Chapter 446

Chapter 446:
Stella scoffed and threw him a sharp side glance. “Maybe you should try following your own advice for once, Mr. Briggs.”
He had the nerve to lecture her about boundaries, yet here he was—planning a marriage strictly for business gains.
The audacity of it left her wondering if he even heard himself.
William’s expression hardened; her words had clearly caught him off guard.
Lainey quickly stepped in, sensing the tension. “Sylvia, the data looks solid. Why don’t you take it back and keep things rolling with your team?”
Stella turned her eyes away from William, rose from her seat, and began to walk off when Lainey called out, “Hey, Sylvia! There’s a team dinner tonight at the steakhouse nearby—just a casual get-together for everyone at the lab. William’s coming too. You’re free to join, right?”
It was the lab’s annual dinner—a kind of big deal. Everyone who could make it was planning to go.
The moment word got out that William was attending, it turned into a must-show-up kind of thing.
But Stella didn’t miss a beat before shutting it down.
“I’ve got an all-nighter planned at the lab. Might have to skip it.”
Lainey nudged gently. “Come on, Sylvia. The experiments can wait. It’s the annual dinner. Most of your team’s showing up.”
Stella hesitated. She didn’t want to make it obvious that she was trying to avoid William, even if part of her was. So instead, she settled on something safe. “I’ll think about it. If I wrap up early, I might stop by,” she said casually. It was vague enough to leave the door open but also gave her an easy out.
Lainey understood the tone and didn’t push her further.
Just as Stella reached the door, she turned back suddenly, her expression turning sharp and serious.
“Lainey, listen… just be careful, okay? Not everyone’s as friendly as they act. Some people might look all put together, but underneath, they’re nothing but snakes.”
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And with that, she walked out without glancing back. Meanwhile, William, who was now clearly frustrated, stood up and went after her.
Lainey watched him go and offered a quick goodbye. “Take care, William.”
William caught up to Stella just outside and reached out, gently taking hold of her arm.
His grip wasn’t harsh, but just firm enough to turn her toward him. “You’ve been avoiding me, haven’t you?”
Stella gave a short laugh. “Can you blame me? Who knows what kind of stunt you’ll pull next?” That day, when she returned home, she’d practically rinsed her mouth a million times.
Her words hit him like a slap, and his expression shifted.
“I literally saved your life,” he reminded her.
“Oh, please. That doesn’t give you the right to mess with me,” she fired back.
But before she could keep going, William clamped a hand over her mouth and pulled her into a nearby dark room, pressing her back against the wall. Her heart was racing, and she struggled against him. “Let me go!” she snapped.
“Keep your voice down,” he whispered close to her ear. “People are nearby.”
That made her hesitate, and she stopped squirming.
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