Chapter 140

Chris's mind went completely blank. He stared at Stephanie, eyes blazing with anger, his lips parting as if to speak, but nothing came out. Stephanie glanced at him, then at the box in her hand containing a giant diamond ring. For a second, she thought she was hallucinating. But no—it was real.

Wait a minute… What's wrong with Jackson? This was supposed to be an apology gift. Who uses an engagement ring to say sorry? Was Jackson seriously that clueless? Did he not know what a ring like this meant? Or…? No. No way. No halfway functional human being would think giving a ring like that was normal. So the only explanation was—Jackson was so out of touch, he didn't even know what a proposal ring symbolized.

"Stephanie Giovanni!" Chris's roar shook the room.

Stephanie shot him an unimpressed look. "Are you okay? Why are you yelling at me? So what if he proposed? What's it to you?" Her ears were still ringing. This man was completely unhinged. He knew damn well she barely knew Jackson. Somehow, his brain still connected those imaginary dots and jumped straight to a proposal. Incredible.

Chris's chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. "Well, isn't that nice. No wonder you had the guts to break off our engagement and cut ties with the Hart family. Guess you've got some serious backup now."

"Damn right I do. Got a problem with that? What, mad you can't screw me over anymore?"

Honestly, that's exactly what was eating him, and the rest of the Harts, too. They'd been waiting for her to hit rock bottom, to crawl back begging for mercy. But instead? She didn't just survive, she thrived. And now, standing right behind her, was power they couldn't comprehend; she kept landing on her feet. For weeks, Chris had been digging into her life, trying to figure out what—or who—blocked his path. On top of that, there were always men hovering around her.

How many secrets was Stephanie Giovanni hiding? Right then, it finally hit Chris—he had never understood Stephanie, not even once. She walked over to the window, looking down at the street below. Cars streamed by like ants, too small to care about.

Her smile sharpened into something almost wicked. "So what's the plan now? Cut off my cards? Shut down my studio?"

"Let me guess, you want me broke and homeless, begging Olivia for forgiveness? Maybe cry a little, so you'll turn back on and save me from starving?" Every word dripped with mockery.

Chris's face twisted. That was exactly what they'd been trying to do. But hearing her say it out loud made him feel like absolute garbage.

"Don't drag Olivia into this," he snapped. "This is your mess. Own it."

Stephanie tilted her head. "My mess? What exactly did I do?"

Chris's mouth opened, but nothing came out. Stephanie's smile didn't waver. "Back when this all started, I hadn't done a damn thing."

Chris's chest tightened. She went on, calm but relentless. "At the time, you didn't know I owned my place at Cloudridge Valley. You didn't know about my studio, either. So tell me, what crime did I commit that made you all decide I had to be destroyed?"

Chris was furious—no surprise there. But to Stephanie, that anger was just the same old story. They tried everything. They threw the whole damn book at her. And none of it worked. That's what really pissed them off.

Chris's breath hitched. "Cut the crap."

Stephanie leaned back, arms crossed, cool as ever. "Oh? Sure. Then why don't you tell me, what exactly are you doing here?"

Chris's chest tightened. Right. Why was he here? For a second, he completely blanked. Damn it. This woman had a talent—pissing him off so badly his brain stopped working.

Stephanie's smile curled up at the edges. "Lemme guess, Whispering Bay?"

The second she said it, Chris felt his chest seize up. That was exactly why he came. He promised Olivia they'd move in within a week of leaving the hospital. He even painted her this whole picture—waking up to the sunrise over the water, falling asleep to sunsets, the sound of waves right outside their window. Now it was already day three, and they still didn't have the damn house. The thought alone left Chris struggling to breathe.

"So you've been staying there this whole time?" He'd already checked—Stephanie hadn't been back to Cloudridge Valley at all.