?Chapter 368:


    Her flirty tone made Ste feel awkward, and without hesitation, she decided it was time to leave.


    She walked past William, pushed her luggage into the elevator, and hit the close button.


    As the doors slid shut, William stared at them for a long moment before turning away.


    Ste spent the rest of her day moving into her new ce. After unpacking and cleaning every corner, she finally copsed onto the sofa, feeling exhausted.


    The apartment had taken up nearly all her savings, and now that she was officially on her own, one thought kept echoing in her mind—she had to work harder.


    Living without financial backup was nerve-wracking.


    By Wednesday, after wrapping up things at the research institute in the morning, she headed to Smith Group in the afternoon to meet Shaun.


    He gave her a full tour of thepany and even brought her along to a nearby construction site.


    “Mr. Smith, what are the unit prices for these materials?” she asked, curious.


    Shaun gave her a rundown, but she frowned immediately. “They charge that much?”


    He blinked. Theirpany had always worked with the same supplier, and he’d never really questioned the cost. “Isn’t that the standard rate?”


    “It is,” Ste replied, her eyes serious. “But it’s not cheap. I know a supplier who offers better prices.”


    “How much better?” he asked.


    She raised five fingers. “Five per square foot.”


    Shaun went silent for a second. He had expected a major difference, not just five.


    But Ste had already caught the look on his face and said firmly, “It might not sound like a lot, but over arge site like this, saving five per square foot adds up to a huge amount. That’s not something to overlook.”


    ??????????? с???ρ???????? ??????????????????﹒?????


    Ste had always been careful and detail-oriented in her work. If she could shave a bit off the budget, why wouldn’t she?


    Shaun narrowed his eyes slightly, something clicking in his mind.


    He hadn’t expected her to be so practical with money—calcting down to thest dor. “Ms. Gilbert, I didn’t realize you were so… thrifty.”


    Ste gave a rxed, good-natured smile. “Of course I am. It’s not like money falls from the sky.”


    Shaun raised a brow, mildly amused, and pushed a little further. “Are you short on cash, Ms. Gilbert?” As Neb’s CEO, tens of thousands shouldn’t be a big deal for her, or so he thought.


    “Thepany’s fine. I’m the one who’s broke,” she admitted without shame. “I just bought an apartment and wiped out all my savings.” If only Neb’s funds were hers to dip into, but that money belonged to William, not her.


    Shaun nodded in understanding. “In that case, I’ve actually got a couple of side projects I could use your help with. They’re a bit demanding, but the pay’s solid.”


    At that, Ste’s eyes lit up. “Seriously? That would be amazing! I definitely owe you a dinner for that.”


    .


    .


    .