Chapter 231

Kevin had not yet fully investigated the relationship between Stephanie and Sebastian. But Stephanie had been staying at Whispering Bay, and so had Sebastian. Given this, their relationship must be close. And due to Stephanie’s influence, the cooperation between the Ashford Group and the Lucano Group had completely fallen through.

Chris suppressed his anger and asked as politely as he could, “Mr. Giovanni, can we meet and talk?” He needed to meet Sebastian, especially after his father had been humiliated. If the Ashford Group couldn’t resolve the current situation, they might end up in the same trouble as the Hart Group.

But all he heard in response was the dial tone—Sebastian hung up. Chris stared at the phone, his face turning ashen. Kevin, rigid with tension, asked, “What did Mr. Giovanni say?” Since Sebastian had answered the call, Stephanie must be with him. Chris closed his eyes briefly. “He didn’t say anything—he just hung up,” he said.

He took a deep breath to suppress his anger as he tried to dial Stephanie’s number again, only to find himself blocked. He even borrowed this phone from the waiter at Mount Spring. “Damn it!” he shouted, kicking the edge of the planter in frustration. “How come they both hung up the phone and blocked me?”

The more Chris thought about it, the angrier he became! Kevin, observing his boss’s rare loss of composure, knew that Sebastian must have refused to meet him. Chris exhaled sharply, pressing his fingers against his temple as if trying to soothe the pounding headache forming. “Find out their relationship as soon as possible.” Chris’s eyes turned icy as he recalled Steve’s parting words, “Protecting his own people.” What kind of relationship could they have that would make Sebastian protect Stephanie?

Kevin gave a small nod but hesitated. “Actually…The key issue right now isn’t just Miss Giovanni and Mr. Giovanni’s relationship.” His tone was careful and measured. In his opinion, the marriage between Chris and Stephanie was off, and Chris Ashford couldn’t abandon Olivia. So the relationship between Stephanie and Mr. Giovanni didn’t really matter. What matters was that Mr. Giovanni was protecting Stephanie!

His lips pressed into a tight line. “The pressing matter is to figure out how to…” Kevin suddenly fell silent, as if the weight of their predicament had struck him mid-sentence. They all knew that the key to resolving this partnership crisis lay with Stephanie. Who would have thought that the crises facing both the Hart and Ashford Group were linked to Stephanie?

Thinking about what Chris and the Hart family had done to Stephanie, Kevin was momentarily at a loss for words. After some thought, he added, “Miss Giovanni is still a problem!” Although reluctant to admit it, he knew that the solution to the troubles of both the Ashford and Hart Group was simply dependent on a word from Stephanie. Hearing this, Chris shot Kevin a cold glance.

Kevin continued, “The real issue is that none of us expected the one backing Miss Giovanni to be Mr. Giovanni.” Just hearing the name “Mr. Giovanni” was enough to make anyone feel suffocated. No wonder Chris and the Harts had been unable to act against Stephanie—Mr. Giovanni had been protecting her all along. At this point, even without an investigation, Chris had likely pieced together the connection between Stephanie and Mr. Giovanni. But he refused to acknowledge it. Deep down, an unsettling sense of resentment gnawed at him.

“Find out when their relationship started,” he ordered. He refused to believe that Stephanie had managed to get close to Mr. Giovanni, such a figure in Fiorenza, in just a few days.

At Whispering Bay, Stephanie was fast asleep, clutching one of Sebastian’s fingers. Meanwhile, Sebastian was on the phone, speaking in a low voice. “Not a single thing from the Ashford Group gets in, or our cooperation ends!” he said to Jackson on the other end of the phone. “Understood,” Jackson replied without hesitation. Considering how Sebastian had treated Stephanie, and how fiercely protective Sebastian was—Jackson wouldn’t dare hand over the minerals to the Ashford Group. Not that he had any intention of doing so.