Chapter 384

Chapter 384:
Elbert gave a reassuring nod. “Will do. You take care too.”
When she got home, she dove back into the project she’d been working on with Shaun’s company.
Though she already had solid evidence in her hands, she still hadn’t taken it to the police.
She understood the moment she did, there would be no turning back. From that point on, she could very well become a target for Nixon’s people. That thought alone had kept her hesitating.
Still, she hadn’t forgotten what she told Shaun—that she wasn’t doing this just for herself, but to stop other companies from getting their hands on such poor-quality materials. She meant every word.
After a long stretch of silence and going over everything in her head, Stella finally made her decision. She gathered the file and decided to send it to the police. Whatever happened next—she was ready.
Before reaching out to the police, Stella chose to speak with William first. The next day, after finishing work, she made her way to his dormitory, wanting to talk things through with him face-to-face.
She knocked gently on his door and waited quietly in the hallway. For a moment, there was nothing but silence—then, after a short while, she heard slow footsteps coming from inside.
The door swung open, and there stood William, with nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist, water still glistening in his hair and trickling down his bare chest. Clearly, he had just stepped out of the shower.
The sight caught Stella completely off guard. Her eyes widened for a brief second before she quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the floor. “Did I come at a bad time?” she asked, her voice slightly more awkward than she’d meant it to be.
William let out a soft laugh, clearly amused. “Well, well. Didn’t think you’d show up just to catch me half-naked, Ms. Russell.”
Stella’s cheeks warmed instantly. Of course he had to tease her. She cleared her throat and glanced inside, her eyes doing a quick scan of the room as she tried to redirect the conversation. “Your girlfriend’s not here, is she?” The moment those words left her mouth, she regretted them. This was supposed to be a serious discussion about work—why would it matter if his girlfriend was there? She realized how easily it could be misinterpreted. Before he could respond, she quickly added, “No, I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I didn’t want her to get the wrong idea, that’s all.”
As soon as she finished explaining, she realized she was only making it worse. Letting out a slow breath, she stopped herself. Maybe it was best to let it go and say nothing more.
𝕄𝖆𝗂𝗇 𝖈𝗈𝗉𝗒 𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖙𝗘𝗗 at
He glanced back into the room casually and stepped aside, opening the door wider. “Planning to inspect the premises, Officer Russell?” he asked with a smirk. “By all means—come in. I assure you, the place is clear. No hidden girlfriends.”
His teasing made Stella feel even more self-conscious, but hearing he was alone did offer a tiny bit of relief.
As she stepped in, she asked casually, “Where’s Rita?” Wasn’t she the one who usually looked after him? Had she left? Maybe even she couldn’t deal with him and gave up.
Stella took a slow look around, and sure enough, there was no trace of anyone else living there.
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