Chapter 1679:

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Doreen stood at the door, a stack of documents clutched tightly in her hands. “Come in,” Stella called without turning, her voice steady but distant.

Doreen hesitated for a moment before entering, her face a mixture of nerves and anticipation. As she stepped into the office, her eyes instinctively darted toward Dexter. Her expression softened, her shyness almost palpable, and a faint flush crept into her cheeks.

Stella noticed this and couldn’t help but chuckle, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips.

Doreen, hearing Stella’s soft laughter, flushed slightly, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. A bit flustered, she stammered, “Stella, am I interrupting? I just realized it’s nearly noon. How about we grab lunch together, or we can order in?”

With a warm smile, Stella replied, “Let’s go out for lunch, and Dexter should come along too. But I’ve got some work to wrap up first, so you two can go ahead and place the order.”

Dexter, however, didn’t seem too enthusiastic. He frowned and quickly declined, “No, I’m good. You two go ahead, I’m not hungry.”

Stella’s gaze turned serious as she met Dexter’s eyes. “You’re here to help us on Bennett’s orders. Even if I’m not the one cutting your paycheck, I’ve got to say you’ve been invaluable these past few days. As the one running things here, it’s only fair I treat you to a meal.”

Dexter opened his mouth to refuse again, but just as he was about to speak, Stella’s phone rang, cutting him off.

With a decisive nod, Stella told them, “You two go ahead. I’ll catch up with you after I take this call.”

Doreen quickly picked up on the hint and said, “No problem, take your time.”

She then grabbed Dexter’s hand, leading him out the door.

Stella answered the call—it was Fernando.

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“Mrs. Clark, when would be a good time for you to come by and sign the contract?” Fernando asked.

Stella paused for a moment, thinking it over. “How about this afternoon? If that works for you, maybe you could swing by my studio?”

Fernando, on the other end of the line, deliberately sounded troubled as he said, “This might be a bit difficult. Mr. Clark’s schedule is packed with meetings these days, and I need to assist him here. If you can wait, I can deliver the contract to your studio once he’s done, but I can’t guarantee an exact time right now.”

Stella hesitated for a few moments. Thinking it would be better to sign the contract sooner rather than later, she replied, “Then I’ll go to Prosperity Group.”

After Doreen and Dexter left the studio, Dexter shook off Doreen’s hand.

Caught off guard, Doreen stood awkwardly, her face flushed as she explained, “Dexter, I was just too hasty earlier and accidentally grabbed your hand. I’m sorry.” Her heart pounded wildly.

The brief contact had left her palm slightly sweaty, and a mix of nervousness and sweetness lingered, leaving her at a loss. Dexter glanced at her coldly and said, “Lead the way to the restaurant.”

Without waiting for a response, he started walking ahead, seemingly unaware of Doreen’s feelings. Doreen, wearing high heels, hurried to catch up.

This was her chance to be alone with Dexter, and she wanted to talk to him more. Distracted by her thoughts, she failed to pay attention to the uneven path.

Suddenly, she twisted her ankle and fell forward, crying out in pain, “Ouch!”

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