Chapter 512

In the break room, Sebastian gently laid Stephanie down on the bed. Just as he was about to get up, he noticed her small hand still gripping the edge of his shirt. A slight smile crossed his face. There was something oddly comforting about being needed like this. It felt familiar. He carefully pried her hand off, tucked the blanket around her, and made sure she was comfortable before walking out of the break room.

Macro was waiting outside. As soon as he saw Sebastian, frustration was written all over his face. Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Maybe you should stay a bit longer—”

“No.” Macro cut him off quickly, not letting him finish.

“Then what’s with that look? Don’t you want to stay longer in that place?” Sebastian teased.

Speechless, Macro thought to himself, ‘What? Do I look like I want to stay longer? That place? If anyone wants to go, let them. I’m trying to avoid it, not stay there. Why would I want more time there?’

“Can’t someone else go instead?” Macro grumbled. He knew exactly why Sebastian was sending him. The so-called exile was just a story for the outsiders, but still, Macro didn’t think the situation was as bad as it seemed. Sure, there were some problems, but nothing worth panicking over.

Sebastian moved to the couch, and a flight attendant appeared with a tray, handing him a glass of his favorite red wine. Macro grabbed one for himself, too.

Sebastian said, “We can’t put this off. Make sure you hurry and handle the matter.”

Hearing that, Macro knew he had no choice but to go. He nodded and grumbled, “Fine, but just this once. Don’t send me to that kind of rough place next time.”

Sebastian smirked. “That depends on how you handle it.”

Macro thought to himself, ‘Handle it? You mean my medical skills?’

“Come on. I wasn’t thinking about it earlier,” he muttered. “Plus, I didn’t know you’d be in such a rush.”

Sebastian fell silent for a second.

“I know you’d never let Stefi get pregnant before marriage and deal with all that public judgment,” Macro added.

People’s words can be cruel. Some people just can’t help but speak trash.

Sebastian said with a snorting laugh, “Who would dare?”

At that, Macro thought, ‘Yeah, no one would dare.’ With all the chaos happening in Long Harbor lately, it was obvious that anyone who messed with Stephanie would have to face Sebastian’s wrath. The Hart family had fallen.

Chapter 512

Meanwhile, the Ashford family wasn’t in a good situation. After chatting with Stephanie, Claire headed home. As soon as she walked in, she went straight for Chris. Without warning, she kicked him in the stomach. The pain was so sudden and intense that Chris couldn’t catch his breath for a moment.

“Claire, you crazy woman, just wait and see how you’ll ever get married!” he gasped. The force of her kick could’ve easily been called abuse. Chris remembered how their mom used to worry Claire might end up in an abusive marriage. But honestly, in Chris’s mind, at least Claire wasn’t the one getting hurt.

Holding his stomach in pain, he grimaced and stood up. “What the hell is your problem now?”

‘Damn! We barely see each other for months, and as soon as we do, she starts kicking me. Other people’s siblings must have it so good with their smooth relationships. As for us? It feels like we’ve been fighting forever,’ he thought.

On the way back, Claire had been furious, but when she got home, Chris wasn’t even around. ‘Now with all the drama in the Ashford family, he’s off god knows where, just wasting time,’ she thought, her anger rising. Finally, after everything that had been building up, her anger exploded the moment she found him.

Hearing his curses and insults, she didn’t hold back and kicked him again in anger.

“Damn it. You think I won’t hit you, huh?” Chris yelled, glaring at her. Usually calm and collected, this time, Sebastian had completely lost his cool when it came to Claire.

Claire, still seething, heard Chris’s words and tried to kick him again. This time, Chris managed to dodge the kick.

“Claire, you crazy bitch, what the hell is wrong with you?” he snapped.

‘She attacks me as soon as she comes back? At least tell me why,’ he thought, feeling defeated.

Claire scoffed, her voice cutting. “I’m the crazy one? You’re the one who’s crazy! I told you from the start that girl was insane. You’re already dumb enough to fall for her, and now you’re ready to kill for her?”

As soon as Claire finished speaking, Grace slowly made her way down the stairs. She was still weak, having just come back from the hospital. Hearing Claire’s words made her lose her balance, and she stumbled down a few steps. Her face went pale, and she gasped for air. “Killing someone? Who’s he trying to kill?” she asked.

“Claire,” Chris barked, his tone sharp. It was clear he wanted her to stop talking. He had completely cut ties with Olivia. He only wanted to know how Claire caught the wind of it.

Claire let out a cold laugh. “Now you’re scared? Let me ask you something. Who the hell is Phantom X?”

“Ph—Phantom X?” Grace stammered, her face drained of color.

Chapter 513