Chapter 34
Outside the hospital room, Chris shot Kevin a cold, piercing look. “Found anything?” he asked.
Kevin shook his head. “Nothing yet.”
“Nothing?” Chris‘ expression darkened, clearly frustrated. “Then what’s the point of all this?”
Kevin sighed, adjusting his posture. “I’ve only just started digging, but already, someone’s trying to block my investigation. Whoever is behind this is not someone to mess with
Chris narrowed his eyes, his suspicion confirmed. The fact that someone was actively trying to stop him from getting answers made it clear: this person had power, and they were hiding something.
He couldn’t forget the scene at Cloudridge Valley last night, when that man had aimed a gun at him. That had been a clear warning. It was obvious–this was no ordinary person.
Kevin hesitated before speaking again. “Maybe you should just ask Miss Giovanni directly. She might know something.”
Mentioning Stephanie was enough to make Chris‘ headache flare. The last thing he wanted was to involve her in this mess.
But every time remembering her with another man, his chest tightened with a dull, painful ache.
*****
13)
The man who had been with Stephanie remained a mystery, and there was no way to find out.
Chris couldn’t hide his frustration. As he walked back into the hospital room, Olivia immediately noticed the tension on his
face.
“What’s going on? Another work crisis?” she asked softly.
Chris shook his head, his lips pressing into a thin line. “No, nothing like that.”
Olivia didn’t relate his resentment to Stephanie–she was too exhausted. She looked away, pain flashing across her face. “Chris, I want to leave the hospital,” she spoke up.
Chris‘ face darkened immediately. He refused without a second thought. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Olivia’s voice trembled as she spoke, but she was determined. “The smell of disinfectant… it’s suffocating. I feel like I might never walk out of here.”
Her words hit Chris harder than he expected. Who could blame her? The thought of facing multiple illnesses all at once? That was enough to shake anyone to their core.
Seeing that Chris remained silent, Olivia reached out, gently grasping his hand. “I want to live by the sea… somewhere I can see the ocean, the sunrise, and the sunset,” she said.
“Chris… I’m scared. I’m afraid this would be my last moment.”
Seeing the fear in her eyes, Chris softened. He sighed, and then eventually agreed. “I’ll have Kevin arrange for you to stay by the sea.”
Olivia’s smile was faint, but it was there. “Thank you. I don’t want to spend my last days in this hospital.”
“Don’t say that. You’ll get through this,” Chris murmured.
1/3
Chapter 34
Chris left Olivia’s ward at noon. In the car, he lit a cigarette, lost in thought for a moment
“Go over to Shallow Bay area,” after a while, he turned to Kevin, exhaling a slow stream of smoke. “Talk to the person in charge. I want to rent Whispering Bay for a while.”
Olivia would be happy to live in Shallow Bay area. That was how Chris thought.
The air was fresh, ideal for her recovery. And the rooms–well, the windows offered views of both the sunrise and the sunser without a hitch. But most importantly, it was spacious.
Though he owned several seaside properties, none were quite right for her condition. The space wastit as vast, and there be a need for a full medical team, along with all the equipment.
After considering it all, Chris realized that Whispering Bay was the most suitable.
He knew the owners wouldn’t sell, that much was clear. So renting it for a period seemed like the best option
“Whispering Bay?” Kevin blinked in surprise. “Do you think the owner will actually rent it out?”
He knew the property had been vacant for a while. In fact, the owners had refused to sell before. Would they really care about a few months‘ rent?
Chris‘ response was calm. “The rent’s negotiable. I’ll offer five times the market price.”
Kevin nodded, processing the information. “Got it. I’ll take care of it.”
“I’d like to see some progress this afternoon.” Chris added, his voice took on a firm tone.
He was meticulous when it came to Olivia’s well–being, never skipping a step.
While the situation was hard to accept, he had to face the harsh truth: Olivia’s condition was dire, and she likely wouldn’t make it through this ordeal.
After all, having all those illnesses together–well, that was a deadly combination.
At Whispering Bay, things were unfolding quietly.
Stephanie hadn’t slept well the night before. In the morning, Sebastian had coaxed her into having breakfast, but afterward, she’d gone straight back to sleep for the whole morning.
By lunchtime, she wasn’t even interested in eating.
Sebastian sat by her bedside, his face soft with affection as he pinched her cheek gently. “You’re really this tired?”
Stephanie could hardly keep her eyes open, letting out a faint hum before turning over to try and fall back asleep.
Seeing how exhausted she was, Sebastian decided not to disturb her further. He stood up and quietly left the room.
As he passed the door, he glanced at the waiting servant and said, “Don’t disturb her. Let her eat when she wakes up.”
“Understood, Mr. Giovanni.” The servant replied respectfully.
Sebastian nodded. Without even having lunch, he immediately left Whispering Bay for a phone call.
As for Stephanie, she slept soundly until nearly 2 p.m.
It was then that Jennifer called, mentioning there were several issues with the design, and the designer didn’t know how to
2/3
Chapter 4
proceed with using them.
Stephanie dragged herself out of bed, still groggy. “Til be over in a bit
“Alright, came the response from the other end of the line before the call ended.
Stephanie freshened up, changed her clothes, and as she stepped out, she found a servant waiting by the door.
The servant greeted her with a bow, “Miss, you’re awake. Mr. Giovanni said that when you woke up, you should eat something Brst”
“Where is he?” Stephanie was still half–dazed, feeling the remnants of sleep clouding her mind.
“He received a call and left. He said you should eat by yourself,” answered the servant.
“Okay” Stephanie nodded absently.
She wasn’t surprised. Sebastian had always been busy. Even when they were in Fiorenza and her father was still around, it was common for her not to see him for a whole week.
Now that he was in Long Harbor, his stay was likely brief, and he’d be occupied with work.
8/3
