Chapter 400

Chapter 400:
He turned toward Stella, reaching out to take her hand with quiet warmth.
“Come on, Syl. Let’s head out.”
Stella gave a small nod and quietly followed Shaun’s lead.
But as she walked past William, her eyes caught the side of his face—soft, patient, attentive—as he listened to Willow. That wasn’t the version of him she had known.
She had always believed he was cold, distant, the type who kept his emotions buried. Yet with Willow, he seemed warm… gentle.
Something inside her ached, and though she didn’t understand why, she couldn’t shake the heaviness that settled in her chest.
The thoughts kept piling up in her head, one heavier than the next. She stared blankly at the documents in her hands, her mind miles away. She was so deep in thought, she didn’t even notice Shaun calling her name again and again.
“Syl, are you okay? You look pale,” Shaun said gently, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Why don’t you wait in the car? I can finish up here.”
His hand on her shoulder snapped her out of it. She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I’ll stay.”
She didn’t want to be a burden—not now, not ever.
Shaun said, “I know you can manage, but it’s safer if I am here alone. If anything goes wrong, I can slip away. If you’re here, I’ll have to cover for you, and that’s risky.”
His logic made sense, and after a short pause, she gave a small nod in agreement.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll wait in the car. If anything changes, call me right away.”
She had already gathered a few files; maybe she could finally go through them properly while she waited.
Back in the room, she’d been too tense to even glance at them.
Stella had assumed she wouldn’t run into William or Willow again after leaving. But she hadn’t accounted for the fact that their cars were parked side by side, and to reach hers, she had to walk right past theirs.
Just as she was making her way toward the car, she noticed William leaning casually against the door.
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She paused, a little caught off guard. “Shouldn’t you be in the office with Miss Lawson right now?” she asked.
William didn’t answer her directly. Instead, a faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he eyed her. “Why are you all alone? Don’t tell me Shaun ditched you.” His teasing tone rubbed Stella the wrong way, and she fired back without hesitation, “He was just concerned I might run into trouble, so he offered to help me find the documents. But you—leaving your fiancée behind like that? Doesn’t seem like something a proper gentleman would do.”
She didn’t even know why she was getting worked up. Something about talking to him today made her lose her usual calm.
William gave a relaxed shrug. “She just went to the restroom. And I’ve told you before, Shaun’s not exactly trustworthy…”
Before he could finish, Stella cut in, her voice sharper than before. “I think Mr. Smith’s been perfectly kind. But you know what’s not? Talking behind someone’s back.”
That one landed. William’s smile faded slightly, and something flickered in his eyes. Why was she so quick to defend Shaun? Was she genuinely falling for him? The thought unsettled William more than he liked to admit.
“Seriously, Stella? Are you really falling for that guy?” he asked, his voice tinged with frustration. “Your taste in men wasn’t exactly stellar the last time either. And it doesn’t look like much has changed.”
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