Chapter 53
The compliment felt even more genuine this time.
Stellar, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise, quickly stood up and looped her arm through Mary’s.
“Alright, Mary, let’s go eat.”
The two of them walked downstairs, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere warm and lighthearted.
The next day.
Stellar headed to the university library to study.
She needed to fully immerse herself in the research materials Victor gave her.
Tomorrow, she would officially join the project team at the institute.
But as she stepped into the library, she unexpectedly spotted a familiar figure by the window.
Even in a room full of people, Stephen was impossible to miss.
Sitting with perfect posture, he had an undeniable presence–calm, distant, and completely unapproachable. An aura that warned others to stay away.
But Stellar, unaffected, walked straight toward him.
Sensing movement, Stephen instinctively looked up, his gaze meeting hers.
A second later, a small, elegantly wrapped box landed on the table in front of him.
“It’s fixed. Here you go. And thank you again for what you did yesterday.”
Her tone was courteous yet detached, striking a perfect balance–neither overly polite nor needlessly accommodating.
Without lingering, she turned and walked away.
Returning the hairpin before she officially joined the project team helped clear any lingering ties.
No unnecessary misunderstandings. No loose ends.
She went straight to the shelves, flipping through research materials.
However, Stephen didn’t go back to reading
His fingers absently traced the edges of the box as a flicker of surprise and thoughtfulness crossed his face.
She was… different from what he expected.
A moment later, his gaze shifted toward her again.
She was on her toes, reaching for a book on the highest shelf, fingers just shy of making contact.
Without hesitation, Stephen stood, striding over.
From behind, he easily reached up and pulled the book down.
“Here.”
It was “The Evolution of Life.”
L
Chapter 53
She hadn’t said a word, yet he somehow knew exactly which book she was trying to grab.
Stellar glanced back at Stephen, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
But instead of making a fuss, she simply took the book and said, “Thanks.”
With that, she hugged it to her chest and found a seat, quickly immersing herself in her research.
However, Stephen felt an odd, unshakable sensation settle in his chest.
+25 BONUS
Stellar spent the entire afternoon at the library, only heading home in the evening.
As soon as she stepped inside, her phone rang unexpectedly
It was Claude.
“Stellar, I heard you passed the assessment. Congratulations!” His voice was warm and full of pride. “I got you a little gift to celebrate. Mary should have already placed it in your room. Take a look and see if you like it.” Stellar smiled.
Given that he had invested one hundred million dollars in the project, it was no surprise he already knew the
results.
Talking to him on the phone, she pushed open her bedroom door and immediately spotted a small, palm–sized box on the desk.
It really did look like a little gift.
Maybe a bracelet or a necklace?
Curious, she lifted the lid, and her mind went completely blank.
Inside, nestled in velvet, was a car key engraved with the unmistakable image of a prancing horse.
Her mind stalled.
Before she could process it, Claude’s voice carried through the phone again, sounding rather pleased with himself. “So? Do you like it? I asked around and picked something reasonably priced, a car that suits young women.”
Stellar was speechless.
“Uncle Claude. Did you just call a Ferrari reasonably priced
And to think, she naively assumed it was a small gift.
Claude responded matter–of–factly, “Of course. I was originally going to get you a limited–edition Rolls–Royce, but I figured that might be too flashy and make you uncomfortable. This one seemed just right.”
“But-
Stellar wanted to argue that this was still ridiculously flashy!
People were going to think she was trying to show off!
