Chapter 193

When the Giovanni family's downfall forced Valentina to leave, she hadn't wanted to take anything with her for Snowball. But knowing she couldn't predict what lay ahead, she hadn't wanted the little fox to suffer.

"She's doing great," Sebastian reassured her, gently ruffling the soft fur.

The peaceful atmosphere of the bay felt worlds apart from the chaos unfolding before them in Long Harbor, especially for Fred. After much effort, he'd finally obtained the contact information for the heir of the Lucanos. Upon reaching out, the response left him stunned into silence. Even Grace was at a complete loss.

"They really said that?"

"Yeah, just one sentence—'Your son's education comes first!' Then they hung up."

His son's education? What did that even mean?

Grace frowned. "What does this have to do with Chris? He hasn't even met them yet. How could he have offended them already?"

She was frustrated, but since the other party held the key to what they needed, she knew better than to push too hard.

Fred's face darkened. "Call Chris. Tell him to get his ass back here. Now."

No wonder the kid had been avoiding a meeting with the Lucas family's heir. Had he already messed things up? If that were the case, Fred was going to make him pay for it.

Grace turned to the assistant. "Call the young master. Now!"

They needed answers before tomorrow—before the Lucano family signed that contract. If they didn't straighten this out tonight, the risk to Ashford was obvious. Even Grace, who had always favored her son, was livid.

Meanwhile, Chris was still agonizing over his failed attempt to buy Whispering Bay when the call from home came in.

"Not coming back," he said flatly.

"Chris Ashford, you've got some nerve!" Grace snapped over the phone. "Get your ass home right now!"

"Mom—"

"You know damn well what's at stake tonight. If we screw this up with the Lucano family, you know what happens next." Her voice was laced with warning. "And don't forget about the ten men stationed outside Olivia's hospital room. They're not just there for show."

Chris clenched his phone tighter at his mother's veiled threat.

Chapter 193 (Continued)

After a long pause, he swallowed his frustration and gave in. "Got it. I'm on my way."

Hanging up, a dull ache settled in his head. He instinctively tried calling Stephanie again, only to be met with silence. The line was dead. He never imagined things would come to this—where he couldn't even reach her.

As they neared the Ashford estate, Chris, who had been silent the whole ride, finally spoke. "How long do you think she's known that man?"

Kevin hesitated. "Probably not long. Miss Giovanni never had much of a social life before." But even as he said it, doubt crept in. They had always assumed Stephanie was just a nobody, surviving off the Harts' scraps. Yet, she owned a business pulling in over two hundred thousand a year—how could she possibly have no social connections? At the very least, she wasn't as simple as they had thought.

"The guy owns Whispering Bay. He's not just some random nobody," Kevin added. "Maybe they were business partners before?"

Chris scoffed. "Business partners turning into lovers?" His voice was ice-cold.

Kevin's lips twitched. "...Or maybe they were lovers all along?"