Chapter 314
Rose Luxe was one of Long Harbor’s fancier spots—a ritzy mall packed with shoppers pretty much every day. Stephanie’s eyelid twitched as she tapped her teacup with a finger. “Shouldn’t Chad be at the hospital right now?”
“Exactly,” Ella said, sounding totally baffled. “Tyler’s messed up bad. Chad should be right there with him, no question.”
However, the guy was wandering around Rose Luxe like he didn’t have a worry in the world.
Ella leaned in, dropping her voice to a sneaky whisper. “I’m telling you, Chad and that woman? Something’s up. They looked way too comfortable.”
Stephanie frowned, repeating it slowly. “With a woman pushing a stroller? And they were cozy?”
Yeah, it didn’t add up. Her stomach twisted a little. Chad wasn’t some young hotshot—did he end up in a mess like this?
Ella nodded hard. “Oh, for sure.”
Stephanie squinted. “You positive you didn’t mix him up with someone else?”
She wasn’t sold yet. For two years, she’d had Chad figured out—he didn’t seem like the type. Now she wondered if she had totally misjudged him. A tiny doubt started creeping in.
“No way,” Ella fired back, dead sure. “It was Chad. I checked twice, three times even. Stared right at him.”
She smirked and leaned back with a shrug. “One quick look, maybe I’d goof. But every time? Come on, I’m not that dumb.”
Stephanie didn’t say anything. The mug just hung there in her hand. Fair enough. This was big enough that Ella wouldn’t screw it up. One slip? Sure, maybe. Every look? Nah, she wasn’t that out of it.
After a pause, Stephanie asked, “Whose kid is it?”
Ella laughed dryly. “Girl, I just peeked at them for a bit. They seemed tight, yeah, but I’m not a mind reader. No clue if the baby’s his.”
Stephanie went quiet again. In her head, Chad was always this serious, no-nonsense guy—stiff as a board. With Caitlin, he was polite but distant, like they were strangers stuck at the same table. He didn’t seem like the type to get caught up in romance or anything wild.
Then there was Tyler—the golden boy, heir to the Hart Group. He’d been running things for years, handling the big deals. To Chad, Tyler was everything—untouchable, the top priority.
So why, with Tyler still stuck in the hospital, was Chad out playing family with some woman and a kid? It felt off to Stephanie, like a cheesy TV drama.
Stephanie’s brow furrowed. “How cozy are we talking?”
Ella’s voice dropped again. “Shoulder-to-shoulder, practically cheek-to-cheek. You don’t get that close with just a friend, you know?”
Stephanie didn’t answer. Her fingers tapped the table lightly, her eyes narrowing. Yeah, this wasn’t just friendly. It was obvious, in-your-face close—hard to ignore.
Back at the Hart place, Chad and Caitlin could barely sit on the same couch without it feeling awkward. Their hands didn’t even come close.
Seeing Stephanie stewing, Ella gave her a playful nudge. “Want me to poke around some more? Shake things up at the Hart house?”
Stephanie glanced at the snowflakes floating outside. The Hart family was a total train wreck as it was. If things were on schedule, Amber was probably at the hospital by now.
Stephanie shrugged faintly. “Why bother? Amber’s on it.”
And don’t forget Olivia, stuck in the States with no overseas treatment, or Tyler, about to get out of the hospital. The Hart family was a giant knot of chaos, top to bottom.
“Oh yeah, Amber!” Ella smacked her forehead. Ella raised an eyebrow, still thrown. “Amber,” and laughed. “How’d I blank on that disaster? This is getting way too crazy.” Really that big a player?
Stephanie let out a sharp, sarcastic chuckle. “If she uses her baby as the leverage and fails, she may go crazy. And she may even pull the whole Hodge family down with her.”
Lilian was all in with Tyler—serious feelings.
Ella’s eyes went wide. “Man, she’s got some nerve.”
Stephanie gave a little hum, keeping it cool. “I dug into Amber. I’ve got the scoop.”
“She had no idea about Tyler and Lilian before. Now that she’s clued in, she’s convinced Lilian’s the one screwing up her plans. What’s her next move?” She threw it back with a sly grin.
Ella sucked in a breath. “She’s gonna go after Lilian. That’s like tossing a match on the Hart family dumpster fire.”
“Olivia’s already got the Harts and Ashfords clawing at each other,” Ella said, shaking her head. “If Amber takes a swing at Lilian now, isn’t that just begging to blow up the Hart family for good?” Her voice kicked up, half-thrilled, half-shocked.
At this point, the Hart family was done for—chaos louder than a packed Super Bowl watch party.
Stephanie picked up her teacup and took a slow sip. “So, about that woman…”
Ella jumped in, practically bouncing. “That woman? Caitlin has got to know. She’s got to guard what’s hers. Stefi, come on, you’re not even thinking about your own ‘mom’ here!”
Stephanie blinked, totally caught off guard. “Huh?”
Ella kept going, all hyped up. “I’m on it. I’m digging up everything on that chick.”
“Stefi, the Harts always say you pick the wrong side. This time, you’ve got to stick up for YOUR mom.” Her tone was firm, dripping with sarcasm.
Stephanie’s jaw dropped. “What?!” She couldn’t believe that Ella wanted her to team Caitlin. This was way off track.
The corner of Stephanie’s mouth twitched. “Alright, you’ve got me there. I can’t let some random swoop in and steal the show. Need to stand up for my ‘mom’ this time.”