Chapter 369
Her quick agreement made Richard raise an eyebrow. “You’re not planning on poisoning your dear fiancé, are you? And don’t forget, you once blew up my kitchen.” The memory of that incident still made Richard’s blood boil—Stephanie had become so much more assertive since she’d been in Long Harbor, her fiery personality only growing stronger.
Stephanie was so engrossed in the TV that she didn’t respond. Richard glanced up from his phone, curious. She was staring at the screen as if she’d discovered something extraordinary. He stood up and moved behind her, following her gaze to a live boxing match on a cruise ship. “What’s so fascinating?” he muttered, unimpressed. It was just another fight, nothing special. “What are you watching?”
Stephanie’s eyes were fixed on a man who’d been knocked down in the ring, his face a bloody mess. But in the moment he fell, she saw something that struck a chord. He looked a lot like Chris. No… more precisely, he looked even more like Fred.
Richard noticed her reaction. “Your fiancé in Long Harbor? What’s he doing now? Does he think he’s a punching bag?” It was more like a place for bullies to vent than an actual boxing match. The guy on the ground clearly didn’t stand a chance.
Stephanie tore her gaze away, not wanting to engage with Richard. But the next moment, Richard grabbed her chin. “Stephanie, you’re getting more and more unruly, aren’t you?”
“Let go,” she snapped, grabbing his wrist. This time, Richard released her almost reflexively. She had a bite, and it was best to keep a safe distance.
“Your phone’s been ringing,” she reminded him, her tone flat.
Richard shot an irritated glance at the phone before turning his eyes back to the TV screen, where the bloodied man was still visible. The danger in his eyes was unmistakable. He took out his phone and saw it was Theodore. “You still alive?”
“Hey, you’re so heartless,” Theodore shouted in frustration. He thought, ‘Oh, he has just let Sebastian nearly kill me. What’s the plan here? It’s too much.’
“Let’s get to the point,” Richard said, his voice cold.
“Sebastian wants to use me as a ransom for Stephanie,” Theodore explained.
Richard raised an eyebrow. “Do you think you’re worth it?”
“You’re just too much. I thought I meant something to you,” Theodore said, his voice dripping with anger.
Richard said nothing, lit a cigarette, and took a couple of puffs, casting a teasing glance at Stephanie. He was about to blow smoke in her direction, but Stephanie turned with a warning look. Ultimately, Richard held back and blew the smoke elsewhere.
“Plus Bernie,” Theodore added.
Hearing that, Richard took another puff of his cigarette and then turned to look at Stephanie. She raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips—a smile that seemed gentle but carried a hint of sarcasm. Richard didn’t like that smile. With just a glance, he looked away and said into the phone, “Deal.”
Richard hung up the phone and turned to Stephanie. “Do you remember what I told you before you left for Long Harbor?”
Stephanie didn’t want to reply, not after the last time they’d had this conversation in Paginara.
“You’re my fiancée,” Richard continued. “Wait for me to come and get you.”
At that moment, Stephanie understood. Richard was planning to send her back to Sebastian. She still didn’t know if what Lancelot had taken was really Richard’s, but it didn’t matter now. Her mind raced, but before she could say anything, Richard grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“To find your dear brother,” Richard replied, emphasizing the word “brother” just enough to make Stephanie’s skin crawl. He knew exactly where Sebastian was, and he led her straight to the golf room.
As soon as they entered, Stephanie saw Sebastian sitting across the room. Her instinct was to run to him, but Richard’s grip on her arm tightened. “Why the rush?”
Sebastian stood up, his eyes narrowing dangerously at Richard. Richard pressed the gun to Stephanie’s head. “Theodore, come here,” he ordered coldly.
“Mr. Giovanni, no, please,” Bernie stammered, clearly terrified. He didn’t want to end up in Richard’s clutches.
Sebastian ignored Bernie and gave Macro a sharp nod. Macro stood up, grabbed both Bernie and Theodore by the collars, and dragged them towards Richard. Bernie’s frantic shouting filled the room.
Macro tossed Bernie and Theodore at Richard’s feet, then stepped on Theodore’s back, pinning him down. He glanced at Richard, his eyes flicking to Stephanie, and Richard understood. He leaned down and whispered in Stephanie’s ear, “Stefi, we’re not done yet. Remember that.” Then he shoved her towards…
Before Theodore could even react, Richard had dragged him away, Bernie in tow. Macro barely had time to register what happened before Sebastian yanked Stephanie out of his grasp. Stephanie fell into Sebastian’s arms, and without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Sebastian,” she murmured.
Sebastian could feel the dampness on her clothes and quickly took off his T-shirt, draping it over her shoulders. “Let’s get you to the room,” he said, lifting her up and carrying her out.