Chapter 60

Chapter 60:
Stella didn’t dare glance at William. She immediately scooted away, trying to create some distance between them. That’s when her hair snagged on his belt buckle. The sharp tug made her wince.
She shifted again, attempting to free herself, but only made things worse. Now it looked like she was doing it on purpose.
She froze.
God, no. This was definitely not intentional.
But instead of pushing her away, like he had before, William just glanced down and said calmly, “Don’t move.”
He leaned forward and gently untangled her hair.
Stella scrambled backward as soon as she was free, her face burning. She clutched her shirt closed and backed away, creating a proper and professional distance between them. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Briggs! I didn’t mean to, the car turned suddenly, and I just… lost my balance. I swear, I have no improper intentions toward you whatsoever!”
She looked so earnest that one might think she was taking an oath.
William raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by her dramatic sincerity.
But Stella misinterpreted his look. She thought he didn’t believe her. She rushed to add, “If I did have any improper thoughts about you, may I get hit by a car the moment I step outside!” Even Luca, sitting up front, flinched at that.
Stella clearly was pulling out all the stops to clear the air.
William’s lips twitched. “No need for such a dramatic curse. I’m not blind. I saw what happened—it was just the turn.”
Stella muttered under her breath, “Well, you were basically blind last time.” He hadn’t been like this before.
She thought she said it quietly enough. She hadn’t.
The entire car went silent—awkwardly so. William heard it. Luca definitely heard it.
Luca cringed.
William’s voice was low and unreadable. “Where did that come from?”
Stella knew she had messed up the second he asked. Her mouth had run faster than her brain—again. Now there was no way to take it back.
Since she couldn’t walk it back, she decided to be honest. They saw each other nearly every day at the institute. She couldn’t keep walking on eggshells around him.
Taking a deep breath, she sat up straighter and met his gaze. “Mr. Briggs, I just feel like… you’ve got a bit of a bias against me. It makes things really difficult whenever you’re around.”
William held her gaze, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly. “When have I ever made things difficult for you?”
First, she’d called him blind. Now, she was accusing him of being the source of her anxiety. Bold, but that little burst of courage quickly fizzled when she met his cool, unreadable eyes. He was far too calm.
Stella instantly shrank back, her eyes darting toward the window. “Forget I said anything, Mr. Briggs. Just pretend I was rambling.”
She pressed herself against the car door, as though the window might offer an escape. There was no way she was risking another accidental brush.
William watched her for a beat, a smile barely there.
Stella really was more interesting than he’d expected.
Then, casually, he said, “Ms. Russell, you took my measurements earlier. So the suit should fit perfectly this time, right?”
His voice had the faintest teasing edge.
Stella blinked. Wait, what? Hadn’t he told her not to waste her time on “trivial” things like that? Was he changing his mind now?
Was he expecting another suit—equal value, custom-fitted?
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