Chapter 377

Messing with Stephanie was like tugging at Sebastian’s last nerve. The past two years of relentless pursuit were one thing. But now that Alessio and Cable were out of the picture, it was clear just how ruthless Sebastian could be. He used to make a big deal over Stephanie. Now, he was quietly losing his mind for her.

The group swiftly made their way back to the airport. Lorenzo had already arrived and met up with Sebastian. Sebastian was on a call, and whatever was said on the other end made his expression darken instantly. He hung up and turned to Lorenzo. “You need to head back to Fiorenza right now!”

Lorenzo’s eyes sharpened. “What’s the situation?” he asked, his tone serious.

“The Dohrn family has been causing trouble,” Sebastian explained. “They’ve bought some weapons from Keris Isle, and they’re already inside Fiorenza.”

A cold, steely glint flickered in Lorenzo’s eyes. He stood up, his tall frame exuding an almost palpable sense of menace. The tattoo partially hidden by his shirt collar only added to his dangerous aura. He was undeniably handsome, but there was an edge to him, a fierce and intimidating presence. Despite his preference for slender-waisted, busty women, he had never shown any sign of gentleness toward them.

Stephanie wondered, ‘No wonder Ella has been so terrified of him. Who wouldn’t be, with such an overwhelming and intimidating presence?’

Lorenzo straightened his suit. “I’ll go back and seize everything right away,” he declared. “If they weren’t going to play nice, he’d make sure they did.”

Sebastian felt the same way, but he still felt compelled to say, “Don’t be too heavy-handed.”

Stephanie and Macro exchanged glances. “They’re telling him to take everything but not to be too much of a bully!” Macro muttered under his breath. “How hypocritical is that?”

As soon as Lorenzo left, Stephanie’s phone rang. It was Ella. “Was it Amber who kicked Olivia out of the Hart residence?” Stephanie asked as soon as she picked up.

It seemed like every time Ella called, Stephanie’s first thought was gossip—either about the Ashford family or the Hart family. But this time, she was wrong. Ella wailed into the phone, “No, it’s not what I’m gonna say.”

“Why do you sound so down?” Stephanie whispered, lowering her voice. “Still can’t get over the first kiss thing? You really need to just forget about it.”

She knew Ella had a tendency to overthink things and create drama. And with Lorenzo’s dangerous vibe fresh in her mind, she hoped Ella wouldn’t get involved with him. He was trouble enough on his own.

“Oh, I really don’t have time to think about that right now,” Ella replied, her voice frantic.

“Then what’s going on?” Stephanie asked, her brow furrowing.

“I’m about to head to Fiorenza,” Ella said. “Are you there now?”

14:04 Sat, 22 Mar Aw

Chapter 377

Stephanie was shocked. “What?”

“My mom just rushed me onto a flight without even letting me pack. I’m already on the plane. Are you in Fiorenza? It’d make me feel a lot more comfortable if you were there,” Ella replied.

Even though it wasn’t Ella’s first time traveling abroad, she didn’t like being alone in unfamiliar places. Having Stephanie there would definitely help ease her anxiety.

“I’ll be back in about two or three days,” Stephanie said, trying to sound reassuring.

Ella didn’t say anything.

“What happened to your mom?” Stephanie asked. She liked Andrea, even though she hadn’t met her many times. Whenever Ella talked about Stephanie’s problems in front of Andrea, Andrea always stepped in to help.

“I really don’t know what’s going on,” Ella admitted. “Let’s just talk about this until we get to Fiorenza.” She was so anxious, but she hadn’t even had a chance to talk about it with Emily and find out what was happening.

“Are you already on the plane?” Stephanie asked, her voice tinged with concern.

“Yeah. I can’t talk now; we’re about to take off. I’ll catch you on the other side,” Ella said before hanging up abruptly.

Stephanie forced a smile as she looked at Sebastian. “Given the timing, there’s a high chance they’ll run into each other,” he said, referring to the likelihood of Ella and Lorenzo crossing paths.

Stephanie’s eyes widened, and she started to believe that fate brought them together.