Chapter 410

“Isn’t he concerned about the situation?” Stephanie thought. “I wasn’t avoiding you. You should let me go; we’re in a car!” If he didn’t release her soon, things could really get out of hand.

Just as the words left her mouth, the car’s partition began to rise. ‘Seriously, is Elliot a little too perceptive?’ Stephanie thought. She pushed her small hand against Sebastian’s chest and mumbled, “Let go of me. I don’t want this.”

Sebastian, who had been holding back all night, was starting to lose control. “I won’t hurt you.”

“No matter what, it’s not okay.” Stephanie shook her head. She knew there were other ways, but right now, she simply didn’t want to do that—definitely not in the car. On top of that, his suggestions felt quite shameless.

She kept squirming, which only intensified Sebastian’s uneven breathing. He grasped her slender waist and murmured hoarsely, “Stefi, be good, won’t you?”

Hearing his voice made Stephanie panic instantly. She struggled even harder. “No, I don’t want to…” Unable to resist, she started to cry.

Tears streamed down her face, and Sebastian hesitated for a moment. Then, he gently grasped her chin and kissed her. His familiar, calming presence quickly enveloped her.

In Lorenzo’s villa in Fiorenza, Ella sat on the bed, her small hands gripping the blanket tightly. She instinctively pulled it higher, afraid that even the slightest bit of skin might show.

Lorenzo sat across from her, a cigar in his hand. His piercing gaze was fixed intently on her. The silent tension was almost palpable.

Ella swallowed hard. “Uh, don’t look at me like that. I’m scared,” she stammered, her voice cracking as she said “scared.”

She had been fearless back in Long Harbor, but now, in this unfamiliar place, she felt like a declawed cat—vulnerable and defenseless. Lorenzo’s stare was like a wolf’s predatory gaze; even a single glance felt like it could rip her to shreds.

Lorenzo asked coldly, “What kind of issue do I have?”

Tears pooled in Ella’s heart as she began. “I-”

Before she could finish her thought, Lorenzo interrupted. “Think carefully about what you say, or else…”

He paused, leaving his sentence unfinished, but the threat hung heavily in the air. If she didn’t say the right thing today, she’d find herself in serious trouble.

‘Oh, great… Is karma coming back to bite me? All I did was share a little gossip; was that really so bad? Do I deserve this for just talking behind his back?’ Ella thought, feeling a wave of bitterness.

Lowering her head, she muttered, “I’m sorry.” In such situations, it was safest to apologize first and keep a low profile.

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“I didn’t mean to,” Ella said softly. She felt incredibly vulnerable, having nothing to defend herself with, and was terrified Lorenzo might demand proof of her claims.

‘Stefi really got me into trouble. After today, I’ll never gossip about Lorenzo again,’ Ella vowed to herself.

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow, flicked the ash from his cigar into the ashtray, and glanced at Ella again. “So, what issue do I have?”

Faced with his deep eyes, Ella felt her heart flutter. Just that one look made her quickly avert her gaze and lower her head. “It’s me who has issues.”

“Huh?” Lorenzo was a bit surprised.

“I’m not talking about you, it’s me. I’m the one who has issues,” Ella said. To save her own skin, she decided to go all in and discard her pride.

Lorenzo’s interest was piqued. “Oh? So what are your issues?”

The words “issue” hung in the air, seemingly impossible to move past. Ella realized that unless she provided Lorenzo with an explanation, they wouldn’t be able to move past this.

‘Oh no, why am I so unlucky? How could I have been stupid enough to gossip about something so sensitive? What was I thinking?’ she thought, mentally breaking down.

Finally, bracing herself, she said, “I’m useless at everything—except when it comes to eating.” She hoped she had belittled herself enough to make him go easy on her.

Lorenzo looked at her frightened expression and saw her little hands clutching the blanket, trembling uncontrollably. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly, “A big eater?”

Seriously, why is he so irritating? Ella thought, but she didn’t dare to talk back. Instead, she reluctantly nodded and mumbled a soft “Mm.” She swore she had never felt this embarrassed because of gossiping.

Ten minutes later, Ella sat at the dining table. She stared at the unfamiliar dishes and then glanced at Lorenzo. He was leaning back in his chair, his left ankle resting on his right knee. Without his suit shirt, the tattoo on his neck was even more noticeable, giving him a wild and dangerous look.

Ella’s heart trembled with fear. He was definitely someone she didn’t want to cross.

Lorenzo glanced at her from the side. “Can you finish all of it?”

Finish all of it? What did he mean? So he called me a big eater and now expected me to clean my plate? Ella thought.