Chapter 188

Chris's expression darkened. His eyes darted toward the car, catching only its disappearing taillights. He recognized it instantly—the same car Stephanie had entered earlier with that man.

"That guy lives here, too?"

Kevin hesitated. "Pretty much." With such tight security, only authorized individuals could gain access.

Chris's breathing grew ragged, his face stormy. "Don't tell me... that guy owns this place?"

Witnessing the security's deference to the car, Kevin replied, "Looks that way."

An icy silence filled the car.

"But wasn't he supposed to be some sixty-six-year-old geezer?" Chris practically roared.

Kevin flinched. The paperwork had listed the owner as a fifty-eight-year-old man.

Fuming, Chris pulled out his phone and dialed Stephanie. The call went straight to voicemail; she had blocked him. His rage intensified, finding no outlet.

At the same time, a major scandal erupted in Long Harbor. By 3 PM, several hashtags dominated the trending lists: #TheHartsDisownTheirDaughter, #StephanieIsNoLongerAHarts, #MrsHartsOfficiallyCutsTies, #BiologicalDaughterOutAdoptedDaughterIn. The entire city buzzed with the news.

Chris was overwhelmed, and Catlin fared no better. Her phone incessantly rang—socialites and acquaintances, feigning concern while barely concealing their mockery. Furious, Catlin nearly lost control. She frantically tried to reach Stephanie.

Finally, she connected. "Hello?"

"Stephanie, how could you do this? You wanted to cut ties, and now you're making us look like the villains?" Catlin fumed. "You tricked me into signing with Macro and Allison, deceived me, and now you're painting me as the heartless one?"

Catlin launched into a tirade, convinced she was the victim. Stephanie, still half-asleep, lazily replied, "And you're righteous?"

"You–!" Catlin nearly exploded. "Tell me, what do you want? What did I ever do to deserve this?" Regret flooded her. If she'd known Stephanie would turn out this way, she never would have brought her back. Who cared if she had no biological daughter? Stephanie could have remained wherever she was for all she cared.

"This is about money, isn't it?" Catlin snapped, her breath catching. This chaos suggested desperation, a need to extort money from the family. That had to be it.

Catlin's voice sharpened. "If you need money, just say it. Or is it your family? Do they want money? Do you even think for yourself? Those people aren't related to you by blood, and yet you're trying to drag them along to drain the Harts dry?"

Her fury blinded her to the facts—Stephanie's business generated millions annually, and she wore a necklace worth over thirty million. Catlin convinced herself there was only one explanation.

"You people must be starving!"

Stephanie listened calmly, letting Catlin rant.