Chapter 338

Elliot quietly left the lounge to give Stephanie and Sebastian some space.

Sebastian rubbed Stephanie’s back soothingly, comforting her like he would a child. “Alright, don’t cry. I’ve punished Jonny, okay?”

“Jonny? Who’s that?” She had no idea who he was.

“He handles security in the Shallow Bay Area,” Sebastian said.

Stephanie paused, then said, “Actually, Richard’s just too sneaky. You don’t have to be so hard on your own people, right?” She was sure Richard, with his schemes, had set this up.

Sebastian chuckled. Their time apart hadn’t been long, but Stephanie was still scared. She’d tried to reach him, worried about being separated for too long again.

Sebastian leaned down and kissed her softly.

Stephanie lightly poked his palm. “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah,” Sebastian murmured, pulling her closer as the room seemed to grow warmer with the growing intimacy between them.

Just as Sebastian was about to lose himself in the moment, Elliot knocked on the door. “Mr. Giovanni,” he called out, his voice cooling the mood instantly.

Stephanie burrowed into Sebastian’s arms like a scared rabbit.

Sebastian’s face was etched with frustration. “What’s going on?” he asked.

Elliot replied, “Something went wrong.”

Sebastian frowned, glancing at Stephanie, whose heart tightened at Elliot’s words.

What could go wrong in Paginara? Is Richard up to something again? That jerk… I should have let his own dog take a bite out of him, she thought to herself.

Sebastian gently lifted her and set her on the small bed. “Get some rest, or maybe take a shower?” He knew Stephanie had been on edge all day after running around for so long.

But at the mention of a “shower,” Stephanie was taken aback, then her face turned red with embarrassment.

Sebastian stood up and left the room.

Stephanie glanced down at her clothes, noting how messy she was. Her clothes were a mess—torn and snagged from the escape. She’d only focused on her face, not realizing how bad the rest looked.

Stephanie hurried to the restroom to take a shower. She kept wondering what Elliot meant by “something went wrong,” and when she emerged from the bathroom, Sebastian was already there.

She’d showered quickly, assuming he hadn’t returned yet. So she walked out without dressing—only to see Sebastian standing there.

The moment Stephanie saw him, she froze. Her face tensed, and she instinctively turned to go back.

Sebastian was just as surprised. After a few seconds, he realized what she was about to do. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice wavered. “Why are you going back? Come here.”

Chapter 838

Stephanie, unable to cover her body with her hands, ignored him and hurried back into the bathroom. When she came out again, she was securely wrapped in two towels.

Sebastian glanced at her pale, slender legs and the tips of her toes, pink from the heat. A sly grin crossed his face. “Do you really think you can hide from me, Stefi?”

Stephanie clutched the towel like it was a lifeline. She hesitated, then said quietly, “I’m still hurt, really badly, and it’s because of you.”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Are you planning to use that as an excuse forever, Stefi?” He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

Stephanie stammered, “No. I mean, it still hurts, really. I just can’t…” She was too nervous to finish her sentence.

“We’re in Paginara, and we’re on that jerk’s turf,” she added. “We need to get out of here fast.”

So she’s been calling him a jerk? Sebastian’s smile widened as he thought about that. “Is that really what you think of him?”

“He was never a good man,” Stephanie said quietly. If it weren’t for him, she and Sebastian wouldn’t have been apart for so long. He had only made things worse for Sebastian during the Giovanni family crisis.