Chapter 857

Chapter 857:
As William and Stella left, Lena couldn’t resist sneaking one more look at his retreating figure. Her phone still displayed the guide’s number.
So considerate, she thought. So much better than Hancock. What a shame it is that William already belongs to someone else.
Stella felt drained after the whole ordeal.
She had wanted to stay a little longer, to soak in the city’s atmosphere, but now she’d lost all interest.
Walking down the corridor, she turned to William. “Let’s move our flights up. I’d rather just go back.”
William studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. I’ll handle it.” If Stella wanted to leave, that was enough for him. There would be plenty of chances for travel later.
Back in Choria, life slipped back into its normal rhythm.
Stella rested half a day before returning to the research institute. After the sunset hand-holding with William, their relationship had quietly shifted, though neither tried to put a name to it.
She wasn’t in a rush to define it. For now, she was satisfied.
That afternoon, Stella was bent over her data when the door swung open. The lab was quiet—Sandra and the others had already gone. Only the sharp click of heels broke the silence.
Nina swept in, her face set, emotions simmering beneath.
She got straight to the point. “Stella, I’ve decided to stay here. I’m not leaving even after the project ends.”
Her experiment was almost wrapped up, and she was supposed to leave in two weeks.
At first, she’d thought she’d hate Choria, but staying didn’t seem so bad anymore—especially with William close by.
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And with the Carter family putting down roots here after reconnecting with Stella, Nina saw no reason to leave.
Stella finally looked up from her microscope, her voice calm and detached. “When the exchange program ends, there won’t be a reason for us to cross paths. Whether you stay or not is not in any way my concern.”
Stella had never seen Nina as a rival. Her world revolved around experiments and data, not petty rivalries. So, she couldn’t understand why Nina kept making a fuss.
Nina, on the other hand, had her own reasons.
She had wanted to tell William about her decision to stay in Choria the moment she made it, but she worried he might insist on sending her abroad, which would ruin her plans.
After thinking it through, she chose to keep her decision to herself until everything was settled with Paul.
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