Chapter 106

Chapter 106:
Annie had no choice but to watch as Stella climbed the ladder with both hands and feet, heading up to explain the blueprints face-to-face. At last, the workers nodded in unison. “We understand now. You explained it clearly. But that foreign engineer? We had no clue what he was saying.”
Stella let out a small, amused sigh. Well, at least things were moving again.
“Hey, before you head down, could you pass me that brush?” one of the workers called, gesturing toward a tool that was just beyond his reach. “It’s too far for me to grab.”
Stella glanced at the tool, then carefully reached over to grab it, one hand gripping her helmet for balance.
The construction site was fully exposed, in plain view of anyone passing by. But that didn’t bother Stella. Out here, titles didn’t matter. Everyone was just part of the crew, and she had no problem pitching in when needed.
She slowly reached out for the brush, holding onto the railing to keep her balance. She looked like she might slip at any moment.
At that moment, Marc’s car pulled up to a red light nearby. He took off his sunglasses and casually glanced around—only to freeze when he spotted a familiar figure in a dusty, battered helmet.
Stella was standing on the scaffold, covered in dirt and clearly worn out. The old-fashioned helmet on her head looked awkward, even laughable.
Marc’s first reaction was surprise, but it quickly gave way to a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite name.
He’d always assumed that after choosing William over him, Stella would live a life of luxury. But now it seemed like nothing had changed.
She was still toiling like a regular worker.
Was this the reality she chose after turning her back on him?
He stared at her slight figure on the scaffold and let out a sigh. There was no way a man like William could genuinely care about her.
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It had to be a passing interest—something new and temporary. If William really cared, why would he let her work in the heat like this? Marc had seen this kind of temporary obsession before. It never lasted longer than six months.
Once the site work was done, Stella took off her helmet and prepared to leave. Annie had already left to deal with something at the office, so Stella was on her own to catch a cab.
While she stood by the roadside, waiting for a ride, footsteps approached from behind. Before she even turned around, an all-too-familiar, annoying voice called out, “Stel?”
Stella internally groaned. Just her luck—running into him again. Without acknowledging him, she kept her eyes on the passing cars, pretending he wasn’t even there.
Marc didn’t seem to mind her coldness and spoke earnestly. “I saw you working at the site earlier. If it’s gotten this hard, why not just come back to me?”
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