Chapter 4

After the chaotic, mud-slinging fight, Kevin, utterly exhausted, desperately hoped it would all just disappear. He struggled to pull Stephanie away from the melee. Olivia's face was contorted in pain, her eyes brimming with tears. She glanced at Chris. Chris's face twisted into a mask of rage. He barked at Kevin, still holding Stephanie, "Get her out of here—now!"

Stephanie yanked against Kevin's grip, but he refused to let go. He realized then just how strong she was—he could barely restrain her. "Come on, Miss Giovanni, let's go," Kevin urged. That's when Stephanie remembered something. "My bag! My bag!" she cried.

The bag she'd used to hit Chris lay beside him. In a fit of fury, he grabbed it and hurled it at her. Kevin snatched it from the air just in time, shoving it into Stephanie's arms. "Got it, let's go."

Finally, the chaos subsided. Kevin managed to drag Stephanie to the car, intending to take her home, but she refused. She wanted nothing to do with Chris—or anything connected to him—so she drove off alone.

Chris, still dazed from the blow to his head, remained frozen for a moment. When he finally regained his senses, his eyes fell on Olivia—her hair disheveled, her leg swollen. His anger toward Stephanie intensified. Without hesitation, he scooped Olivia into his arms. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

Tears welled in Olivia's eyes as she nodded weakly. She looked utterly broken. Seeing her like that, Kevin rushed to get the car. But when he reached their parking spot, the car was gone.

"Miss Giovanni took the car," Kevin said, his voice laced with frustration as he stood behind Chris. He'd planned to drive Stephanie, but she'd been quicker—and now she was gone. Chris's face darkened further.

Noticing Chris's growing frustration, Kevin quickly added, "I'll get another car from the garage." Without waiting for a reply, Kevin dashed off—he needed to get the keys from the office.

As Stephanie waited for the light to change, her phone buzzed. She answered a call from her mother, Catlin Hart. Catlin snapped, "Come home tonight. We need to talk."

Stephanie took a sip of water, her voice listless. "Can't talk." She wasn't busy, but she knew what Catlin wanted to discuss—and she didn't want to hear it.

Catlin's voice, now tinged with annoyance, cut through, "Why? What's wrong? You haven't even been trying with Chris?"

Stephanie felt a surge of bitterness. She was Catlin's daughter, but their relationship lacked affection. Catlin didn't hate her, but genuine warmth was absent. "So you sent Olivia to take care of him instead?" Stephanie retorted.

A brief silence hung in the air. Stephanie knew exactly what Catlin was after. Their fallout two years prior was still raw. If Olivia hadn't left then, she'd likely be in jail. Now that Olivia was back, Chris and the Hart family clearly feared Stephanie would cause trouble again. Catlin must have realized she couldn't pretend any longer. Her voice softened slightly. "That's all in the past, Stephanie. You need to let it go."

A sharp gust of wind swept through the half-open window, chilling Stephanie to the bone. For a moment, she almost forgot the cold. She let out a bitter laugh, then spoke, her voice laced with irony. "Catlin, I almost died in that car crash. It's only been three years. Remember what I looked like when they brought me back?"

She'd spent two months in a hospital bed. Olivia had masterminded the crash, fearing Stephanie's return and the threat to her position. The crash was meant to kill Stephanie, to ensure she never came back. Now, Catlin, her own mother, was blaming her—the victim.

Catlin's voice was cool and dismissive. "That wasn't her fault, Stephanie. Stop holding so much malice toward her."

Stephanie tossed her empty water bottle into a nearby trash can, making the shot perfectly. She took a deep breath, her voice snapping, "She says I'm malicious, and you believe her? If you trust her so much, why do you still need me, your own daughter? Just pretend I'm not your daughter, okay? Or better yet, I'll block your number right now."

Catlin was furious. "Stephanie! Can't you just calm down? You always lose it when we talk about this!" Every time Olivia's name came up, it was the same, and Catlin was fed up.

After more scolding, Catlin finally got to the point, her tone changing. She said, pitifully, "You've always had issues with Olivia, but that's in the past now. You need to hang out; she's sick, Stephanie. Really sick."

Stephanie snorted. "She's sick, so I'm supposed to delay my wedding to Chris, and Chris has to keep singing the right tune?" She didn't care about Chris, but the humiliation was undeniable. Catlin's argument sounded absurd, and Stephanie couldn't help but add a cutting remark.

Catlin's anger flared. "She and Chris grew up together. She can't hang on much longer." Then, as if reading Stephanie's mind, she softened. "Don't worry, Stephanie. In the end, Chris will marry you. For now, let's focus on Olivia's illness, okay?"

Stephanie nearly rolled her eyes. They were treating Olivia like a queen, and now they wanted her to step aside. She was close to losing it.

Catlin noticed her silence. "Did you hear me?"

Stephanie felt nauseous. The more Catlin spoke, the worse she felt. Too tired to argue, she hung up. And, just like that, she blocked Catlin's number. Truth be told, she'd blocked Catlin countless times before. But somehow, Catlin's number mysteriously unblocked itself every time, without explanation.