Chapter 192

During dinner, Stephanie barely finished her first bowl before Sebastian signaled for the staff to remove her plate. She looked at him, full of grievance. "Sebastian..." Her large, pleading eyes practically begged for mercy. Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Funny, you never eat this obediently in the morning."

It was true. She had terrible eating habits—barely touching breakfast, eating decently at lunch, but her appetite would skyrocket at night. Stephanie hesitated. "But I—" "No more," Sebastian cut her off.

Pouting, she slumped in her chair. Sebastian looked at her indulgently, then stood, taking her hand. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

Stephanie sighed dramatically. "Fine..." She still wanted more to eat, but it wasn't her fault—she always got hungrier at night.

Just as they reached the door, Elliot approached, his expression serious. Sebastian released Stephanie's hand. "I'll check out the back."

"Something there?"

"Yeah, something fun."

Stephanie narrowed her eyes. Fun? The last time someone said that, she'd been dragged on a fishing trip—fun for Sebastian, perhaps, but definitely not for her. Still, seeing Elliot's serious expression, she knew something was amiss. She wisely stepped away, giving them space.

Once Stephanie was out of earshot, Sebastian asked, "Something happening with Fred?"

"Yes. His butler contacted us; he wants to meet you."

"And did you pass along my message?"

"Yes."

Sebastian smirked. "Then I guess the Ashfords are in for a long night."

Elliot nodded. "And the Harts are scrambling, too. They were up all night in a meeting, still haven't found a way out."

Sebastian chuckled. "They've had it too easy for too long; they got too cocky."

Elliot agreed. "If they had treated Stefi with even a shred of decency, things wouldn't have come to this." Indeed, they chose to make her life miserable. Even Jackson had grown weary of the Ashfords and Harts running unchecked.

Sebastian strode toward the door. "Fred's desperate now. Make sure we keep the pressure on."

"Yes, sir," Elliot replied. "Understood," he added, already picturing Fred's fury upon discovering his son's involvement in this mess.

Out in the backyard, Stephanie's eyes lit up at the sight of fluffy rabbits. She scooped one up, cradling it. "Oh my god, you're so soft!" she cooed, petting it.

Stephanie loved fluffy pets, but she'd never owned one in Long Harbor—she lacked confidence in caring for them and didn't want to risk it. The only pet she'd ever had was a little fox back in Fiorenza.

She nodded eagerly. "So soft, so fluffy... Can we take them back to Fiorenza with us?"

"Of course." He knew what she meant. If she couldn't properly care for them, she wouldn't get attached. If he'd said no, she'd be heartbroken. As expected, her face lit up upon his confirmation. "They're so cute! All round and squishy."

She suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and what about Snowball? Is she doing okay?" Snowball was the little white fox Sebastian had given her for her fifteenth birthday—a gift she treasured above all else.

Chapter 193