Chapter 316

Stephanie felt like she could just die right there, her mind spinning into a total freakout. She wished God would zap her with a lightning bolt already—turn her into a crispy mess and put her out of her misery.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, his voice playful. “Stefi?”

She let out a shaky giggle, her face turning bright red, a tangle of embarrassment twisting her up inside. Macro, that clown, was the absolute worst… She wasn’t sure if Sebastian would rip him apart, but she sure wanted to do it herself.

When she didn’t move, Sebastian’s brow furrowed. In one quick swoop, he pulled her into his arms. His long arms made it a breeze—he reached around her back and nabbed the box right out of her hands.

Stephanie wriggled, tugging at it like her life depended on it. “No, don’t look!” Her face scrunched up, eyes wide with panic. He let out a low chuckle, pulling it free with a grip that said no arguing.

Stephanie took a deep breath. Words were gone for good. She shoved her face into his chest, ears glowing red. A deep laugh vibrated above her. “Stefi, you dropping hints or what?”

“No! I’m not—I didn’t—” she sputtered, shaking her head hard. Her arms locked around his waist, refusing to look up. ‘Macro, that total moron,’ she cursed him in her head. ‘Hope he stays single forever.’

Sebastian tilted his head down to peek at her. “No? Then why’d you get this? Who gave it to you? Ella?”

Stephanie rolled her eyes, not sure if she wanted to press this further. Obviously, Sebastian hadn’t seen the whole scene from the stairs. She shook her head fast. “No, not Ella—Macro handed it to me.”

She thought with a smirk, ‘Macro wanted to dig his own hole? Go for it.’ She’d rat him out in a second—she was done caring. Not that she could blame herself. Sebastian’s whole vibe was too much; she fell apart every time. If she admitted to hinting at anything, he’d probably scoop her up and carry her straight to the bedroom. Her injuries weren’t even healed yet. Better let him take it out on Macro—let them slug it out and be done.

They were pressed tight now, the air crackling with something heavy. She could feel the shift in him, small but real, and her pulse jumped.

Sure enough, when she said Macro’s name, Sebastian’s vibe went cold. “Macro?”

“Yeah, him,” she nodded quickly, sealing the deal. She wasn’t about to spill all of Macro’s dumb ramblings. Selling him out was one thing—burying him? She wasn’t that cold.

Hugging him tighter, she mumbled into his shirt, “Hey, I’ve got something else to tell you.”

“What’s that?” He tilted his head, curious.

“I didn’t take the pill,” she whispered, so quiet it barely came out.

“What pill?” His brow creased. “Didn’t the staff make sure you got your meds?” He’d either given her the injury stuff himself or had the help hovering to check.

Stephanie caught his confusion and winced. He wasn’t catching on. She squirmed, voice small and stumbling. “No, I mean… THAT pill.”

Her soft, flustered tone finally clicked for him. “Birth control?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

She buried herself deeper into his chest, nodding faintly. “Yeah.”

Sebastian’s tone didn’t waver. “You don’t need it.”

She blinked, popping her head up. “Huh?”

“I’ll have someone grab the marriage license tomorrow. Wedding can wait ‘til we’re back in Fiorenza. That work?” His eyes locked on hers, dead serious.

No way was he letting her end up pregnant and unmarried—that was his hard limit.

Stephanie’s face shot up from his chest, stunned. “You… What?”

A marriage license. The words slammed into her like a shock, her heart pounding like crazy. For years, Stephanie had pictured it—tying the knot with him, seeing his name next to hers on that marriage license. She’d kept those dreams locked up tight, never letting them slip out. She had no clue—

All that wishing, those secret hopes—it took just one line from Sebastian to turn them real. A dream she’d hidden forever, and he’d cracked it open like it was no big deal.

“Are you proposing right now?” she muttered, peeking up at him.

Sebastian let out a low chuckle. “Not exactly. But we’re grabbing the license first. After that, whatever you want, you’ve got it.” Every tradition, every happy moment she could dream up—he’d make it happen. That was his word. Stephanie’s chest felt full. She wrapped her arms around his slim waist, pressing her cheek to his chest, snuggling in close.