Chapter 224

After Steve left, Chris's face darkened ominously. Kevin glanced at him, opened his mouth, but found himself speechless. Fred's furious departure was entirely justified. With the Lucano Group's ore now their only viable alternative, that path was irrevocably blocked. The Ashford Group teetered on the brink of disaster.

Chris closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and hissed, "Stephanie!" He hadn't expected the Lucano Group's heir to protect her. Kevin felt a jolt at Chris's tone; Steve's words clearly implied a connection between Stephanie and the current crisis. After a moment's reflection, Kevin reminded Chris, "The Hart Group is also in serious trouble, supposedly linked to Skyriver Travel."

Chris turned, glancing at Kevin. "Skyriver Travel?"

"The company that paid Miss Giovanni several million," Kevin explained. Last year, Stephanie's seven-million-dollar income included over six million from Skyriver Travel. Her other collaborations yielded only a few hundred thousand—typical earnings for an ordinary studio. Yet, her partnership with Skyriver Travel propelled her studio to the top in Long Harbor.

Remembering their attempt to blacklist Stephanie's studio and their subsequent rebuke by Skyriver Travel, a flush of anger returned to Chris's face. He sneered, "This has something to do with Stephanie, doesn't it?"

Kevin nodded silently; the connection was undeniable. "Who runs Skyriver Travel?" Chris asked.

"Job Hogg, a foreigner."

Chris froze. No wonder Hogg, unfamiliar with Long Harbor's intricacies, dared to openly support Stephanie. Annoyance flashed in his eyes. His voice deepened, "I underestimated Stephanie. I gravely underestimated her!"

After a moment, Chris ordered, "Find out more about this Hogg and his relationship with Stephanie." He mused silently, Ridiculous. Everything lately seems to circle back to Stephanie. It's maddening!

Kevin nodded, "Okay." He paused, then cautiously asked, "Did Old Mr. Ashford just meet Mr. Lucano?"

Chris's face darkened further. "Whispering Bay belongs to the Lucano family."

Kevin's eyes widened. "What? Miss Giovanni has been close to someone from the Lucano family?"

Chris's expression was grim. "All right, never mind." The more he considered it, the more agitated he became. Why is Stephanie involved in everything? Is she some sort of social butterfly?

Seeing Chris's expression, Kevin remained silent, though inwardly shocked. The Lucanos were top-tier aristocracy. A connection to them would explain Stephanie's involvement with Skyriver Travel.

As Chris turned, his phone buzzed—a message from Fred: [Try harder with the Lucano Group.]

He didn't bother to call. Fred's annoyance was clear. Few things in Long Harbor were beyond Fred's personal reach, yet this situation was intractable.

Chris, equally annoyed, replied: [Got it!]

Another message arrived: [We suffered serious losses. If we don’t have a remedy in time...] Fred clearly couldn't articulate the gravity of the situation.

Chris replied: [Understood.] He understood, but the solution remained a monumental problem.

At the hospital, Olivia received Chris's one-word reply, "Yes," and felt utterly drained.