Charles was undoubtedly a cunning old fox. He brought dinner and then immediately left, using the excuse that James was waiting for him at home!
He left Samuel with the task of interrupting William and Elise.
"Charles sent dinner. I was concerned it might get cold," Samuel explained cautiously.
When William nodded, Samuel quickly placed the dinner on the overtable and turned to leave immediately.
However, Elise stopped him. "Let's eat together, Samuel. There's too much for just William and me." Samuel was certainly hesitant to agree and looked towards his boss for guidance.
"Don't let it go to waste," Elise added.
William gave a reluctant nod then.
Samuel, who was already quite hungry, felt immensely grateful that Elise was as gracious as she was beautiful.
After they finished dinner, Elise insisted that William return home, expressing concern about James being alone.
He left reluctantly under her persistent urging, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief once he was gone.
His presence always made her feel somewhat unsettled.
Lying back down in the hospital bed, she began making calls to the various department heads.
After clearing her name through the press conference and gaining widespread support from netizens, Stellar Group's autumn collection was selling exceptionally well once again. Even with this success, Elise wanted concrete data and confirmation.
Each department head reported their updates with evident enthusiasm, as everything was progressing far more favorably than anyone had anticipated.
As expected, following the press conference, Stellar Group's autumn collection was flying off the shelves. The suppliers who had been pressuring for early payments had now ceased their demands, even stating that there was no rush and they could wait much longer.
Business people were indeed pragmatic, but at the very least, this indicated that Stellar Group was firmly back on the right track.
After her final call, Elise checked Elizabeth York's Twitter account.
The tweet where Elizabeth declared her support for Elise had suddenly gained an enormous number of likes and replies.
Elizabeth's devoted fans were naturally mocking the other netizens who had previously doubted her character—the power of a dedicated fandom was truly formidable.
In any case, Elise no longer had to worry about Elizabeth's reputation being negatively impacted because of her.
Just as Elise was about to close the Twitter app, Elizabeth posted a new tweet.
[Need birthday gift ideas for a man in his late twenties. Any recommendations, ladies?]
Elise froze.
Late twenties, man, birthday.
There was no doubt that Elizabeth was referring to William.
She swallowed hard, quietly setting her phone down.
Elise was discharged from the hospital the next day.
Robert was driving her as she gazed out at the passing scenes of Crestwood's skyline and its massive shopping centers.
Several times, she considered asking Robert to stop so she could buy a gift as a polite gesture, but she ultimately decided against it.
She resolved instead to have a clear conversation with William that evening.
No matter what her feelings for him were, her principles would not accept him being involved with two women.
Even if she wasn't doing it for herself, she genuinely believed Elizabeth deserved a sincere and devoted heart.
Having made that decision, she no longer felt uncertain or conflicted.
As evening approached, she applied light makeup and wore a simple white dress, letting her soft hair fall loosely over her shoulders—nothing extravagant, but naturally pleasant and approachable. Anyone would find her easygoing and gentle.
Robert was driving her once more. Although William hadn't specified the location, only the time, he must have informed Robert.
Soon, they arrived at the destination, where William was waiting at the entrance.
He was wearing a tuxedo, his tall frame exuding nobility and elegance.
For a moment, Elise didn't want to get out of the car at all.
She felt a pang of awkwardness, feeling underdressed—she hadn't expected William to be dressed so formally!