Monday, March 10

Chapter 149

Sebastian's sudden question made Stephanie's heart skip a beat. Without thinking, she blurted, "Yeah." The second the word left her mouth, her face burned.

On the other end, Sebastian chuckled low and lazy, "Good girl. So… can I have Mexican food tonight?"

"Huh?"

This little brat. One second she missed me, the next she's thinking about food?

Stephanie gave a tiny, hesitant smile. "It's been forever." Since moving to Long Harbor, spicy food had become her guilty pleasure. At first, it was a distraction—a way to drown out homesickness for Fiorenza. But after a while, it became an insatiable craving. Back in Fiorenza, Sebastian never let her touch anything too spicy, saying it would upset her stomach. Back then, she didn't care. But once she got a taste? Game over.

Sebastian sighed, half annoyed, half amused. "Fine. But no takeout. I'll have the chef make it." That was as far as he'd bend. The man was obsessed with her diet ever since she'd landed in the hospital twice as a child due to bad food. With him, every bite had to pass inspection.

The second he said yes, Stephanie grinned. "You're the best."

"Speaking of," Sebastian's tone shifted, "what's your plan for the Harts?"

That so-called little stash they'd been talking about earlier? Sure, it wasn't much, but over the years, Olivia and the rest of the Harts had milked every penny, rubbing it in Stephanie's face. Sebastian had no intention of letting that go. And as for the Harts themselves…

Stephanie could hear the unspoken question. He was giving her a chance to decide. She thought for a second, then smiled faintly. "Every minute they have to deal with me already feels like hell." And that wasn't an exaggeration. Olivia's treatment relied entirely on Marco and Allison—two people the Harts believed were completely under Stephanie's thumb. Knowing that alone was enough to make Olivia's skin crawl.

Sebastian laughed softly. "So you're not done playing with them?"

Chapter 142

"Please," Stephanie said, casually. "They're torturing themselves just fine without me." Besides, it was obvious Sebastian already had his hands all over their money. By the time he was through, the Harts would be fighting over scraps.

Hearing Stephanie's disinterest, Sebastian's smile practically came through the phone. "Good girl. I'll tell the chef to make you a proper feast tonight."

"Looking forward to it."

Chris was fuming. The second he got in the car, he lit up a cigarette, chain-smoking. From the driver's seat, Kevin kept quiet, sneaking glances at Chris in the mirror. Between the Shallow Bay Area situation and everything else blowing up, their team was barely holding it together. And Whispering Bay? It was driving them insane. They dug and dug, and all they found was a 58-year-old man who'd signed the paperwork. Beyond that? Nothing. No address, no background, no current location—just a ghost.

Chris took a hard drag, smoke burning his throat. "You think she ever actually cared about me?"

Kevin nearly swerved. "What?" The question came out of nowhere. Kevin had no idea what Chris meant by "she." Stephanie? And even if she did—or didn't—did it really matter anymore?

Chris closed his eyes, exhaling slowly, his demeanor dark and tense. "So damn cold."

Kevin glanced back. "Want me to grab a blanket?" There was one in the car, but Chris wasn't talking about the temperature—he meant Stephanie. The way she looked at him now, like he was a stranger wasting her time. Kevin clearly didn't understand.

Chris chuckled. "Tell me something, why the hell do you think she even agreed to marry me?"

Kevin's hands tightened on the wheel. That question came out of nowhere, but it explained everything.

Chapter 142

Stephanie had always kept her distance—cool, polite, untouchable. And now that Olivia was back, that coolness had turned to ice. It was obvious that whatever reason Stephanie had for agreeing to the engagement, love wasn't it. So why did she even agree to marry Chris in the first place?

Kevin thought for a second before answering. "Honestly? I don't think Stephanie is as simple as you, Chris, and the Harts think. You all thought you had her figured out—a spoiled girl with no skills and a pretty face. But I never bought that. Her studio pulled in over two million dollars last year. That didn't happen by accident. If she was really just some clueless socialite, no amount of rich men could have carried her that far."

Chris snorted. "Please. You know what she's good at? Wrapping men around her little finger."

Kevin said nothing.

Chapter 143