Chapter 215

Chapter 215:
But who would end up embarrassed? That remained to be seen. Footsteps approached outside her door. Stella looked up to find William standing there.
“Is the promotion making you so giddy you can’t even concentrate?” William remarked with a teasing smile.
Stella shot him a look, lips pressed into a thin line. “Are you here to congratulate me or just poke fun?”
William’s quiet laugh rumbled in his chest. “Congratulations on the promotion. Looks like we’re going to be coworkers again.”
She arched a brow, unimpressed. “You don’t sound thrilled. Still holding a grudge, Mr. Briggs?”
She let that barb fly on purpose, thinking back to how he’d once questioned her skills and practically called her incompetent at work.
William caught the edge in her voice and smiled ruefully, glancing at the document glowing on her monitor. He gave her a knowing look. “So your ex is getting engaged?”
With a swift click, Stella closed the file. “Haley called and demanded I be there. She claims that if I skip it, everyone will assume I’m still obsessed with Marc, so I’m going.”
William just shook his head. “You realize you’re the only one buying that story, right?”
William’s skepticism grated on Stella’s nerves. “I don’t care about Marc—not anymore. Not even a little.”
Had she ever shown any hint that she was still attached to Marc? No. Not for a long time.
William eyed her, suspicion flickering in his gaze, then leaned in until his face was inches from hers. “Prove it, then. Take me with you. Otherwise, how am I supposed to believe you?”
The demand threw her off balance, stealing her next words. She hadn’t expected him to get so close or to lay down a challenge like that.
William smirked, reading her silence as reluctance. “What’s wrong, Stella? Afraid to let me see the truth for myself?”
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She bristled, her pride kicking in. “Scared? Please. If you want to tag along, go right ahead.”
With that, she snapped her laptop shut and strode off, chin lifted in defiance, leaving William behind with a small, satisfied grin.
When the day of Marc and Haley’s engagement arrived, Stella followed her usual morning routine—breakfast at the dorm, a brisk jog around the institute, then a long shower to clear her mind.
Even though she’d promised to show up, she refused to waste time or energy getting glammed up for the sake of those two. They simply weren’t worth it.
Once her hair was dry, Stella slipped into a simple black dress and settled in front of her laptop in the living room. Haley and Marc had always been master manipulators. Haley’s sudden eagerness for her to attend could only mean one thing—trouble was brewing.
Stella wasn’t about to walk into their ambush unprepared. She methodically copied files from her computer onto a USB drive—documents she’d quietly collected about Marc’s shady dealings at Walsh Group.
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