Chapter 76

The words "What's wrong with your..." struck Catlin hard.

"That woman already paid the price," Catlin retorted. "She's dead. Isn't that enough?"

"Not enough!" Stephanie spat, the cruelty palpable. "She died to atone for what she did to me, but Olivia still needs to atone for her own sins."

"She didn't do anything! Why don't you believe the car accident was an accident?" Catlin nearly exploded, hating that Stephanie constantly invoked the past incident involving Olivia.

"Refuse to sever ties? Fine," Stephanie said, rising and heading for the door. Catlin blocked her path. "Where are you going? We're not done!"

"What do you want? What right do you have to demand an explanation?" Stephanie retorted. She dialed Elliot's number. "Terminate all legal ties between me and the Harts," she said, then hung up.

Catlin gasped. "Who did you call? Terminate what?" An ominous premonition washed over her. Stephanie glared, shoving past her. "Jennifer, escort Mrs. Hart out—politeness optional."

Catlin’s anger throbbed. Is this the daughter I bore? Treated like this? Jennifer arrived. "Mrs. Hart, would you prefer to leave with some dignity, or shall I show you out?"

Catlin glared, her mind buzzing.

Soon, her harsh words toward Stephanie backfired. On the way to the hospital, Chad called. "You confronted Stephanie again?"

"Yes," Catlin said. "She's not the simpleton we thought. She earned over two million dollars last year! No wonder she shrugged off our financial cuts."

Chad rubbed his temples, ignoring her rant. He knew the blow they'd suffered. "Whatever she asks for, agree to it."

"What do you mean?" Catlin couldn't process his abrupt statement. Stephanie reduced me to this, and now I must agree to her every demand?

"Half an hour ago, I got a call," Chad explained. "If we don't meet her demands, the company will be shut down."

"You believe that?" Catlin questioned. Who in Long Harbor could threaten them? She'd just left Stephanie's office thirty minutes ago.

"Believe it? In those thirty minutes, two partners canceled deals!" Chad said. Those partners were crucial to the Hart Group. Losing two major projects in half an hour indicated a powerful adversary.

Catlin was shocked. "You mean… this happened because I went to see Stephanie and refused her demands?"

"They named her directly. Isn't it obvious?"

Catlin was speechless. "What did she ask for?"

"To cut all ties with us! How can I agree?" Catlin thought Stephanie's call a bluff, but clearly, it wasn't.

A girl making millions a year? Powerful backers, no doubt. But how she did it… Catlin’s heart ached. How could my daughter do this?

Chad’s breath hitched. "She really said that?"

"Or what? What else would she want?" Catlin wished Stephanie wanted money, jewelry—anything negotiable. If she wanted those things—as long as Allison and Marco treated Olivia Hart's condition—Catlin would agree! But severing all ties?

Catlin was enraged. Chad growled, "What did you fight about this time?" His tone blamed her. That threatening call was real—the caller could destroy the Hart Group.

"She made two million dollars last year! I had to know how!" Catlin exclaimed. "She's my daughter. I won't let her disgrace herself."

"So you just… asked her?" Chad asked.

"What else?"

"You…" He choked on rage. Catlin always provoked Stephanie with harsh words. Raised away from them, her temper was a mystery. Harsh tactics wouldn't work.

"How many times must I say—be patient!" Chad pleaded.

"Patient? After Cloudridge Valley, you cut off her cards!" Catlin countered. Neither could persuade the other.

"Enough! Fix this now," Chad demanded.

"How? She doesn't answer my calls or see me." And her attitude!

"If this isn't handled, I'm afraid your title as Mrs. Hart will be over."

Furious, he slammed the phone down. A corporate crisis over his daughter. Chad called Chris. Hearing the Hart Corporation's fate was tied to Stephanie, Chris realized the weight of it. The man who broke his wrist—could he be capable of crippling two major projects in thirty minutes? Who on earth was this man?

"Chris, your father's already hostile toward me. Now…" The Ashford family was already unhappy with him; this made it worse. Chad felt his life had become unbearable.

"I'll handle it," Chris said, the line going dead. Chris glanced at his cast. His tone grew colder. "Still haven't found out who that man is?" he asked Kevin.

Kevin broke into a cold sweat. "The forces behind her have been blocking us. We haven't found anything." To this day, they didn't even know the man's name.