She lookedposed, elegant, almost regal.


    The night before, she had taken a double dose of her medication just to be safe. By morning, the pain was gone—at least on the surface.


    William kept his word and brought her along as his date.


    This time, she felt calmer. When she saw him engaged in conversation with business partners, she loosened her grip on his arm and spoke softly. “I need to use the restroom.”


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    Knowing how she’d been these past few days, William nodded and let her go.


    The moment Ste stepped into thedies’ room, she smiled. Josie and Sharon were already there. Seeing familiar faces made her chest loosen instantly.


    They exited through another passage and made their way to the back garden. Only after Ste confirmed no one was nearby did she speak. “What exactly happened with the overseas project?”


    Josie sighed. “From what insiders said, Marc’s proposal was impressive at first. The client was genuinely optimistic. But once Briggs Group presented theirs, the client chose them outright.”


    Ste frowned. “But wasn’t Marc’s proposal basically based on Briggs Group’s?”


    “ording to people who were there, the two proposals werepletely different. Only about twenty percent ovepped.”


    Twenty percent.


    That number left Ste reeling.


    Did Briggs Group really have a backup n?


    Sharon’s chest tightened as she listened. “If that’s true… does it mean he might have known you went to thepany to copy the files?”


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