Chapter 337
Theodore’s breath caught. Watching Sebastian walk away, he was stunned. “Has Sebastian figured it all out?” he thought. “If he has, it’d explain why he’s been hunting Richard so hard for the past two years. After all, in all of Fiorenza, nobody messes with Sebastian.”
Back then, Richard had caused a huge scandal over his father’s illegitimate child. He’d orchestrated a plan, using Sebastian to bring down the Casalini family. If his father wouldn’t leave the family fortune to him, Richard didn’t think that child deserved any of it either. Richard’s ruthless plan had enraged Sebastian.
Richard sneered, “Do you really think you can take her away from my territory? Sebastian, Paginara is my domain.” He emphasized each word, his eyes flashing. With a large entourage of bodyguards behind him, Richard looked even more intimidating. Once he gave the order, it wouldn’t be easy for Sebastian to take Stephanie away.
Stephanie clung to Sebastian’s shirt, hiding in his arms. “Sebastian,” she called out anxiously, her voice trembling. The separation had clearly made her uneasy. But facing Richard’s threat, she was more afraid of the ruthless confrontation Richard might provoke.
Sebastian looked down at Stephanie, his lips tight. He glanced back at Richard and said coldly, “Finn met with Abraham an hour ago.”
Richard’s face changed. So did Theodore’s. Richard gritted his teeth. “What did you do?”
Sebastian just gave a cold smirk. He didn’t need to say anything to let Richard know that he was involved. He pulled Stephanie close and got into the car.
Richard squinted. “Sebastian, you know you should stay away from your friend’s wife, right?”
Sebastian paused, looking at Richard through the car window. “She’s not your wife, and you’re not…” He stopped, then let out a sarcastic laugh. “My friend.”
When Stephanie heard Richard call her his wife, she inwardly rolled her eyes. Elliot and a few bodyguards watched Richard and his crew cautiously as they backed toward their car. The engine roared to life, and they sped away.
Richard squinted at the departing car, then pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Whatever the person on the other end said made his already dark expression even more menacing. After the call ended, Richard, seething with anger, hurled his phone to the ground, shattering it into pieces.
Theodore asked, “What did Finn say?” Finn was a crucial partner, the first person to collaborate with Richard after the Casalini family fell.
Richard glanced coldly in the direction where Stephanie and Sebastian had disappeared. “Do you really think he’d walk into danger on his own for no reason?” he sneered.
“Did he hit their base?” Theodore asked.
“Not exactly, but close,” Richard replied, his voice tinged with frustration.
Theodore nodded, getting the picture. “So something’s up with Finn?”
Richard shook his head. “I was supposed to get that thing back.”
Theodore’s lips twitched as he remembered Stephanie hiding nearby, being her usual clever self. “Wait, why does it feel like we tried to get the upper hand but ended up losing?” Theodore muttered, mostly to himself.
Richard shot him a cold look, clearly not in the mood to entertain any more questions. He turned and got into the car.
Theodore pouted. He didn’t think he was wrong. This time, Richard secretly took Stephanie back with him, making Theodore certain that things were way more complicated than they seemed.
Richard claimed he did all that to get that item back, but Theodore figured it was just his excuse to see Stephanie. As soon as Richard heard that Stephanie and Sebastian were together, he’d left Paginara without a second thought.
In the car, Sebastian cradled Stephanie in his arms, letting her sit on his lap. She didn’t fight him like she usually did. Instead, she stayed quiet, her small hands clinging to his shirt like a scared kitten. Even after they were on the plane, Stephanie stayed close, not wanting to leave his embrace. Sebastian held her hand and whispered, “It’s okay now.”
Stephanie burst into tears. As soon as Sebastian gently pulled her hands from his shirt, she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried uncontrollably. “I thought that jerk was gonna separate us again. I was afraid I’d never see you again,” she sobbed.