Chapter 302
Sebastian’s long fingers tapped the table, slow and steady, shadows dancing under the dim light. That calm, rhythmic sound only made the room feel heavier, creepier. Macro threw Stephanie a wild look, basically pleading for her to intervene.
Stephanie kept her eyes locked on her bowl, acting like she didn’t see a thing. ‘Why’s he staring at me?’ She wasn’t about to stick up for Luca. Sebastian had hammered it into her since they were kids—you don’t go easy on people who’d screw you over. Luca was here to grab her, and if Stephanie played the softie, she’d get one of Sebastian’s quiet, endless lectures later. Hard pass.
Macro was freaking out. “Luca’s not clever enough to pull off something nuts like this,” he said, dragging a hand through his hair.
“Oh yeah?” Sebastian shot back, his voice cold as ice. “So what’s ditching Sofia’s crew then?”
Macro opened his mouth, then clamped it shut. Nada. He was stumped. He wanted to yell, maybe even pray in tears for Luca’s return. ‘Why’d Luca ditch Sofia’s people? What was she up to?’ His head was a jumbled disaster.
Sebastian was over Macro’s breakdown. He turned to Stephanie instead, his tone solid. “You’re staying with me for the next few days.” Luca was too unpredictable—too slick—and he wasn’t risking it. If she snatched Stephanie now, after shaking Sofia’s team, she might take Stephanie to the end of the world. For all he knew, she’d haul Stephanie across the globe just to screw with Sofia, hopping borders like it was nothing.
Stephanie nodded, all sweet and agreeable. Then she stopped, rethinking it. “Wait—I’ve got studio tomorrow,” she said, looking up at him.
“No studio for you, Miss,” Elliot chimed in from the side, straight to the point.
“Huh?” Stephanie’s brain shorted out for a second, totally lost. ‘No studio? What the heck does that mean?’ It felt like her whole world just blew up. Her stomach dropped, and the spoon in her hand almost hit the table.
Before Elliot could say more, her phone buzzed. Jennifer’s name popped up. Stephanie picked up fast. “Jennifer?” Her voice was tight, on edge.
“We’re toast—Skyriver Travel bailed,” Jennifer rushed out, panic buzzing through the phone.
Stephanie’s mind went blank. Bailed? This wasn’t just bad—it was a train wreck. Her heart sank. A multi-million-dollar client, gone? Her eyes popped wide.
Stephanie jumped up, adrenaline kicking in. She shot out of her chair so fast it toppled over, hitting the floor with a fourt crash that bounced around the room. She didn’t even care that Sebastian, Macro, and the others were right there—she darted to the side, phone glued to her ear.
Stephanie gripped the phone, her voice jumping with frustration. “What the heck happened? Weren’t we solid with them this whole time?”
“And didn’t they already drop the design deposit?” She frowned, her fingers squeezing the phone without her even noticing. Why would they bail now? Her head was spinning.
They’d loved every draft she sent—couldn’t stop gushing about them. She leaned against the wall, trying to keep it together.
Jennifer let out a tired sigh on the other end. “I don’t know. Their business team just called out of nowhere—said the deal’s off.”
“Did they say why?” Stephanie pushed, her voice climbing.
“Nope,” Jennifer said, sounding flat and done.
“Nope?” Stephanie stopped cold, her brow scrunching up. A client that huge just walking away—it could sink her studio. A shiver ran through her.
“Oh, come on,” she groaned. “Is it because we’ve been dragging on the drafts? Tell them we’ll have it ready in three days—three days, Jennifer.”
This was on Sebastian—throwing her off like that, and now her big client was gone. The studio couldn’t crash—not with all those designers depending on it. Stephanie’s grip on the phone got tighter.
Jennifer’s voice got small. “They just said they’re done. Reason? ‘We don’t need it anymore.’”
Stephanie repeated it, dazed. “Don’t need it anymore’?” She stood there, blank-faced, totally lost. “What kind of lame excuse was that? It didn’t even add up,” she muttered to herself. She paused, then asked, “So… do we have to give back the deposit?”
“Nah, they said keep it,” Jennifer replied, cool as ever.
Stephanie’s mouth twitched. “Keep it?” She stared at the floor, floored. “Skyriver Travel is that flush? Throwing away a six-figure deposit like it’s nothing?” She muttered to herself, half in awe, half annoyed. ‘Are they swimming in cash over there or what?’ She shook her head, fed up. She bit her nail, hissing quietly. “No way to patch this up, huh?”
Jennifer didn’t budge. “Nope.”
Stephanie went silent, staring at her phone. Just like that—gone? No real explanation, nothing? Her chest felt empty. She scratched her head. ‘A company that huge should at least have the guts to break it off right, shouldn’t they?’
Over in the dining room, voices were rumbling—Macro and Sebastian, both looking grim, the vibe as heavy as the snow piling up outside. Stephanie caught a piece of it, “Damn it, I’ve got no one to unload this on! Sofia’s crew rolled in with Luca, and now they’re here, but Luca’s gone!” He was losing it, arms flailing like crazy. Sebastian’s stone-cold attitude was getting to him, so he went all out, yelling instead. Stephanie wasn’t the one missing—Luca was. He had every reason to freak.
Back on the phone, Jennifer kept talking. “Losing Skyriver Travel’s a massive blow for us.”
“Yeah, uh…” Stephanie trailed off, tapping her fingers on the wall in the corner. Her eyes flicked to the dining room, then dropped as she thought it over. It was a huge hit, no doubt. She’d been counting on Skyriver Travel to prop up the studio so she could pass it to Ella. ‘Without them, is it even worth keeping alive?’ Uncertainty chewed at her.