Chapter 509

Stephanie spoke first. “What is it?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you here for Olivia Hart or Catlin Hart?”

Tyler was shocked. ‘Catlin Hart?’ he thought. ‘Is that what she calls her mom?’ His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he wanted to yell at her. But when he locked eyes with her, cold and unflinching, and remembered what she was capable of, he swallowed his words.

“Please,” he said, his voice softer now. “Don’t look into Mom’s situation. Just please. I’m begging you.”

He didn’t have time to help Olivia anymore. After learning some hard truths, Tyler was still furious and angry. The Olivia he had always thought of as kind and gentle had turned out to be a murderer. He couldn’t accept it. That was why he tracked Stephanie down. He wasn’t planning to do anything else for Olivia. Now, the only thing he cared about was Catlin.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips. “Begging me?” she said.

Tyler nodded, his voice low. “Yeah, please. I’ll do anything. Just let Mom go, okay? She may seem fine on the outside, but she’s been struggling inside for years.” He paused, looking down for a moment. “You saw it, too, right? Dad’s always been messing around, and she’s never felt safe. She’s been through a lot. She’s really just a sad woman.”

Tyler had always known about the rumors around Chad. He knew what had been going on behind the scenes for years. That was why he felt bad for Catlin. A woman who was sheltered her whole life couldn’t handle a family crisis. Now, she was stuck with this mess.

Stephanie gave a cold laugh. “Pitiful? How does that have anything to do with me?”

A huge part of Catlin’s misery was her own fault. She couldn’t see the truth, too stubborn to realize who the people around her really were. Stephanie had warned her over and over about Olivia, but Catlin never listened. After ignoring the warnings for so long, it was too late. She had no one to blame but herself.

Tyler’s breath caught in his throat. “You…”

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “You’re funny. What do you mean by ‘let her go’? She went after your dad’s mistress.”

“How am I supposed to just let her go? Are you out of your mind, Tyler? Even if you want to help her, you won’t be begging me,” she added. She almost laughed at the idea. Begging her to let Catlin go seemed ridiculous.

Tyler’s anger flared. “But can you really say it’s not your fault that the Hart family ended up like this?” He was struggling to keep his temper in check. Everything had fallen apart because of Stephanie. The whole Hart family was unraveling because she had someone like Sebastian backing her up, pulling the strings.

Stephanie’s eyes were icy. “Yes, because of me. And just so we’re clear. I won’t go easy on any of you.”

Tyler felt hopeless. Hearing Stephanie speak with such certainty, the despair in his eyes deepened.

“Stephanie—” Tyler whispered, his voice shaky.

Stephanie narrowed her eyes and cut him off. “From the moment you and Chris teamed up with Phantom X to take me down, all the power and wealth you thought you had? It was always gonna fall apart. It was just a matter of time.”

Tyler’s heart felt like it stopped. Her words hit him like a punch to the gut. The final blow was harsh and deep. Now, he understood why she had been so cold and ruthless with them all this time. His mouth opened, but no words came out. Then he said weakly, “Y—You knew all along.”

“Of course, I knew,” she snapped. “Why? You think I’m as clueless as you? You didn’t even see when you were being played?”

Stephanie knew it all, and the more she knew, the colder and harder her heart became. Tyler stayed silent, feeling his heart sink even further. He had come here with a plan, thinking he could beg her. But now, after hearing her cold, ruthless response, all his pleas shattered. He couldn’t speak. ‘I can’t beg her anymore. Stephanie knows everything. What can I say now?’ he thought.

But thinking about his mom, Tyler swallowed his pride and tried again. “She gave birth to you.”

Before he could finish, a cold voice cut through the air behind him. “Stefi, we need to go.” It was Sebastian.

Stephanie turned, flashing a sweet smile at him. “I’ll be right there.” When she turned back to face Tyler, the smile was gone. Her expression was stone-cold, and Tyler could feel the chill.

She spoke again, her voice colder than ever. “I’m not responsible for your family. You and your mom gave up on me, remember?”

“All those things you said? Do you really think you can take them back, Mr. Hart?” she asked. “Can you?” she asked again, her voice sharp. It was clear that he couldn’t.

Shocked, Tyler thought, ‘Can’t take them back. So what now?’ Before he could say anything, Stephanie turned and walked toward Sebastian. He reached out a hand to her, and without hesitation, she placed hers in his. Sebastian’s grip was nothing special—just a normal gesture. But to Tyler, it was a clear sign of how much Sebastian cherished her. She was a treasure in Sebastian’s heart.

Tyler couldn’t believe it. The Stephanie the Hart family had once looked down on was now the most prized…