Chapter 190

Chapter 190:
Stella stayed behind to tidy up the lab. As she was leaving, she happened to run into William opening the office door next door.
She was in high spirits after the successful project and greeted him brightly. “We finished the experiment. Do you want to check out the results?”
They had used his private lab, after all. She figured he’d want to know it hadn’t been a waste of space.
But William’s face remained expressionless, his tone cool. “No need. Given my position, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to review your group’s results.”
Right—he was involved in the evaluation panel. Stella quickly understood.
“Ah, you’re right. Well, thanks for letting us use your lab. I cleaned it up—it’s just like before. I’ll get going now.” She waved casually and jogged off to catch up with the others who had already headed downstairs.
William turned and looked inside the lab. Sure enough, it was spotless, not a single item out of place.
It was like she and her team had never been there.
His lips pressed tighter as he quietly closed the door.
This woman really didn’t leave behind a trace—emotionally or otherwise.
With the experiment complete, Stella shifted her focus back to Nebula’s affairs.
Midway through her collaboration with Steven, she compiled a final project proposal and sent it to his email.
Minutes later, her phone rang.
“Ms. Gilbert,” Steven’s cheerful voice came through. “The proposal is excellent—exactly what our firm needs. I’d love to take you to dinner and talk more about it.”
Stella smiled at his praise. “Sure. Let’s meet this afternoon.”
At six sharp, she arrived at the restaurant Steven had chosen.
The place had an old-world charm—classic architecture, a stone cherub fountain in the center, and flowers lining the walkway. It felt more like a garden villa than a restaurant.
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Inside, Steven was already waiting in a private room.
He wore a slightly open, soft-collared white shirt and well-fitted black jeans. He looked like a laid-back prince out of a modern-day fairytale. When he saw her, he stood up and pulled out the chair beside him.
“Ms. Gilbert, please.”
“Thank you,” Stella said with a smile as she sat.
Steven handed her a menu. “Take a look—see if anything catches your eye.”
Stella flipped through it. Everything looked good, which made it hard to decide.
Noticing her indecision, Steven offered, “Need a recommendation?”
She passed him the menu. “Sure.”
“Do you like spicy food? Any ingredients you avoid?” His tone was warm and thoughtful, as if he genuinely wanted to get her preferences right.
In the end, Stella picked two dishes and let him order the rest.
Five dishes in total—plenty for the two of them.
.
.
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