?Chapter 532:

    When Ste opened the door, William was standing right there, looking calm as ever.

    “Do you need something?” she asked, eyeing the box in his hands.

    “I brought you some fruit,” he said, holding it out as if that exined everything.

    Ste blinked. Fruit? That was… random. Why would he suddenly bring her fruit? Did he want something?

    “You need a favor from me?” she asked bluntly.

    William had only meant to drop by and strengthen their connection a little, but her straight-up question caught him off guard. It made it sound like he had ulterior motives.

    His expression darkened just a bit. “I brought you something. Aren’t you going to let me in?”

    Ste stepped aside. “Come in.”

    Once inside, William ced the gift box on her coffee table. “They’re all fruits you like,” he said casually.

    She raised an eyebrow. “How do you know what I like?” She couldn’t recall ever telling him.

    William let out a soft sigh. “What if I told you… I’ve been paying attention?”

    Ste paused, thrown for a second. Now that she thought about it, the research institute did serve fruit at lunch. Maybe he’d been watching. Maybe he had noticed. Still, she wasn’t totally buying it.

    Snapping back to the moment, she gave him a yful look. “Mr. Briggs, you sure know how to charm thedies. No wonder you’ve got such a fan club.” Smiling, she opened the box—and sure enough, it was packed with her favorite fruit.

    Her eyes lit up as sheughed,pletely forgetting William was still standing there.

    William watched silently as she smiled and fussed over the fruit like it was the best thing that had ever happened to her. He had brought it… but she was acting as if the fruit alone had shown up at her door.

    He sighed inwardly. Somehow, this woman always made him feel second-best. “You enjoy your fruit. I’m leaving,” he muttered, half-defeated, and turned to leave.

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    Ste looked up, about to say something—but he was already out the door before she could open her mouth. The words stayed stuck in her throat.

    She blinked, then mumbled, “He probably had something urgent to take care of.” Shrugging it off, she brought the fruit to the sink and happily washed them. They were sweet, fresh, and hit the spot just right.

    After finishing, she felt a little too full, so she figured a walk would help her digest.

    There was a new shopping mall near the research institute she hadn’t checked out yet, so she strolled in that direction.

    It was dinner time, and the shopping district was buzzing. Lights were bright, people were everywhere—it was lively.

    She wandered around a bit, and just as she was about to head upstairs, a familiar face walked toward her.

    It took her a second to ce the woman—young, freshly graduated, always clinging to Marc like a shadow.

    Doreen Greville. Right. That was her name.

    Doreen was shopping alone today, clearly upset and frustrated.

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