Chapter 90
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She wasn’t exactly a stranger to praise.
But hearing Stephen, now speaking as Brighton Group’s CEO, praise her work as a business partner left Stellar feeling unexpectedly self–conscious.
“Well, I should be thanking you, Senior. If you hadn’t let me use your lab, I wouldn’t have been able to complete the upgrades so smoothly. I’d say this was a win–win for both of us.”
She looked up at him, eyes bright with sincerity. “It’s an honor to work with you.
A faint smile brushed Stephen’s lips.
Shane, watching from the sidelines, caught it all too clearly.
And in that instant, whatever hope he had been clinging to was completely crushed.
He had never seen Stephen look at a woman like that before.
At this point, he was almost certain that Stellar was the junior Stephen mentioned.
A sharp pang of realization hit him, draining the color from his face.
Had he just fallen for… his best friend’s woman?
His entire expression collapsed.
But the two of them remained oblivious, deep in discussion about work, chatting effortlessly.
It wasn’t until a while later that Stellar remembered something important.
“By the way, I was thinking of using this material upgrade as leverage to bring in Riverfront Corporation’s CEO, Zachary Grayson. Do you think I have a good shot at convincing him?”
She turned to Stephen for his opinion.
“Zachary Grayson?” Stephen considered it for a moment before giving a fair assessment.
“He’s a sharp businessman. While he values profit, he values the capability of his partners even more. If you refine the project further, I’d say you have over an 80% chance of getting his approval.”
Hearing this, Stellar felt more confident.
With a bright smile, she lifted her wine glass.
“Thanks, Senior, I’ll take that as a good omen–cheers to that.”
Stephen raised his glass in return, but as he did, his gaze flickered toward Shane, a knowing glint flashing in his eyes.
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“Mr. Howe? Join us for a toast.”
Stellar finally turned her gaze to Shane, offering him a warm smile.
“That’s right, Mr. Howe, let’s drink to the success of our collaboration.”
Snapping out of his daze, Shane forced a smile, lifting his glass.
“Yeah, cheers!”
HeWithout another word, he downed the entire drink in one go, hoping to drown out the swirl of emotions inside him.
Stellar was an incredible woman, but compared to Stephen, he didn’t stand a chance.
Stephen, on the other hand, took his time, sipping his wine leisurely.
The smooth sweetness lingered on his tongue,
tongue, much
ch like the g
good mood he was in.
There was something about the atmosphere tonight that felt oddly off, though Stellar couldn’t quite put her finger on it.
Still, she chose not to overthink it
At least the dinner itself was pleasant.
After the meal, the three of them took the elevator back down from the top floor.
As they stepped out, Stellar spoke up.
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“That dinner must have been expensive, right? Mr. Howe, you treated me last time, so let me cover this one.”
Shane, who was brooding quietly, snapped his head up at her words and quickly waved his hands.
“No worries, this hotel belongs to my family–it doesn’t cost me a thing.”
Stellar was briefly surprised, but after recalling the name Howe Grand Hotel, it all made sense.
“Then, how about I…‘
Shane was just about to offer to drive Stellar home when Stephen, ever composed, casually cut in.
“I’ll take Stellar home.”
Shane froze.
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Stephen added nonchalantly, “We live across the hall from each other. It’s on my way.”
Another knife straight to the chest.
Shane felt like he had just suffered a fatal blow.
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Senior,” Stellar responded easily, unfazed by the arrangement.
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Shane could only stand there, powerless, as he watched them walk away. With their striking features and effortless grace, they looked almost too perfect together.
Unable to take it any longer, he squeezed his eyes shut and let out a silent scream before dramatically turning on his heel and running off
“I thought we were friends, and he just went and betrayed me?!” Shane thought in frustration.
