Chapter 29
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After hours of relentless questioning, Stephanie had spilled more than she meant to.
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She was completely drained. It took everything in her to stay upright, but eventually, exhaustion won. She collapsed onto Sebastian’s lap, curling up and falling asleep in an instant.
The harsh lighting made everything feel unreal, but Sebastian’s touch was gentle as he brushed a strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
He picked her up effortlessly, carrying her to the bedroom without a word.
When he returned to the living room, Elliot was waiting.
Elliot glanced around the modest apartment and asked, “You bringing her back to Whispering Bay tonight?”
Long Harbor City was massive, and the Shallow Bay Area held some of the city’s most expensive oceanfront properties.
Whispering Bay, the most exclusive spot in the area, was quiet and secluded. Years ago, a bunch of wealthy families had fought over the land when it became available.
But Sebastian had managed to secure it after Stephanie casually mentioned how much she liked the place during a scenic
tour.
The rich businessmen who’d wanted to turn it into another luxury development had been outbid. Sebastian had designed it just for her.
He’d planned to gift it to her for her coming–of–age ceremony, but after the Giovanni mess, when Stephanie disappeared, everything had fallen apart.
Sebastian stepped out onto the balcony, lit a cigarette, and took a couple of drags.
He waved his hand dismissively. “She need rest tonight. Let her sleep here. Bring up my luggage.”
Elliot paused, looking around the small space when he realized Sebastian was staying the night.
“You’re staying here?” Elliot asked, almost as if he had to check again.
Sebastian shot him a cold look. “Is that a problem?”
Elliot quickly shook his head. “No, no problem. I’ll get it right away.”
In his mind, he couldn’t help thinking, ‘As long as it’s for Stephanie, Sebastian will put up with anything.‘
Sebastian was willing to settle for a tiny apartment just so he wouldn’t disturb her.
Elliot went off to grab the luggage, and once he was gone, Sebastian lingered.
He slowly checked every corner of the apartment, making sure there wasn’t any sign of another man living here with her.
After two years of worry, his heart finally felt at ease.
He spotted a new pink bath towel–clearly meant for Stephanie–and smiled, just a little.
Stephanie was barely awake when the urgent need to use the bathroom pulled her from sleep.
She shuffled toward the door, but the moment she stepped out of her room, she froze.
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Chapter 90
Setractian was standing there, his water wrapped in a pink bath towel.
she blinked in surprise, and for a second, the situation seemed almost funny.
Then the doorbell range loud, insistent, cutting through the quiet,
Instinctively, Stephanie glanced at the door, then back at Sebastian.
Sebastian frowned. “Someone’s looking for you at this hour?
The wall clock read five in the morning–just shy of dawn.
Outside, Chris was ringing the doorbell like it was his job.
When Olivia had started hurting again, unable to sleep, Chris had lost it.
Without thinking, he jumped in his car and drove straight over to find Stephanie.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Are you gonna answer it?*
Stephanie already knew who it was. “No need…”
Outside, Chris yelled, “Stephanie, open the door!”
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Stephanie felt a rush of frustration. She’d thought Chris would at least let her have some peace in the middle of the night while he was at the hospital with Olivia.
When she didn’t respond, he yelled again, his voice getting more desperate, “If you don’t open the door, I’ll have someone
unlock it!”
Stephanie’s brow furrowed.
She couldn’t believe he was actually thinking of forcing his way in. His behavior was hitting a new low.
For a second, she was at a loss for words. She looked at Sebastian. “Uh…”
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Want me to hide?”
Stephanie could’ve sworn he understood exactly what she was thinking.”
She considered asking him, but she knew better. Sebastian would never agree to hide.
His expression darkened, and she didn’t dare suggest it.
She sighed, trying to explain, “There’s… still some stuff between Chris and me that needs clearing up.”
Outside, Chris’s voice came again, full of fury. “You’re the one not opening it. If the lock gets broken, it’ll be all your fault!”
Then came the sound of a lock being forced.
Stephanie’s jaw dropped–He brought a locksmith?
She shot a furious look at Sebastian, her eyes full of anger at Chris.
In a split second, she spun around and rushed toward the closet where she kept her baseball bat.
She was ready to beat Chris into the ground for pulling this stunt.
But as she turned, the door behind her clicked open.
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Chapter 29
She stopped dead in her tracks. Chris was standing there, his face red with rage. But when he saw the scene in front of him,
he froze.
For a second, his mind couldn’t process what he was seeing.
If he hadn’t known better, he might have thought he had the wrong place.
But he checked the door number again. Everything matched.
Stephanie was here. And there was a man with her.
Chris’s breathing grew shallow, erratic.
Finally, he snapped, his voice hoarse with fury, “Stephanie, how dare you!”
He turned to Sebastian, whose calm presence felt like an entire universe of restraint. His features were sharp, his gaze almost intimidating under the bright lights.
Even in his rage, Chris hesitated, momentarily taken aback by the intensity in Sebastian’s eyes.
His gaze dropped, slowly moving from Sebastian’s rigid abs to the bright pink bath towel.
Chris, already struggling to control his breath, felt his anger intensify as he saw Sebastian in that towel.
A bitter laugh escaped him. “So, this is why you called off the wedding? Stephanie, you really are something else.”
His eyes grew colder as he glared at her, stepping further into the room.
The locksmith, sensing the tension, could see where this was heading.
Without a word, he backed out, bolting from the scene–no payment needed, no questions asked.
AD
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