Chapter 527

“You…” Stephanie snapped, growing anxious. Lorenzo gave her a cold stare and said, his voice sharp and firm, “You can’t take her.”

Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Lorenzo, why…”

“She might be involved with Dark Portal,” Lorenzo said.

Stephanie thought, ‘Dark Portal?’ Hearing that name made her heart skip a beat. She wasn’t unfamiliar with it. Two years ago, Richard had somehow been caught up with Dark Portal. It was because of that connection that she had worried the situation would cause Sebastian serious trouble. That was why she had left, just as Richard asked her to.

Now, when Lorenzo mentioned Dark Portal, Stephanie’s face went pale. But when it came to Ella, she shook her head. “No, she can’t be involved with Dark Portal.”

Lorenzo’s eyes stayed cold as he looked at her. “Whether she’s involved or not, we’ll have to wait until the investigation is over to know for sure.”

Stephanie went silent. Lorenzo picked up a glass of water from the nightstand and took a sip. He was sitting on the bed, and every movement he made gave off an unmistakable vibe of danger.

Stephanie opened her mouth to say something. Bernard, seeing how things were going, quickly stepped in. “Stephanie, let’s talk. Lorenzo’s tired, and he needs to rest.”

“She really isn’t involved with Dark Portal,” Stephanie insisted.

“I know you trust her,” Bernard said, “but trust and the truth aren’t the same thing.” As he spoke, he gently nudged Stephanie toward the door and began guiding her downstairs.

Stephanie wasn’t backing down. “I’m taking Ella with me.”

Back in Long Harbor, Ella would call her crying three times a day. It was clear Ella was terrified. If Ella stayed with Lorenzo, things could get even worse. To Stephanie, it seemed like Ella was completely dumbfounded. When someone was confused, their actions could spiral out of control. Anything Ella did right now was bound to go wrong.

But no matter how determined Stephanie was, it didn’t change anything for Lorenzo’s people. Bernard was firm as he said, “You can’t take her.”

When Stephanie heard that, she snapped. She yanked her arm out of Bernard’s grip and started heading back upstairs. “I’m done talking to you. I’ll go talk to Lorenzo.”

She knew nothing would change with Bernard. Everything depended on Lorenzo’s say-so. But as soon as she turned, Bernard grabbed her arm again. “Talking to Lorenzo won’t help. This is his decision. We’ll talk about taking her once we have more answers, okay?”

It was Lorenzo’s call. So no matter what Stephanie said, she couldn’t take Ella today.

Chapter 527

Stephanie was getting desperate. “How long is this going to take?”

“That’s hard to say,” Bernard answered.

Stephanie thought, Hard to say? Why don’t they just scare Ella to death already? Once Ella’s gone, everything will be easier. “Let me make this clear,” she said. “I’m taking her today.”

Bernard shook his head. “You really can’t take her.”

They went back and forth, with one insisting and the other refusing.

Ella, who was sitting in the living room, heard their argument. Her nose twitched, and before she knew it, tears started streaming down her face. She had always believed that once Stephanie came back, she’d finally be free of these crazy people. Now, Stephanie couldn’t even take her away. The thought crushed her, and she started sobbing uncontrollably.

The sudden sound of her crying made both Stephanie and Bernard stop. They turned their attention to Ella. Stephanie’s heart ached at the sight. She quickly turned and rushed downstairs toward Ella. “Ella, don’t worry. I’m taking you today, I promise.”

Bernard stepped forward. “You really can’t take her.”

At that, Ella burst into tears again.

Stephanie snapped, “Shut up.”