Chapter 404:

That finally got a reaction out of William. His expression changed slightly—but he still didn’t speak.

Stella, though, had had enough.

She calmly took out her phone and hit play. A voice recording filled the room—Willow’s voice, loud and clear, asking for help in the restroom.

Willow stiffened. Her breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected Stella to record anything.

While Willow’s face turned every shade of red, Stella coolly took her seat. “Miss Lawson, I think that cleared things up. But if your memory’s still spotty, I can play it again.”

Her voice was calm. No yelling. No drama. Just facts. Because as much as Stella hated public scenes, she hated being dragged through the mud even more. She wasn’t about to roll over and play the fool.

“So, now that the truth’s out, don’t you think you owe me an apology?” She leaned back in her chair. “I get that you’re engaged to Mr. Briggs. It’s natural to feel a little territorial. But not every woman’s here to compete with you. And if you’re gonna start drama—maybe pick someone who won’t call your bluff.”

Willow Lawson—pampered heiress of the Lawson family—had never been spoken to like that in public before. Especially not with that level of sarcasm. She stared daggers at Stella, her lips trembling, but still couldn’t bring herself to say the words, “I’m sorry.”

Before the silence could stretch further, William stood up. His voice was calm, almost cold. “I don’t think we’ll be finishing this meal. I’ll take you home, Willow. I have other things to handle this afternoon.”

Stella, who had been expecting an apology, looked up, stunned. Was he… trying to cover for Willow? Was this him helping her save face?

Willow’s eyes immediately welled up. She stood quickly, pretending to be flustered by the awkwardness.

“We made a mess of things today. I’ll find another time to make it up to you both.” William didn’t say another word. He just turned and walked off without a second glance.

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Stella sat there, her expression unreadable. So, he knew Willow had caused that drama—and still chose to walk her out? Still took her side? She hadn’t realized until now just how protective William could be.

The black Bentley rolled smoothly down the road toward the Lawson estate. When the car finally pulled to a stop, Willow looked over at William with a hint of vulnerability. “William… about earlier…”

She wanted to ask if he was mad at her—but he cut her off.

“Miss Lawson,” he said evenly, “I trust today’s incident wasn’t intentional. Sylvia can be blunt. She’s my employee, and she means no harm. I hope you won’t hold it against her. Let’s just forget it happened.”

Willow blinked. Was that… siding with her? Or with Sylvia? He said he believed her—but then asked her not to blame Sylvia.

The whole thing felt off, vague, hard to pin down. She couldn’t read him at all. “You’ve had a long morning,” he added, his tone firm. “You should go rest.” That left no room for discussion.

Willow bit her tongue. The earlier embarrassment still clung to her, so she didn’t dare argue. Quietly, she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car.

She turned back a few times, hoping he might say something more.

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