Chapter 41

D

For a moment, Stephanie wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly. She noticed a subtle shift in Sebastian's tone when he mentioned "Chris"—it went cold, as if he were discussing something unpleasant. She shrugged, attempting to appear nonchalant. "They have nothing to do with me now." Though the Hart family were her biological relatives, she'd only returned because of Valentina's pressure. Her engagement to Chris had been her escape from Valentina's control; once the ring was on her finger, Valentina ceased bothering her.

Sebastian arched an eyebrow. "They have nothing to do with you?"

Stephanie exhaled. "Valentina threatened me. I got engaged to Chris to get her and Richard to back off."

Sebastian's icy stare remained unwavering. Stephanie knew it was time to tell him the truth. With Valentina imprisoned, the pressure was lifted, and the timing felt right. Indeed, Sebastian's expression softened slightly.

Across the city, however, things were far from calm. At the hospital, Chris stood helplessly by Olivia's bed, watching her writhe in pain. Just yesterday, she'd been well enough to visit his office; now, she could barely move. Catlin was frantic, pacing the floor.

"Chris," she said, "we need to act quickly. Her condition is critical. The liver and uterus are the biggest concerns." Olivia needed liver and heart surgery. They hoped Allison could perform the uterine cancer surgery, sparing Olivia another operation.

Chris ran a hand through his hair, his exhaustion evident. It was three in the morning, and the hospital had quieted. Olivia was asleep, but only after hours of agonizing pain. She suffered physically, while those at her bedside endured mental torment. Catlin's heart ached, but Chris's hurt even more.

Chris was weary of Catlin's pronouncements. "Yeah, I know," he mumbled. Even without Catlin stating it, he knew they needed Allison—immediately. He picked up a phone, not his own, and dialed Stephanie's number.

Back in Cloudridge Valley, Stephanie remained under Sebastian's relentless questioning. Just as he was about to speak again, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the unfamiliar number and instinctively ended the call. The phone rang again, the same unknown number displayed.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Why didn't you answer?"

"It's nothing," she said, dismissing it. After her divorce from Chris, she'd blocked calls from him and the entire Hart family. Things had escalated, and when unhappy, they'd simply call. She assumed this was one of them—Catlin or Chris. She didn't want to answer, not with Sebastian present.

She hung up, but the phone rang again. As she was about to end the call a third time, Sebastian intervened, placing his hand before her phone.

Stephanie's eyelid twitched. "What are you doing?"

Sebastian remained unfazed. "Need me to get it for you? I assume you wouldn't want that."

Her mouth twitched in annoyance. "It's no big deal."

He raised an eyebrow. "No big deal? Non-stop calls in the middle of the night?"

Stephanie faltered, momentarily caught off guard. She couldn't formulate an excuse quickly enough. Under his unwavering gaze, she finally answered, letting out a small sigh.

The moment the call connected, Chris's weary voice filled the line—hoarse, barely a whisper. "Tell me what you want. I'll give it to you." His voice was worn, yet a note of surrender tinged his tone.

Stephanie didn't put the phone on speaker, but the conversation was loud enough for Sebastian to hear. He recognized it as Chris or someone from the Hart family. Stephanie glanced at Sebastian; the coldness in his eyes hit her like a wave of ice. Her hand, still clutching the phone, trembled. "No, I mean, you—"

Chris interrupted, his voice hoarse. "You want money, right? I've unlocked the card. Buy whatever you want, however much you want." His only condition: Allison had to return.

Before he could continue, Sebastian snatched the phone and hung up.

Stephanie looked up at him, their gazes meeting. She quickly looked away, too uncomfortable to maintain eye contact. Sebastian's voice dripped with sarcasm. "He seems like a great guy, huh?"

Stephanie managed a dry laugh. "Yeah, sure."

Sebastian's expression flickered, almost amused. "He'll give you whatever you want."

Stephanie fell silent. She could no longer maintain the façade. Obviously, Sebastian lacked the full picture.

"It's all about his agenda," Stephanie admitted quietly. "He doesn't care about me. Not really." For some reason, confessing this to Sebastian felt like admitting guilt. Perhaps because, back in school, he'd always said, "No dating while you're in school"—a rule she'd never quite forgotten.