Chapter 439
Chris saw Stephanie and seemed a bit lost. He held a cigarette and was dressed rather lightly. His appearance made him look seasoned and weary. This kind of image was unexpected for Chris. Stephanie leaned on the car door, her voice icy. “What are you doing here?”
Chris parked the car across the street. Stephanie didn’t think he was here to confront Sebastian. Being bold enough to park there, Chris must have known that Sebastian was out. It seemed like the Ashford family wasn’t in ruins just yet.
However, Stephanie was wrong. The Ashford family was indeed going through hard times, and Chris was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He dropped his cigarette and walked towards Stephanie.
Stephanie frowned, looking displeased. Chris stopped three miles away from Stephanie. At this moment, she could clearly see the rush of emotions in his eyes: emptiness, sorrow, pain… all these feelings were in Chris’s eyes.
Stephanie narrowed her eyes. “Still pleading for Olivia?” The only reason these emotions would be in Chris’s eyes must be because of Olivia; Stephanie couldn’t think of another reason.
Even though Ella and Allison brought her all sorts of gossip about the Hart family, in Stephanie’s eyes, Catlin and Chris’s favor of Olivia would surpass everything.
When Chris heard Stephanie say that, the pain in his eyes grew deeper. “Plead?” That word carried endless pain for him.
Stephanie raised her eyebrows. “No, not pleading. Are you trying to threaten me, suppress me?”
Whether it was the Hart family or Chris, when they asked Stephanie to spare Olivia, they didn’t plead. They directly suppressed her. They used many tactics during that time.
Hearing Stephanie say “threaten” and “suppress,” he felt like his chest was about to explode. Closing his eyes, his whole body trembled, and he struggled to say, “I’ve already cut ties with her.”
Stephanie raised her eyebrows, silently watching Chris, with Ella’s past gossip flashing through her mind. Ella mentioned that Chris had kicked over a flowerpot at the entrance of the Hart residence the other day.
Chris said, “Stefi, I’m really sorry.” His sudden apology made her raise an eyebrow. “Are you apologizing to me?”
“It’s my fault, I…” Chris suddenly couldn’t continue. Too much had happened since last night, and his mind was a mess. After leaving the Ashford residence, the only thing he wanted was to see Stephanie. He needed to see her.
No one knew how empty he felt during the time after she broke off the engagement. It was as if someone had taken away the most important part of him.
Stephanie said, “No need to apologize. You really shouldn’t have come to see me. Please move your car.” Not wanting to hear anything more from Chris, Stephanie turned and got into her car.
Just as she was about to close the car door, Chris panicked and rushed forward to grab it. Stephanie raised an eyebrow and said, “You…” While saying this, her foot naturally and instinctively stretched out.
Seeing her reflexive action, Chris darkened his face dramatically. In an instant, he backed away to a safe distance. He remembered now that Stephanie wasn’t comfortable with physical contact. During their engagement, she always resisted whenever he got close. And ever since the breakup, whenever he tried to grab her wrist, she’d immediately retaliate.
And just now, she was thinking of kicking him. Recalling the bruises he’d gotten before, Chris struggled to keep his face composed.
Stephanie only realized she instinctively wanted to kick Chris again after he stepped back.
She said, “Sorry, but the mental trauma you left me with is huge. My usual way of self-defense is violence, so you’d better not appear in front of me, or else if I hit you, it won’t be my fault.”
Chris said nothing.
The driver thought, ‘Miss is quite polite, acknowledging that hitting someone is wrong!’