Chapter 308
When Sebastian left, he hauled Marco out by the collar like a rowdy kid. That mouth of his—sometimes Sebastian wanted to tape it shut and add some glue for good measure.
After lunch, Stephanie wandered into the sunroom, plopping down to wait for Ella. The place was warm, with huge windows showing off a snowy scene—white piles and icicles glinting on the branches outside. The butler peeked in, voice quiet. “Miss?”
“What’s up?” Stephanie glanced his way.
“There’s a Mrs. Hart at the gate. Says she wants to see you,” the butler said, cool as ever.
Hart? Caitlin? Stephanie’s brow scrunched up.
“Caitlin Hart?” she asked.
“Yes.” The butler nodded.
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. Showing up now? Easy guess—she was here about Tyler. Or probably, she was here for Tyler and Olivia. Stephanie smirked to herself, not impressed.
“Tell her no,” Stephanie said, keeping it short. Her old number was done—she’d trashed it last night and got a new one. The Hart family couldn’t reach her no matter whose phone they borrowed. Only Jennifer and Ella had her number now. And those two? They’d never blab to the Harts.
“Got it,” the butler said with a quick nod, stepping away. He was about to call security with Stephanie’s “no,” but before he could finish, her phone buzzed—Ella on the other end.
“Stefi, Caitlin’s standing in front of my car, blocking me,” Ella’s voice came through, sharp and crackly.
Stephanie froze, totally confused. She shot a quick look at the butler, waving him to hold off.
Ella kept going, “She’s crying her eyes out, making a whole scene. Get this—she used to talk smack about you, saying you were some country bumpkin with no class.”
“So who’s the drama queen now?” Ella’s voice was pure sarcasm. Stephanie could already hear Caitlin’s raspy sobs through the phone. The sound was loud and annoying as hell. She cringed.
Her eyes narrowed a bit. “Bring her in,” she said, keeping it cool.
“On it,” the butler replied, short and sharp.
Right before the call ended, Sephire caught Elts throwing shade at Calin, mentioning their own kid. Jude added, her tone dripping with disgust, “You dug this hole yourself.” Most families had the cozy, tight-knit mom-and-daughter thing. The Harts lost Stephanie once; you’d think they’d hold her closer after getting her back. But nope, this so-called family turned it into a train wreck. Not that she didn’t know how to play parent—she treated Tyler and Olivia like they were royalty.
Pretty soon, footsteps clomped in. Ella and Jennifer walked through the door, Caitlin dragging behind them. Stephanie glanced at Ella and Jennifer. ‘Give me a minute,’ she said, voice steady.
“No problem,” Ella replied, propping herself against the doorframe, not moving an inch. The butler signaled a staffer to take them to the greenhouse lounge next door, but he hung around. Sebastian had told him before he left: if Stephanie met with any Harts, stick close and watch. Sebastian called it. The Harts would find a way to corner her. And here they were, still clueless, acting like desperate strays. Tyler got roughed up yesterday, and Caitlin looked like she’d aged ten years in a day.
Stephanie picked up her coffee mug, taking a slow sip, not even glancing Caitlin’s way. Caitlin sat across from her, fuming. That laid-back vibe was like a match to her temper. She couldn’t take the heavy quiet and cracked first. “I know what happened.”
“Oh? Cool, and?” Stephanie tossed back, chill as ever. That I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude just fueled Caitlin’s fire. When she spoke again, her voice had a bite. “He’s your brother—right or wrong—and you let some random guy mess him up like that?”
“Do you even get it? One of his hands is ruined—no way it’s ever gonna work right again,” she snapped, all blame in her tone. The more she talked, the harder it was to keep that anger in check. On the drive over, she’d sat in the car, psyching herself up to stay calm and work it out with Stephanie. Olivia needed a doctor bad, Tyler was down for the count, the company was a disaster, and she and Chad were at each other’s throats. And it all tied back to Stephanie, she thought, cold as ice. So she figured she had to talk it out with her—Stephanie was the fix to this chaos.
But seeing that blank, unbothered look on her face? Caitlin’s temper blew up like a grease fire. And that word—“some random guy”—hit Stephanie like a cheap shot. A loud smack rang through the sunroom. Stephanie slammed her coffee mug down on the coffee table, the sharp sound slicing through the tension. Coffee splashed out, spilling over the table and dripping onto her hand. She gave Caitlin a chilly side-eye. “You here to chew me out, or just to point fingers?”