Chapter 277

He hadn't expected Stephanie to wield such power, pushing the entire Hart family to the brink in just a few days.

“I will arrange for you to go abroad as soon as possible. Once you are there, you will be able to stay in a hospital directly,” said Tyler.

None of them had anticipated Stephanie escalating things to the point where getting Olivia admitted to a Long Harbor hospital had become a luxury.

Olivia’s pupils trembled. “Go abroad?”

Tyler nodded. “Yes. The situation in Long Harbor is complicated right now. Mom has called every doctor she could, but no one is willing to come.”

“The Lucano family is really willing to go this far for Stefi? But she’s just an adopted daughter, isn’t she? How did she manage—” Olivia suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

‘No, I can’t let Tyler and the others start overthinking things about Stephanie,’ she thought to herself. ‘If they go looking for trouble with Stephanie now, the one who will end up suffering the most is me.’

But Tyler had already started overthinking it. ‘Yeah, just an adopted daughter, and yet she made Mr. Giovanni go this far against the Hart family? What did she do?’ he wondered.

Thinking about the current situation in Long Harbor, Olivia finally nodded. “Alright, I’ll go abroad.”

In the end, she chose to compromise.

Stephanie, just you wait. Once I get better, I’ll deal with you properly,’ she thought.

Tyler nodded. “I’ll start making arrangements right away.”

After exchanging a few more words, Tyler left the room.

Once Olivia was alone, a fierce look flashed across her eyes. “Stephanie, you are something else.”

‘If I weren’t sick right now, would she have had the chance to do this to me? Just wait. Once I recover, I will make sure she dies,’ she wondered.

In the Shallow Bay Area, Stephanie looked pitifully at Sebastian. The entire process of applying the medicine hadn’t been pleasant for her. To call it applying medicine was an understatement; it felt more like flirting.

“What are you still doing here?” Stephanie muttered when she saw that Sebastian hadn’t left.

Her face was burning red. The whole process had been way too embarrassing. The last thing she wanted at this moment was to face Sebastian; she just wanted to be alone.

However, Sebastian showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he took off his outer robe, leaving only his silk sleepwear underneath. Then, he turned around and got into bed. “I’m going to sleep.”

Chapter 277

Stephanie froze. ‘Wait, what does he mean? He’s going to sleep with me? Hold on,’ she wondered.

“Wait, you—” She stammered.

Sebastian looked at her. “Is there a problem?”

Stephanie was at a loss for words. Thinking back to dinner, when he had kissed her in the billiard room in front of so many people, she felt even more embarrassed. Their relationship had shifted from growing up as siblings to this. She was shocked by how quickly he had accepted it.

“What are you thinking?” Seeing her silent, Sebastian reached out and pinched her nose.

Stephanie hesitated. “I was just thinking… are we really okay like this?” She rubbed her hands together, her tone cautious.

Sebastian’s expression was calm. “What would be the problem?”

Stephanie was stunned. Of course, there was a problem. Last night and early this morning, she had acted impulsively and just thrown herself into it.

But now, looking back, she felt terrified. Everyone in Fiorenza saw them as siblings. Now that she thought about it, she felt like a coward. Even though they weren’t related by blood, Sebastian’s identity made her nervous. She was truly afraid that their relationship would have consequences for him.

For the past two years in Long Harbor, she had lived recklessly, never caring what people thought of her or how Olivia had ruined her reputation. Because none of those people mattered. But when it came to Sebastian, she was afraid of public opinion. She was afraid of the cruel words that might be directed at him. She did not care what people said about her, but she did not want anyone, anything, to hurt him.

“Stefi?” Seeing her remain silent, Sebastian pulled her into his arms. With a swift movement, he flipped her over, pressing her head against his chest. His deep, soothing voice had a unique calming effect on her. “This morning, you were the one insisting that I take responsibility for you. What’s wrong now, hmm?”

“Sebastian, you know, public opinion is terrifying?” Stephanie’s voice was tight with anxiety.

When it came to Sebastian, she could never hide her thoughts. Even if she tried, he always had a way of making her spill everything effortlessly.