?Chapter 1471:


    Ste was just about to respond when the phone on the coffee table suddenly rang. The caller ID shed William.


    Her expression tightened instantly, her heart jumping into her throat.


    Was this really just a coincidence—or was he onto her?


    She had literally just finished writing the codes, and now he was calling. The timing was too perfect.


    Could it be Lainey?


    Ste quickly shook her head, pushing the thought away.


    Lainey was her friend, someone who had known her far longer than William ever had. If Lainey had wanted to hide the new technology from her, she never would’ve brought her to the research institute in the first ce. Lainey wasn’t the type to y both sides.


    So maybe it really was just a coincidence.


    Seeing Ste hesitate, Sharon grew anxious. “Stel, answer it!”


    Not answering might make William even more suspicious.


    Ste took a deep breath, steadied herself, and pressed the button. “Hello?”


    “Where are you?”


    William’s voice was low and even, giving nothing away.


    “I’m… at Sharon’s ce. I’ll be back soon.”


    Her heart pounded as she spoke, terrified she’d say something wrong.


    There was a brief pause on the other end before William said, “There’s a dinner tonight. You’reing with me.”


    The word “dinner” made Ste instinctively recoil. “Do I really have to go?”


    William raised an eyebrow on the other end. “What do you think?”


    Fresh updates now on g??ln????e??s.c??m


    That tiny spark of hope was snuffed out immediately. Ste’s shoulders slumped. “I understand. I’ll be there on time.”


    After hanging up, she let out a long, exhausted sigh.


    “So… he didn’t notice anything, right?” Sharon asked carefully.


    She was nervous, especially seeing how downcast Ste still looked. For a moment, she’d thought William had already figured everything out.


    Ste shook her head. “Probably not. He just wants me to go to some dinner tonight.”


    “What kind of dinner?” Sharon asked.


    “I don’t know,” Ste replied softly. “But it’s definitely not the kind I like.”


    Every moment she spent with William felt like torture now, and she had no idea how to make it stop.


    Since there was still time before the dinner, Ste didn’t rush to leave.


    She sat quietly beside Sharon, hesitating again and again before finally speaking in a low, heavy voice. “Sharon… there’s something I want to ask you.”


    Sharon looked at her with concern and pity. “Go ahead. If I know, I’ll tell you everything.”


    Ste’s thoughts drifted to William—to those moments that made her tense and uneasy, to those boundaries that had already been crossed.


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