?Chapter 1552:


    Before Ste could speak, William had already lifted the phone and called Luca’s extension.


    Luca arrived quickly. When he noticed Ste, surprise flickered across his face before easing into a knowing smile. He set down the tableware and left at once, pulling the door shut behind him and leaving them alone.


    “Eat,” William said, looking at her briefly, his voice firm.


    Ste nced at the shrimp he had just ced onto her te, then lifted her eyes to him, clearly stunned. He had actually served her food and asked her to stay and eat with him.


    After that, he lowered his gaze calmly and took a sip of soup, not sparing her another look. His thickshes cast soft shadows beneath his eyes. The clean line of his nose and his slightly pressed lips looked even more striking in the sunlight.


    Heat rushed to her face. She quickly lowered her head, picked up the shrimp, and put it in her mouth, trying her best to hide her racing heart.


    He ate more than usual, his manner rxed as though he were in a decent mood. She, on the other hand, could not focus — her attention drifted back to him again and again.


    In the end, they finished the meal without a single word. The silence felt faintly awkward, yet it was not ufortable. If anything, it carried a strange, quiet calm.


    Afterward, she bent down to gather the lunch box. As she leaned forward, the space between them suddenly shrank. Startled, she stepped back instinctively — but her foot caught the desk leg. Just as she lost her bnce, his hand shot out and pulled her in, one arm firm around her waist.


    She fell against him without control. When she looked up, their gazes met, and the air between them turned soft and charged.


    His throat moved, as if he were about to speak — and then the office door swung open.


    “Boss, the documents for the afternoon meeting need your signature.”


    Luca rushed in with a stack of papers, not even pausing to knock. He stopped mid-step, words dying in his throat. He stared at the scene before him, then stiffened as the realization hit and embarrassment washed across his face.


    “Sorry, boss — I did not realize you hadpany,” he said quickly, his voice tight with awkwardness.


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    William’s expression darkened at once, irritation shing in his eyes.


    Ste was even more startled, frozen like a deer caught in bright lights. She pulled away in a rush, her cheeks burning, and moved aside to fumble with the lunch boxes. “I am sorry — I am done eating. I will leave now.” The words spilled out in a rush. She gathered the tableware without looking at either of them and fled the office as though making an escape.


    The door shut behind her, leaving only William and a thoroughly flustered Luca.


    William fixed Luca with a sharp look that sent a chill straight through him. Luca lowered his head immediately. “I am sorry, boss. The documents are urgent.” He truly had not meant it. Had he known they were in the middle of something, he would never have barged in, no matter how pressing the papers were.


    “Give them to me,” William said, extending his hand. His tone had returned to its usual cold calm, as though nothing unusual had just urred.


    Luca handed them over quickly — though he could not stop himself from sneaking a nce at his boss, his thoughts inplete chaos. William had actually eaten lunch with Ste. That alone was staggering enough.


    Ste jogged into the elevator, her breathing uneven. Only when the doors slid shut did she lean back against the cool metal wall and exhale.


    She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart still pounding. The warmth on her cheeks would not fade. The image of him cing food on her te reyed again and again, leaving her thoroughly flustered.


    She had never imagined he would ept her lunch, let alone ask her to stay and eat with him. Beforeing, she had already braced herself for him to toss everything straight into the bin.


    Did that mean his attitude toward her had genuinely shifted — even if only a little? The thought stirred something difficult to name in her chest, washing away the quiet dread she had carried on the way there.


    She lowered her head. The corners of her lips lifted without her noticing.


    When she stepped out of the Briggs Group building, her stride felt noticeably lighter. She was about to g down a taxi back to the vi when a familiar voice called out from behind.


    “Stel!”


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