Chapter 653

Chapter 653:
Stella was caught off guard. She hadn’t expected them to be from him.
Lowering her gaze, she typed back, “Thank you. I really like them.”
His reply came almost immediately. “If you like them, why not open the door and let me in?”
Stella turned her eyes toward the door, and when she opened it again, she found William standing there, holding several bags of groceries in his arms. He was dressed casually, his usual sharpness softened by a warm smile that made him seem more approachable than ever.
With a teasing tone, she said, “Mr. Briggs, it’s my birthday today. Don’t tell me you expect me to cook for you?”
In her head, she thought that if he really was, then he must be the definition of a slave driver.
William chuckled. “Of course not. I’ve hired a professional chef to come over. Dinner will be made right here. I thought it’d be better than dragging you out.”
He knew she didn’t feel like going out, so he brought everything to her instead. His thoughtfulness caught her off guard. She looked at him with surprise, then simply said, “Thanks.”
Among the groceries, he also had a neatly wrapped gift box. Once everything was placed in the kitchen, he walked over and handed it to her. “Here, open it. It’s your birthday present.”
Stella had assumed the flowers were already the gift. She hadn’t expected anything more.
She took the box, untied the ribbon, and carefully opened it. The moment she saw what was inside, her calm expression lit up with excitement.
“Oh wow! This is that rare, out-of-print programming book! Where on earth did you find it?”
Stella had been wanting this book for ages, but it had been out of print for two decades. The few people who still had a copy either treated it as a prized collectible or kept it close as their go-to programming reference. She had looked everywhere for it and eventually gave up, thinking she’d never get her hands on it.
That’s why she was genuinely stunned that William had managed to track it down and give it to her as a gift.
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“Found it on an online auction site,” William said casually. “I’m glad you like it.”
He made it sound so effortless, as if he hadn’t gone through a long, meticulous search just to surprise her.
Stella had searched countless online auction sites in the past, so she knew exactly how hard it was to track down this particular book. It wasn’t just about knowing where to look—it also required serious patience and a bit of luck too.
Now, holding the book gently against her chest, she felt a kind of joy that far surpassed what she had felt when the flowers arrived earlier.
“Thank you, Mr. Briggs,” she said sincerely. “I really love this. It’s the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten.”
She meant every word. Back when she was married to Marc, he used to give her things like necklaces or bracelets that were fancy on the surface but often thoughtless. One year, he even repeated the exact same bracelet from the year before, just in a different box. Over time, Stella had learned to stop expecting anything meaningful on her birthday.
.
.
.