Chapter 20
Chris, pissed off by the icy look she gave him, took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled with a sharp hiss.
“I know you can drive,” he muttered, “but I need to talk to you about something.”
Stephanie didn’t move, her eyes still cold. “I don’t want to.”
Without another word, she turned to head for her car.
But Chris quickly stepped into her path, grabbing her arm just as she tried to close the door.
She shot him a glare. “Let go.”
Ignoring her, Chris jerked her out of the car, his grip tight.
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It was obvious he had the strength on her, and Stephanie had no choice but to go along with it. Her eyes seethed with anger as she glared up at him.
“Let go of me,” she hissed, teeth clenched.
Chris didn’t say anything. He dragged her toward his car and snatched the keys from her hand.
Without hesitation, he tossed them to Kevin, who caught them effortlessly and sped off in her car.
Stephanie’s fury only grew. “You jerk…”
Chris finally let go, but the damage was done.
“Get him back!” she demanded, her voice rising.
But by now, Chris was already in his car, the engine roaring to life. He glanced over at her. “So, you coming or not?”
Fuming, Stephanie kicked the tire of his car, frustrated.
But after a long pause, she finally climbed into the back seat, clearly unwilling to back down.
Chris, ever the one to push buttons, shot back, “Come to the front.”
Stephanie crossed her arms, locking her gaze on the road ahead. “Are you leaving or not?”
“Stephanie!” Chris snapped, his tone sharp, cutting through the silence.
She wasn’t scared. Her voice was just as hard. “Go ahead, yell. Let everyone hear it.”
The idea of sitting in the passenger seat next to Chris made her skin crawl. She couldn’t do it.
Chris gritted his teeth, his frustration building by the second.
Finally, he revved the engine, pulling away, leaving the Ashford house behind as they headed toward Cloudridge Valley.
Stephanie kept her arms folded tight, eyes staring out the window. “Take me to Eastview Tower.”
Chris shot a look at her in the rearview mirror. “Eastview? Why?”
He couldn’t wrap his head around why someone like her would want to go to a place full of corporate suits.
To Chris, Eastview Tower was simply not a place for someone like Stephanie.
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Chapter 20
Stephanie, clearly annoyed, snapped back, “None of your business.”
Chris felt his temper flare.
Ever since Olivia showed up, it seemed like Stephanie could barely stand to be civil with him.
. They passed a few more blocks before Chris abruptly pulled over to the side of the road.
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
Chris gripped the steering wheel with one hand, taking another long drag from his cigarette, the smoke swirling around him. “If you bring Allison back, I’ll stop seeing Olivia.”
Stephanie blinked, caught off guard.
She studied him, trying to figure out if he was serious or if this was just another one of his games.
Before she could speak, Chris pulled a black card from his wallet and shoved it toward her.
Still confused, she eyed the card, unsure of what to make of it. “What’s this for?”
It seemed like, in exchange for Allison’s medical care, Chris was trying to buy her off with money.
Chris nudged the card closer, his tone low. “Your family’s too busy with Olivia’s health. They probably haven’t had time to handle your
credit card issues. Take it.”
After all, she was still technically his fiancée, and if anyone found out she was dealing with money problems, it wouldn’t be good for either of them.
He’d offered her a card before, but she turned him down.
Now, though, he figured she might be desperate enough to take it.
Stephanie’s hand twitched toward the card–who could turn down cash when it was handed to them like that?
But before she could take it, Chris yanked it back, a smug look on his face.
She rolled her eyes, realizing she should’ve known it wouldn’t be that simple.
Chris leaned back, smirking. “The wedding. On schedule?”
Stephanie let out a cold laugh. Just as she expected. Nothing with Chris was ever easy.
As soon as she heard “on schedule,” Stephanie pulled her hand back, the card still hanging just out of reach.
If the money came with no strings attached, she’d take it in a heartbeat. But for Chris to use their wedding as a bargaining chip? That was a hard pass.
She curled her lip, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “I thought you weren’t in the mood to plan a wedding right now.”
She’d watched him stress over Olivia for days–who would’ve thought he was still hung up on marriage?
It was obvious the Ashford family was really cranking up the pressure on him.
After all, with Chris‘ grandfather in the hospital and no chance of him being with Olivia anytime soon, it made no sense for him to still be pushing the wedding issue.
Chris sighed, trying to soften his approach. “Let Allison come back and join Olivia’s treatment team, and I’ll stop seeing her.”
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Chapter 20
He repeated himself, like it would change anything.
Stephanie just found it laughable. A credit card? Fine. But now he was adding conditions–first the wedding, then Allison?
Chris wasn’t just greedy; he was shameless.
“All this talk, and it’s all about doing favors for Olivia,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Chris, seeing she wasn’t budging, felt his temper flare. “What favors? Haven’t I given you everything you’ve asked for?”
Stephanie shot him a cold look.
He added, almost defensively, “Once she’s better, she’ll go abroad. Isn’t that what
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t buying his act. “Do you really think she’s gonna get better anytime soon?”
Her words hit home. Chris stiffened, the reality sinking in.
He kept saying he was doing this for her, “it’s what you want,” but the truth was, Stephanie would be just fine never seeing Olivia again–Could Olivia really be whisked away that quickly?
Seeing Chris‘ face darken, Stephanie pressed on. “And what? Just because you say you won’t see her, it’s all over?”
It was clear Chris thought he was making some grand sacrifice, but the only one benefiting here was him.
Stephanie started to wonder if he was just tossing out empty promises. By midnight, they’d probably be back in each other’s arms at the hospital.
She knew better than to hope for a man like him. No reason to give him another chance.
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