Chapter 417

Chapter 417:
She crouched down, reached underneath, and pulled out a hidden storage box.
Her heart skipped. She recognized the script printed on the surface.
This was what she had come looking for.
She snapped a few photos with her phone, put the box back exactly how she found it, and quietly headed downstairs.
As she reached the bottom step, she called out casually, “No one came up for the massage? I’ll just leave, then.”
Not that she was here for a real massage anyway.
But the second she turned the corner, she stopped in her tracks. There was William, reclined with his eyes closed, getting his hair washed.
Stella was momentarily at a loss for words. What the hell is he doing?
“Handsome, is the water temperature okay?” the woman asked, oblivious to Stella’s return. She was way too focused on William—her low-cut blouse didn’t even try to stay subtle.
William kept his eyes shut, clearly uncomfortable, and grunted in reply.
After the first rinse, he tried to sit up. “That’s enough. I’ve got things to do.”
But the woman pressed a firm hand to his shoulder. “You can’t just wash half of it! I was paid for the full service—I gotta finish.” Her tone was laced with clear suggestion.
William clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and forced himself to stay still.
One more round.
Just endure another round.
Then she smiled again. “I haven’t done the massage yet. I told you, I learned this technique abroad—it’s amazing, you’ll love it!”
She reached for his shoulder again. This time, William grabbed a towel, brushed her hand away, and sat up.
“No need. I’m in a rush.” His voice was cold now, his patience clearly gone.
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The woman swallowed, reading the mood shift. “I could blow-dry your hair?” she tried again.
“I like it air-dried.” He tossed the towel aside, stood up, and turned to Stella. “You coming or what?”
Stella hurried over and paid the thirty bucks before the woman could say anything else.
As they walked out, the staff leaned against the doorframe and called after him, “Handsome! Come again next time! Our upstairs massages are really something!”
That was it—Stella lost it.
She burst into laughter, doubling over, tears threatening to fall.
“You should’ve seen the ridiculous outfits they’ve got upstairs,” she wheezed between laughs. “No wonder she said it was ‘something special.’”
She had stumbled on them earlier while digging through the place—never thought it would circle back like this.
William, hair still damp and sticking up in all directions, glared at her. But even with that appearance, he still turned heads on the sidewalk. When she finally stopped laughing, he shot her a look. “You done?”
Stella nodded slightly. “Pretty much,” she said.
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.
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