By the time they pulled out onto the road, she had already laid out most of her life story, piece by piece.
Percy finally learned that her name was Dawn Jones.
It was a nice name, but her family was incredibly poor.
She had picked up the ring to sell it for money to cover living expenses.
That was something different from all the women he met before.
Percy could see traces of Stellar’s past self in her.
But unlike Stellar, who was resilient and unwavering, always giving selflessly to him without greed and never complaining about hard work, the other women who approached him were like Yvonne–vain and materialistic, always asking for designer bags or jewelry.
However, Dawn was different. She openly admitted her poverty without shame.
After all, she had no control over the circumstances of her birth.
Her straightforward and genuine nature made Percy see her in a different light.
When the car arrived outside the club, Percy and Dawn walked in together.
“Mr. Moore, since you’re here for drinks, remember to request me later. That way, your order will be counted under my service, and I’ll get a commission!”
Dawn playfully winked at him, smiling as she made her request.
Percy found her amusing and responded with a casual, “Alright.”
On the other side, after finally getting rid of Percy, Stellar let out a long sigh of relief.
She carried her documents to the professor’s office to submit them.
Before she could knock, the door opened from inside.
Stephen happened to step out,
They almost bumped into each other.
Stellar instinctively took two steps back and looked up.
Their eyes met.
Her eyes sparkled. “Senior, are you here to see the professor too?”
+20 Bonus
“Yeah,” Stephen replied indifferently before shifting his gaze away and walking past her without another word.
The words Stellar had meant to thank him with for taking her home last night caught in her throat and never made it out.
She watched the man’s departing figure with a hint of confusion.
Was it just her imagination?
It felt like Stephen’s attitude toward her had returned to its initial coldness.
Hadn’t they already become friends over this period of time?
For some reason, seeing his distant demeanor left Stellar feeling inexplicably stifled.
After entering the office and submitting the documents to Victor, she hesitated before asking, “Professor, is Stephen in a bad mood today? Did something go wrong with the project?”
Victor looked up from a stack of documents, his expression puzzled.
“No, isn’t he always walking around with a sour face? How could anyone tell whether he’s in a good mood quite concerned about him!”
There was a teasing glint in the old professor’s eyes.
or not? But you cam
Stellar’s face grew inexplicably warm, and she huffed in irritation.
“Professor, why are you making things up too? He has a girlfriend.”
Victor immediately flared up, his brows shooting up in disbelief.
“Nonsense! Girl, have you forgotten to respect your elders now that you’re back in the project team? He has a girlfriend? My foot!
“I’ve only ever seen him focused on his studies all these years, never once bringing a girl to meet me.”
A flicker of doubt stirred in Stellar’s heart, but she quickly muttered under her breath, “…Maybe he’s just hiding it well and doesn’t want you to know.”
“What are you mumbling about?”
Victor had a feeling that whatever she said wasn’t anything good.
“Nothing. I’ve submitted the documents, so I’ll get back to work.”
Stellar left quickly, leaving Victor shaking his head with a sigh.
“Young people these days are always in denial…”
Back at the research institute, Stellar deliberately stopped by the lab.
Stephen was already inside.
Chapter 12.
She hesitated, then knocked softly on the door.
“Senior…”
