?Chapter 366:


    Ste sighed, weary of the back-and-forth. “Maybe he does have a motive. But he also helped me yesterday—without him, we might’ve lost that entire project. Whether you believe it or not, I owe him for that.”


    William fell silent for a moment. “What happened yesterday?” he asked.


    Ste hesitated, then shrugged. “Nothing major. It’s been handled. You’ve got enough on your te, Mr. Briggs. You don’t need to worry about it.” She had made it clear before that she didn’t want to depend on him; there was no point dragging him into this now.


    William’s frown deepened, and he looked almost stuck. “Are you still upset about me not answering your calls?” he asked suddenly.


    Ste blinked. “What? No. Why would I be?” She had no reason to be angry. Sure, she worked for him, but that didn’t mean he owed her his time or attention. She kept her tone light and distant, making it impossible for him to get a read on her.


    ncing at her watch, she realized she’d been away from Shaun for almost ten minutes. “I should get going, Mr. Briggs. Take care.”


    With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, her steps steady and confident. William stood frozen for a moment, eyes locked on her retreating figure. He was just about to follow when a soft, sweet voice drifted over from behind him.


    “Mr. Briggs? What a coincidence running into you here!”


    Willow Lawson strolled over in a flowing white dress, a soft smile on her face. “If I’d known you wereing to the exhibition, I would have arranged to meet you sooner.”


    She was the only daughter of the Lawson Group’s CEO, and the Lawsons and Briggs families had always been close.


    William paused mid-step, nced her way, and said, “Miss Lawson. Feeling better?”


    Thest time he’d seen her, she was nursing a cold.


    Willow smiled cheerily. “Oh, so you do remember. I’m fine now. Did youe alone? Mind if I join you for a walk?”


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    It wasn’t exactly easy to turn her down, so William gave a polite nod.


    Meanwhile, Ste and Shaun had just about wrapped up their tour of the exhibition. As they stepped outside, Shaun turned to her.


    “Ms. Gilbert, I booked a restaurant nearby. It’s dinner time—shall we?” The ce Shaun had picked was quiet, tastefully designed.


    During dinner, Ste waspletely immersed in their discussion about the coboration. Shaun answered every question with patience.


    On the drive back to the institute, Ste nced at him, a little embarrassed. “Sorry I asked so many questions.”


    “No need to apologize,” Shaun said, smiling. “It’s good to be thorough when you’re working with ourpany. And I enjoyed the exhibition.” His tone was warm, friendly—nothing more.


    “I did too. Thanks again, Mr. Smith.”


    Back at the building, Ste took the elevator up. But just as she stepped out, she caught a sweet voice down the hallway.


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