Chapter 86

"Now that you're officially part of Briggs Group, you'll be meeting clients often. Buy yourself a few new outfits, and make sure you represent the company properly."

Stella's lips twitched faintly. So that was it-he thought she might embarrass the company.

She forced a smile as she accepted the card,then muttered through clenched teeth,"Aren't you worried I'll drain this card dry, Mr.Briggs? You know how much girls enjoy shopping."

William glanced at her begrudging expression and chuckled. "Relax. Your salary's decent, and we'll just deduct it from that if needed."

Stella sighed in defeat and shoved the card into her bag, clearly annoyed.

Straightening her posture, she turned and

walked out of his office, holding her head high.

As he watched her walk away, William felt his spirits unexpectedly lighten. Even the stack of reports in front of him didn't seem quite as tedious anymore.

As Stella stepped out of the Briggs Group building, she tried to soothe herself. Alright-at least she had a villa and a black card. That was more than most companies offered.Sure, her boss was a little odd... but tolerable.

Back in the office, moments after Stella left,William's phone rang.

Steven's voice came through the line. "This one's interesting. I can see why you picked her."

William didn't bother asking questions. He just responded coolly, "Stay away from her."

That only piqued Steven's interest further.

"Oh? So you're actually serious this time."

William didn't react to the teasing.With eyes still on his screen, he said flatly, "If that's all,I'm hanging up."

"Wait-this is important," Steven cut in."You'll need to stop by in a couple of days to sign the contract."

Steven had no doubt about Nebula's proposal, especially now that Stella was involved.

There was no question in his mind-he was definitely signing with Nebula.

William gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment and, after ending the call,shot Stella a message wvith the contract signing date for SummitRise Group.

Stella was browsing racks of clothes when the message came through. With the black card in her hand, and knowing any overspending would just be docked from her

pay, she shopped without the slightest guilt.

After checking the contract date, she casually sent back an "OK" emoji and resumed her carefree shopping spree.

The day of the contract signing came quickly. Dressed in a sharp black business suit that gave her a sleek, polished look,Stella walked into the towering headquarters of SummitRise Group with quiet confidence.

Just as she stepped into the elevator and the doors began to slide shut, they suddenly reopened with a chime. Two people had pressed the button from outside.

Her brows lifted slightly when she saw who it was-Marc and Haley.

What were they doing here?

She didn't have time or energy to care.

Without saying a word, Stella shifted to the side, pretending she hadn't even seen them.

Marc looked at her with a mix of restraint and barely hidden excitement. But unlike before,

he didn't come near her.

Haley, on the other hand, had a different agenda. There was a satisfied curl to her lips as she stood beside Marc, her thoughts dripping with spite.

She had found out that Stella was scheduled to sign a contract with SummitRise today,and she'd shown up for one reason only-to ruin her.

She had even hidden a tiny camera in her purse, ready to capture Stella's downfall on video.

The plan was simple-humiliate Stella, post the footage online, and let the world laugh.

After this, Stella wouldn't just lose Marc-she wouldn't even have the dignity to walk around in public.

Stella caught the calculating glint in Haley's eyes and narrowed her own slightly.

Something was off.

They were clearly plotting something, but

she wasn't worried. Let them try.

The elevator ride was tense and silent. When it finally stopped on the conference room floor, Stella walked out, only to hear footsteps behind her.

Steven stood by the meeting room entrance.He hadn't scheduled anyone else today, so when he spotted Haley and Marc trailing behind Stella, his brows furrowed.

"Mr. Walsh, Ms. Smith," he said coolly, "I don't recall setting up a meeting with either of you."

Haley immediately stepped forward, taking charge. "Mr. Harrison, we're here to share something important. A truth, actually. We just didn't want you to be misled."

Steven tilted his head slightly, an amused gleam in his eyes. "Misled? And who exactly is trying to mislead me?"

Haley didn't hesitate. She pointed right at Stella, her voice rising with righteous indignation. "Her, Mr. Harrison! She told you

she had some so-called new technology to collaborate on, but the truth is-it's stolen.She took confidential files from Walsh Group!"

Steven raised his eyebrows and let out a soft chuckle. "Is that so? Mr. Walsh?" He turned toward Marc. "Can you confirm this? Did Ms.Gilbert really steal trade secrets from your company? I'm curious-how did she manage that?"

He had expected Marc to show some level of dignity, maybe even hesitate before tossing such an accusation.

But Steven had clearly overestimated him.

Marc looked at Stella with conflicted eyes that flickered with something unreadable.Then he said slowly, "Yes, Mr. Harrison.She's my wife. And I can confirm that around six months ago, out of anger, she took classified documents from the Walsh Group and disappeared. If you don't believe me,check her ID. It's likely fake. If you proceed with this collaboration, you might find

yourself tangled in legal trouble."

Haley jumped in with even more dramatic flair. "That's right. She's not Sylvia Gilbert-her real name is Stella Russell! Marc gave her a chance to work at Walsh Group out of kindness, and this is how she repaid him-by stealing sensitive data. And now she's using our company's core technology to strike a deal with SummitRise Group!"

Haley accused Stella with self-righteous anger.