?Chapter 497:

    The staffer sounded uncertain. “No idea. But I did hear him call Ms. Gilbert ‘Syl.’ Could it be her boyfriend?”

    Steven hung up right away and called William.

    William was probably buried in hisb, oblivious to the fact that someone else might be moving in on Sylvia.

    When Steven’s call came through, William was still in a meeting and declined it without looking.

    Not backing down, Steven shot him a quick message: “Sylvia’s out with another guy. Are you just going to sit there?”

    Less than a minuteter, William called Steven back.

    Steven let out a little snort, amused by how quickly William responded when it involved Sylvia.

    “Wow, William. Ignore my calls all you want, but the minute I mention Sylvia, you’re suddenly free. What a loyal friend you are.”

    William wasn’t interested in Steven’s jokes. “Who’s with her?”

    Steven couldn’t help butugh at how serious William sounded.

    “The guy called her Syl. Sounded like they’re pretty close. What if Sylvia’s got a secret boyfriend? Looks like your shot at romance ended before it began. Tough break, man!”

    As soon as Steven finished talking, William ended the call.

    Only one person ever called Ste “Syl,” and that was Shaun.

    William had thought whatever was between Ste and Shaun was over, but it looked like things weren’t as settled as he believed.

    While the meeting was still going, William leaned over to Luca. “Find out where Ste is right now.”

    Luca blinked, surprised by the request, but hurried off to get the information without protest.

    The rest of the meeting crawled by for William, his thoughts far from work. As soon as it wrapped up, he rushed to his office to check on Luca’s update.

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    “Mr. Briggs, Ms. Russell’s car is parked on Marigny Avenue,” Luca reported. “I’ve already sent you the location.”

    William’s tense look softened just a little. He made his way straight to the elevator.

    “Mr. Briggs, you’re supposed to meet with the partners next!”

    William didn’t look back. “Let the nning team handle it.”

    Watching him disappear behind the elevator doors, Luca could only shake his head. For William, nothing came before Ste.

    Shaun brought Ste to meet Adolf Cullen, the artist behind the ruined painting at the gallery.

    Ste had been worried he’d be furious about the damage, but to her surprise, Adolf was incrediblyid-back. Not only was he not upset, but he even offered to create a brand-new piece, free of charge, ready by the day after tomorrow. Ste quickly did the math. The gallery wasn’t opening until then anyway, so the timing was perfect. Relieved and genuinely grateful, she thanked Adolf repeatedly, her mood lifting like a weight had been taken off her shoulders.

    “No need to thank me,” Adolf said, brushing off her gratitude with a warm smile. “I’m just excited to be part of your exhibit. It’s actually my first time showcasing in a gallery.”

    Adolf was quickly making a name for himself in the art world, nearly rivaling Sterion’s fame. Ste had long been curious about him, but she hadn’t expected to cross paths with him today, much less because of Shaun.

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