Chapter 538

Am I really that gullible? Just a few nice words and she thinks I’ll call her Mom? Well, I guess Catlin never really tried to win me over, Stephanie thought.

Ever since she arrived in Long Harbor, Olivia’s behavior had been so strange—always pulling some stunt or another. Even when Stephanie was in the hospital for two months, Catlin would only drop by every few days. She’d only stay for about ten minutes and leave. Catlin’s attempts at being a mom were nothing like how Lottie did it. From the very start, Stephanie never considered Catlin her mom, and there was no way that was going to change.

Stephanie snuggled into Lottie’s arms again. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Lottie heard that and felt a little better. She hugged Stephanie more tightly, humming. “Well, that’s good,” she said in a proud tone.

If Stephanie had really called someone else “Mom,” Lottie wouldn’t have been happy. And if she started calling Catlin “Mom” and the Hart family kept treating her that way, Lottie would make sure to deal with them with no mercy.

Stephanie wrapped her arms around Lottie. “Mom, I missed you so much.”

“Miss me? Why didn’t you just come back?” Lottie’s voice became a little more serious when she talked about her coming back.

Lottie, even when she was younger, had never gone through anything like what Stephanie did. The accident three years ago still haunted her. She lost her husband. Giovanni Group fell into chaos, and Sofia was kidnapped along with her. Stephanie vanished without a trace.

Her reproach faded away, and all she could say was, “You’re back. That’s what matters.”

After everything they’d been through, having the family back together was the most important thing.

After the two of them had been hugging for ten minutes, Sebastian couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward. “Alright, no more hugging.”

“You brat.” Lottie shot Sebastian a glare, not ready to let go yet.

Sebastian gently pulled Stephanie from her arms. “Stefi’s hungry.”

Stephanie realized she hadn’t eaten in a while.

When Lottie heard that Stephanie was hungry, she gasped, “So, you’re hungry, huh?”

“I heard you haven’t been eating well lately.” Lottie’s eyes dropped to Stephanie’s still-flat stomach. Her gaze softened, and she smiled warmly. “Good, you know when you’re hungry. If not, that’d be a real problem.”

“And it’s not just you suffering—your little baby would be, too,” Lottie added.

When Stephanie heard “little baby,” her heart skipped a beat. Still in Sebastian’s arms, she threw herself back into Lottie’s embrace. “Mom,” she said, her voice trembling.

She realized Lottie didn’t blame her. All the worries she had back in Long Harbor faded away at that moment.

12:44 Wed, 2 Apr Chapter 538

“Why are you crying again? Stop that. You’re not a little kid anymore.” Lottie chuckled, thinking crying was for kids.

Stephanie sniffled. “I thought you’d be mad at me.”

She’d been worried Lottie wouldn’t understand, especially after everything that happened with Sebastian. Lottie had always treated her so well, and that was why Stephanie had hidden her feelings for Sebastian for so long.

Living in Long Harbor, she’d seen a lot. Catlin spoiled Olivia, but she never tried to force anything between Olivia and Tyler. So, Stephanie had convinced herself that her relationship with Sebastian would never be accepted.

“Why would I be mad at you? This is good, right?” Lottie sighed. “I used to worry about you.”

“You were always so fragile. If you grew up and married into another family, you’d get treated unfairly. What then?” Lottie said.