?Chapter 1682:


    William’s overwhelming presence unsettled Rufus, and he instinctively retreated a step. He knew exactly who was standing in front of him — William Briggs, the widely known head of the Briggs Group. Rufus hadn’t attended the seminar in the auditorium, but his ssmates had already sent him clips of William’s speech, which he had watched on his phone. What truly caught him off guard, however, was discovering that William knew Ste. There was clearly somethingplicated between them.


    After a brief pause, Rufus straightened, inclined his head politely, and spoke with respect. “Good afternoon, Mr. Briggs. My name is Rufus. I’m a second-year graduate student. I’ve long admired Ste’s research work, and I was hoping to use today’s opportunity to ask her a few academic questions.”


    William gave Rufus a sharp, dismissive look before turning back to Ste. His voice was cool. “Are you done talking now?”


    The usation in his tone filled Ste with a surreal sense of disbelief. How could he interrogate her like this — especially after he had just spent the past hour walking around campus with Alisha? And why was he acting as though she hadmitted some offense?


    She inhaled slowly, her expression hardening as she met his eyes head-on, her voice calm but firm, each word deliberate. “William, this has nothing to do with you. You don’t get to question me.” Just as she hadn’t questioned whether he was finished touring the campus with Alisha.


    Her responsended like a sharp p, catching Williampletely off guard. For a split second, shock flickered across his face.


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    Perhaps it was because Ste had been unusually amodating toward himtely, yielding more than she ever had before. Somewhere along the way, he had begun to assume she would alwaysply.


    Around them, the students exchanged uneasy looks, none daring to intervene. Behind William, Alisha stood quietly, barely containing her delight. She knew she shouldn’t feel pleased, yet watching the tension between them made her heart lift — a selfish hope that they would finally sever their connection, leaving her free to step in.


    Unable to remain silent any longer, Rufus stepped forward. “Mr. Briggs, if my presence caused any misunderstanding, I sincerely apologize. My questions for Ste were purely academic. There was no other intention.”


    Even without understanding the nature of their rtionship, he could clearly tell that William’s displeasure was directed at him, and he had no desire to drag Ste into unnecessaryplications.


    “I’d like some time alone with my fiancée. Is that a problem?”


    The statementnded heavily, freezing everyone in ce. Even Ste, standing right beside him, stared in disbelief. Fiancée? Why would he say that now? What was he trying to imply?


    Truthfully, William himself hadn’t expected those words to slip out so effortlessly. They hade almost instinctively, driven by a sudden fear that if he didn’t stake his im, Ste might be pulled away by someone else. Despite reminding her over and over that they weren’t officially together anymore, he still thought of her as his fiancée — or perhaps, in the quiet corners of his mind, he had always regarded her as his wife.


    The color drained from Alisha’s face the moment she heard him. Her lips parted as if to speak, yet no sound emerged.


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