Chapter 623:
Still, William’s brow creased. “Apologies, Miss Carter, but I’m done with work for today,” he said. “I won’t be able to answer any questions tonight.”
A chill settled over Nina when she caught the look on William’s face. “You’ve got it wrong, Mr. Briggs. This isn’t about work,” she explained quickly. “Uncle Henry asked to see you, so I offered to come by.”
William’s brow furrowed. If Henry really needed something, he could have just called. Why send Nina instead?
“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Or maybe you’re not a fan of takeout?” Ignoring the tension, Nina kept her cheerful tone, as if nothing was wrong.
A voice floated in from the dining room. “Who’s at the door?”
A heartbeat later, all three stood face-to-face.
Spotting Stella, Nina’s eyes went wide. Was she staying here with William?
It took Stella a moment, but she gathered herself. At the institute, Nina was always confident—except when William was near. Stella noticed the way Nina looked at him. It was obvious what she felt.
“Well, since Nina came to see you, I’ll let you both have some privacy. Why don’t you take her home to discuss whatever she’s here for?” Stella said to William.
He faced Stella and responded, “I still have food left to eat.”
Confusion crossed Stella’s face. It puzzled her why he spoke as though she had stopped his meal. She glanced toward the bags Nina brought. “Wasn’t Nina supposed to bring something fresh?”
Without a word, he continued to hold Stella in his stare.
Eventually, Stella broke eye contact and relented. “Alright then, come in, I’ll grab another set of utensils for Nina.”
Stella tried to convince herself that one more set of utensils was no big deal, but having Nina at her dinner table left her unsettled. The two never clicked back at the institute, and she never pictured them eating together under her roof.
After picking at her food, Stella lost her appetite. “I’m finished. You two go ahead and eat.”
Gathering her things in a hurry, Stella left the table and disappeared into her bedroom.
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William was clearly annoyed. It wasn’t often he got the chance to have a meal with Stella, and now it had been completely derailed by Nina’s unexpected visit. On the other hand, Nina seemed more than happy that Stella had made herself scarce. Once Stella returned to her room, Nina visibly relaxed and even began offering William a few dishes she had brought along.
“Mr. Briggs, I’m curious,” she asked in a light tone. “Why are you having dinner at Sylvia’s place? Are you two friends?”
William didn’t bother hiding his disinterest. His face remained neutral as he replied coolly, “She’s a good cook.”
Nina blinked, surprised by the blunt reply. “For someone of your status, I’m sure you could have any five-star chef cook for you. Are you saying her cooking actually beats theirs?”
Her overly chatty tone began to grate on William. His voice turned curt. “Aren’t you eating too? And didn’t you say Henry wanted to talk to me?”
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