Chapter 341

After ending the call with Olivia, Chris desperately tried to reach Stephanie, but he couldn't get through. Security had tightened considerably after recent events.

On the private jet, Sebastian was already consumed by desire when his phone rang. Stephanie, nestled in his arms, felt the vibration and nudged him. “Your phone’s ringing.”

“Ignore it,” he growled, his voice rough with desire.

But the phone kept ringing, and Stephanie said, “Answer it. It could be important.” She was actually terrified it might be Richard. They hadn’t left Paginara yet, after all.

Sebastian’s plane was specially equipped for taking important calls at any time. With Stephanie’s insistence, he finally got up, frustration etched on his face, and picked up his phone. Seeing it was an unknown number, he answered coldly, “Speak.”

“Mr. Giovanni, it’s me.” Chris’s voice came through the line.

The sound was loud enough for Stephanie to hear from the bed. ‘What? Is Chris out of his mind?’ she cursed in her mind.

Meanwhile, Sebastian’s brow furrowed sharply. “What’s up?” The danger in his voice came through the connection, creating an instant pause on the other end of the line.

Just as Sebastian was about to hang up, Chris’s voice came through again. “Look, the Hart family is Stephanie’s real family. Why be so ruthless? They really need a doctor right now.”

Chris was at his wit's end. He couldn’t reach Stephanie on the phone. She’d blocked him before, and now it seemed she’d changed her number.

Sebastian chuckled. “Family? Stefi, do you need it?” He glanced at Stephanie, his voice on the phone clearly more threatening.

Stephanie shook her head. “No need.” That kind of family was nothing but trouble. The Hart family had tried to destroy her life these past two years, and she was amazed they had the gall to talk about family ties.

Chris’s breathing tightened over the phone. He ignored Stephanie’s reply, suppressing his emotions. “Her biological brother is in critical condition.”

Sebastian chuckled softly. “Didn’t you hear what Stefi said? She doesn’t need it, and none of you have the right to talk about ‘family ties,’ do you?” He sneered at the phrase “biological brother.”

Chris got the dig in Sebastian’s tone. It was a shot at how the Harts had always favored Olivia over Stephanie, their biological daughter.

Chris tightened his grip on the phone. “Olivia’s lived with the Hart family for years. It’s only natural they care about her.”

Stephanie found his words ridiculous. It made sense that the Harts cared about Olivia, but they’d always pushed Stephanie away. Now they had the gall to ask Sebastian to go easy on them just because they were her family.

Sebastian let out a sarcastic laugh. “Honestly, if the Harts weren’t her family, I might have ended it faster for them.”

Stephanie’s brow twitched. Chris on the other end of the line was just as stunned.

Sebastian hung up the phone coldly. Talking to Chris was such a waste of time to him.

He tossed the phone aside, turned, and pulled Stephanie into his arms. “Stefi,” he murmured, his voice tight with emotion.

Stephanie was caught off guard, swept up in the moment. After years of holding back, he could finally let his emotions run free.