Chapter 123

The office air crackled with tension. Stephanie silently observed Sebastian's back; Chris and Sebastian locked eyes, their hostility palpable. Chris's gaze sharpened as he challenged Sebastian. "Do you even know who she is? Can you handle her lifestyle?" The insinuation stung. Normally, Stephanie would have retorted, but she was focused on Sebastian. This was a conversation they usually avoided, but now that it was out in the open, she needed an answer.

"What about her lifestyle?" Sebastian's voice was dangerously low.

Chris pressed, "She has more than one man. She has me, her fiancé. Doesn't that bother you?"

"Does it bother you?"

Chris fell silent. Of course, it bothered him! He wanted to shake Stephanie, to obliterate every other man in her life. He didn't understand why he cared so much; it wasn't his business, as Stephanie had said. Yet, now he even wanted to tear Sebastian apart.

Seeing Chris's hesitation, Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "It bothers you?"

Chris remained speechless. Sebastian's eyes narrowed further. "One man is in the hospital, heartbroken, and you're here obsessing over the past. You're a greedy one, Chris."

Chris's breath hitched. He hadn't expected Sebastian to turn the tables. What did he mean? Did he not care about Stephanie's other men? If he didn't care about them… did that mean he didn't care about her? Chris glanced at Stephanie, confusion swirling.

Before Chris could respond, Stephanie said to Sebastian, "Wait here for me. We can grab some Mexican food later, okay?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Did I give you permission to eat spicy food?"

Stephanie sighed inwardly. Right, as long as this guy's around, I'll never eat my favorite food. "Then wait here, and you can take me to eat something else?" she offered.

Sebastian didn't reply, simply settling onto a nearby sofa. Stephanie approached Chris, who looked about to explode. Their casual interaction made his blood boil.

"Come on," Stephanie said, "I'll walk Mr. Ashford out."

The formality, the clear distance she created, made Chris glare at her. He shifted his gaze to Sebastian, still seething.

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "What? You gonna pretend your leg or hand is broken again?"

Chris's face darkened, thunderous. But seeing the cold steel in Sebastian's waistband, he spun on his heel and stormed out. How could that man carry a gun so casually in Long Harbor? Who was he? Anger and bewilderment warred in Chris's mind.

Stephanie saw him to the ground floor. Chris turned to her, his lips moving, the questions he wanted to hurl at her caught in his throat. Finally, he said, "Break it off with those other men, and I'll marry you." He declared this with determination.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. "You'll marry me? Why?" Honestly, Chris's sudden change of heart baffled her. He was already furious; Stephanie's words only fueled his rage. "Why all the fuss? You're my fiancée. Marrying you is my duty."

Stephanie was speechless. Duty? Oh my god! She groaned internally. "Chris, are you still living in the Dark Ages? Did you get a tiny brain?"