Chapter 56
Her eyes gleamed with mockery and disdain, yet there was no surprise in them as if she always knew he was nothing but a fraud.
Lilian and the others felt equally satisfied, their expressions filled with undisguised contempt as they looked at
Alex.
For a moment, his face burned red, as if he had just been slapped in public.
Fury boiled inside him.
Humiliated and enraged, he clenched his fists, ready to lunge forward and put Stellar in her place.
But just then, a crisp, cool voice cut through the tension.
“What’s all the commotion about?”
Stephen strode over with unhurried steps, his tall frame casting an imposing presence.
His sharp, sculpted features remained as cold as ever, his piercing gaze flicking over Alex with effortless indifference, as if he weren’t even worth acknowledging
Despite saying little, the sheer weight of his presence made Alex involuntarily shiver.
The others exchanged glances, surprised.
Some recognized him immediately, while others, knowing is reputation, wisely chose to remain silent.
But Stellar wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.
She got straight to the point.
“He’s trying to take over our lab.”
Stephen’s eyes lingered on her for a moment before shifting to Alex.
“The lab follows a strict reservation system. Since Stellar’s team booked it first, no one else has the right to cut in line.”
His voice was calm and indifferent, yet it carried enough weight to send chills down Alex’s spine.
He knew who Stephen was.
Stephen was Victor’s protégé.
Rumor had it that Stephen had already graduated, but he returned for this particular research project.
He was also one of the institute’s biggest investors, with his own independent laboratory under his name.
Stephen wasn’t someone he could afford to cross.
Alex swallowed hard, his arrogance evaporating
“O–oh… I wasn’t aware. My mistake. You guys can have it.”
Muttering a weak excuse, he turned and scurried off like a cat fleeing the light.
Simon, as team leader, immediately stepped forward.
“Senior Ward, thanks for backing us up.
Chapter 56
+25 BONUS
His gratitude was sincere.
Stephen merely gave a slight nod, his deep gaze settling back on Stellar.
“You just started this project. How’s it going so far?”
With that simple question, everyone immediately understood that these two clearly knew each other.
Stellar was a bit surprised he’d ask something that almost sounded like concern.
But she didn’t read too much into it..
“With the team’s help, it’s been going smoothly. Thanks for asking, Senior.”
Her tone was neutral, neither warm nor distant, making it clear she wasn’t looking to engage further.
Stephen didn’t seem offended.
Still, there was a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes
Suppressing the strange feeling in his chest, he simply said “If you run into trouble, you can come to me.”
This time, Stellar didn’t respond.
Without another word, Stephen turned and walked away, his posture cool and indifferent, his presence lingering even in his absence.
As soon as he was gone, Lilian couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she blurted out, “Stellar, you know Senior Ward? What’s your relationship with him? He actually went out of his way to help you!”
d quite
A striking man and a captivating woman, with an unspoken tension between them that no one else could step into how could that not draw curiosity?
Especially for someone like Lilian, whose imagination had already spun a dozen dramatic, soap–opera–worthy scenarios.
Stellar chuckled helplessly.
“We’ve only met a few times. He’s helped me twice, but were not exactly close.”
She was well aware that Stephen didn’t particularly like her.
She had long decided to keep her distance to avoid any misunderstandings or unnecessary trouble.
Yet, for some reason, he was the one who took the initiative to speak to her.
That was unexpected.
“Hah.” A dry chuckle suddenly broke the mood.
Vivian, who had been standing off to the side, spoke up in an airy, indifferent tone.
“No need to act like you don’t know him, Stellar. It’s not like we’d be jealous.”
Her lips curved into a half–smile, her voice dripping with subtle condescension.
“Must be nice having someone in your corner. Who knows? Maybe now you can breez without a care, no need to bother with anyone else’s approval.”
