Chapter 195

They were back to square one. If he had never even seen the Lucanos heir, how had he offended him?

Grace and Fred exchanged a sharp look. "Could it be… because of Olivia?"

Both men fell silent, their heads snapping toward her. Chris's face darkened.

"If I remember correctly," Grace continued, "Olivia and the Lucanos heir arrived in Long Harbor around the same time." Olivia had barely returned before the heir appeared. Was there a connection?

Chris stiffened. Fred glared at him, frustration evident.

"It's got nothing to do with Olivia," Chris insisted.

"Shut the hell up!" Fred barked, his glare intensifying.

Chris started to protest, but Fred cut him off. "Get in touch with his assistant."

Grace's reminder had struck a nerve. The Hart family had certainly outdone themselves—raising a veritable femme fatale.

Dismissing the butler, Fred ordered, "Tell him I'll personally send Olivia over."

"Father!" Chris exclaimed, his expression darkening.

The butler nodded. "Understood."

Fred ignored Chris's protest, throwing him a sharp warning glance before heading upstairs. Chris tried to follow, but Grace stopped him. "If you want Olivia to stay alive, you'd better back off."

This was a critical juncture for the Ashford family—life or death was no exaggeration. Olivia had never been approved of, and Chris's recent involvement had pushed Grace to her limit. If Fred was intervening personally, it was time to cut ties.

Holding her dog, Grace left.

"Mom," Chris called.

She paused, then looked back. "Chris, that man holds our biggest weakness in his hands." The unspoken message was clear—this was a battle they couldn't afford to fight.

Chris clenched his jaw. "And if this isn't about Olivia?" Panic flared in his chest. Olivia's health was too fragile for this.

Grace didn't respond, either unwilling or uninterested in further argument. She simply walked away, her dog nestled in her arms.

Frustration boiled over, and Chris kicked the coffee table. A sharp crack and searing pain shot up his leg.

Stephanie ate little that evening. By 10:30 PM, hunger kept her tossing and turning. She finally gave up on sleep and crept downstairs to find something to eat—only to freeze at the sight of Sebastian in the living room. Elliot was there too.

She had just reached the staircase when she heard Elliot say, "Sir, Fred Ashford's butler called. He said they're sending Olivia over to you."

Stephanie stumbled, nearly falling down the stairs. Only quick reflexes grabbing the railing prevented a face-plant.

Hearing the commotion, Sebastian turned and saw her clinging to the banister, shaken. His gaze darkened as he set aside his laptop and approached her. Without hesitation, he scooped her up. "Seriously? You're a grown woman, and you still trip over your own feet?"

Stephanie pouted. "Not my fault!" Elliot's words were shocking. And why were the Ashfords sending Olivia to Sebastian? Were they trying to leverage something? A seduction ploy? If so, could they at least choose someone better?