Chapter 336
Alessio glanced at the red dot on his tablet. “Mr. Casalini, the signal’s close.” As he spoke, more cars pulled up, and a group of bodyguards spilled out. Richard’s eyes swept toward Stephanie’s, a chill running down her spine.
As Stephanie saw how many people were arriving, her heart pounded. She wanted to call Sebastian again, worried he hadn’t brought enough backup. “Quick, search everywhere,” Theodore instructed the group. In an instant, the team fanned out, most heading down the path while a few moved in Stephanie’s direction.
She gritted her teeth, fuming inside. ‘Richard is ruthless—willing to turn on even his own brother. What wouldn’t he do?’ She reached for her phone to call Sebastian without a second thought. But just as she was about to pull it out, headlights from another direction suddenly flashed, making Stephanie instinctively turn her head away.
Richard and Sebastian had come face-to-face. Stephanie tensed, expecting a shootout, but Sebastian’s car rolled to a smooth stop. He stepped out, facing Richard, who was lounging on the hood of his own car, looking utterly relaxed. Sebastian squinted, pulled out his gun, and fired at Richard with a sharp bang. The bullet grazed past Richard’s ear. In the quiet night, he could almost hear his hair snapping from the bullet.
Theodore gasped and hurried over to check on Richard. Hiding in the bushes, Stephanie felt her heart tighten. But Richard stayed put on the hood, as still as a mountain, a mocking smile aimed at Sebastian. “Wow, wow, you’ve been chasing me around the world for two years, and now you’re angrier than I am?” Richard teased.
Sebastian gave him a hard look and pulled out his phone to call Stephanie. The phone rang from the bushes nearby, and Stephanie snapped out of her daze. She popped up and peeked out. Both Sebastian and Richard turned to look at her, and Stephanie sprinted toward Sebastian, moving with a speed that seemed impossible after a night on the run.
Theodore watched her go, his lips twitching. ‘She’s been running all night, and her legs still haven’t given out?’ he thought to himself. Sebastian tossed the phone to Elliot behind him and caught Stephanie with one hand. As their scents mingled, Stephanie finally felt safe. “Sebastian, I’m so scared,” she whispered, her voice shaking.
When she woke up and saw Richard, she was terrified he’d take her somewhere Sebastian couldn’t find her. The thought of being separated from Sebastian for years made her heart sink. Hearing the sadness in her voice, Sebastian gave her a gentle squeeze on the back and shot Richard a darker look. He whispered in Stephanie’s ear, “Let’s go home.”
“Okay,” she murmured. Home meant Fiorenza to her—where her mom was. Sebastian bent down and kissed Stephanie’s forehead softly, trying to comfort her.
Across the car, Richard watched the closeness between them with cold, mocking eyes. As Sebastian moved to leave with Stephanie in his arms, Richard spoke up. “That’s my fiancée, Mr. Giovanni. Where do you think you’re taking her?”
In Fiorenza, Sebastian commanded respect from everyone—except Richard, who had always treated him like a friend. But now, calling him “Mr. Giovanni” only highlighted the distance between them. “Stephanie’s dad set it up with my dad when he was still alive. It was something the elders decided—” Richard began. Before he could finish, Sebastian fired a quick, blind shot. If Richard hadn’t dodged, he would have been hit.
Richard gritted his teeth, staring at Sebastian’s back. Sebastian didn’t look back, but the message was clear—he could kill Richard anytime he wanted. “It’s surprising you still call him ‘dad’,” Sebastian said, his voice flat. “After everything that’s happened, I thought you’d have cut ties with the Casalini family for good.”