?Chapter 359:


    “I didn’t answer your calls these past few days because I was in a closed-door conference,” William said as he drove. “Phones weren’t allowed. I didn’t see your messages or missed calls until today. The second the meeting ended, I came straight here.”


    He sounded calm, but his words stirred something in Ste that only made her feel more conflicted.


    Why did it matter where he had gone? She could handle things herself. She always had.


    And yet, if William hadn’t stepped in with that evidence, Finnegan’s uncle might still be walking free. She couldn’t deny it—she’d relied on him. Again.


    And that was the problem.


    She was leaning on him too much. Depending on him without even realizing it. It hit her like a cold ssh of water—she had unconsciously started seeing William as her safety. William’s sudden disappearance had jolted her awake. It made her see things for what they really were.


    She needed to remember her ce—who she was to him, and who he was to her.


    She had to stop crossing lines that shouldn’t be blurred.


    Meeting his gaze, she kept her tone distant. “Mr. Briggs, there’s no need to report your schedule to me. We’re just colleagues. It’s perfectly normal for you to have your own priorities. Still… thank you for today.”


    William’s brows drew together at her sudden cold attitude.


    He hadn’t said anything wrong—had he?


    The car rolled to a stop in the underground parking lot. Before he could even kill the engine, Ste had already unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door. “Bye, Mr. Briggs.” She didn’t look back as she walked off.


    By the time William parked properly and caught up, she was already in the elevator. The doors closed with a ding just as he reached it.


    He stood there, watching the floor number rise, then let out a wearyugh.


    She really wasn’t going to wait, huh?


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    He’d rushed across the city for her. Again. And still, she kept him at arm’s length.


    The next morning, thepetition results were re-announced. The organizers issued a formal statement, admitting there had been “oversights” and suspending the staff involved.


    Sandra and the rest of the team were overjoyed. They knew Ste yed a major part in setting things right.


    Ste only smiled. For once, she didn’t correct them or mention William at all. Some things, she decided, were better left unsaid.


    She figured it was about time she started pulling back. From him. From all of it. Life at the institute returned to normal. Ste buried herself in her projects, pushing thoughts of William out of her mind.


    Friday afternoon, she left theb intending to grab lunch with Sharon—only to run into Lainey in the corridor.


    “Done with your experiment, Ste?”


    “Yeah, you too? What a coincidence.”


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