Chapter 30

Chris glanced at Stephanie almost absently. "Not too busy," he said.

Stephanie curled her lip. She knew that was his stock answer. When he hung up, a mocking smile played on her face. Chris, seeing it, felt his irritation flare. His patience was wearing thin, with both Olivia's condition and Stephanie's attitude.

"Take a cab," he muttered.

Stephanie laughed. "Oh? Am I imagining things? Didn't you just say you wouldn't see her anymore?" She pointed out his eagerness to rush to Olivia's side, even to the point of dismissing her from the car. Olivia clearly had him wrapped around her finger; one phone call, and he dropped everything.

His face darkened, his temper rising. He shoved the black card back toward her. "Take it. Go get a cab." He expected immediate compliance.

Stephanie grabbed the card, shoving it into her bag, but remained seated. She wasn't going anywhere unless he drove her. She stared straight ahead, icy. "You're driving me there." The cold outside mirrored the frostiness in the car; besides, it had been his idea to offer her a ride.

He sat for a moment, fingers drumming impatiently on the steering wheel. She'd taken the card but wasn't leaving. Frustration boiled inside him, his head pounding.

After a long, tense pause, he finally relented. He started the car, driving toward Eastview Tower.

As Stephanie stepped out, he couldn't resist one last jab. "You better think carefully about the wedding," he said, his voice low and threatening. "If you cause your family any losses, you'll have no support. If you offend them, don't even think about finding a job in this city."

Stephanie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. She couldn't believe his continued attempts at power plays. Her eyes were cold, but she didn't flinch as she met his gaze. Slowly, deliberately, she said, "If I cancel the wedding, you'll be with Olivia. And when that happens, any losses the Hart family suffers will be your problem, not mine."

"I'll deal with it," Chris retorted firmly, "but you'll face the consequences of your actions."

Stephanie saw through his bluster; he was bluffing. She knew the Hart family; they'd find a way to make her pay, regardless of their outward concern. She snorted, a smile playing on her lips. "Hurry up and get to the hospital. This could be the last time you see her."

Olivia's condition could worsen at any moment, and Stephanie knew that was Chris's ultimate vulnerability.

He felt a stab of helplessness, quickly buried. Inside, he cursed himself, but outwardly maintained his composure. He couldn't lose his cool—not when he still needed to address the wedding. His frustration simmered, raw and unrelenting, a pressure that felt like it might crack his teeth. He didn't want to keep arguing; he feared his stress might kill him first.