Chapter 540

If they had known what was going on, they would have gone to pick up Stephanie by now so she wouldn’t have to deal with all the trouble from the Hart family. Compared to the risks they’d faced before, the Hart family’s tricks were nothing. Even though things weren’t fully sorted out, once Stephanie used the black card Sebastian gave her, they couldn’t help but worry. They couldn’t let her stay in Long Harbor by herself anymore.

“No matter what, let’s eat first. We’ll talk later,” Lottie said, placing a piece of meat in Stephanie’s bowl.

Stephanie used to really like beef bourguignon. But since moving to Long Harbor, the way they made it there wasn’t quite the same, so she stopped eating it as much. Right now, Lottie’s kindness made Stephanie feel at ease, and she started eating.

Just then, Sofia stormed in, muttering angrily. “Those bastards from the Vitale family… I’m gonna make them pay double. Luca and Macro? Ugh, they’re nothing but trash.”

“And Richard, that jerk… I’ll deal with him sooner or later. He’ll regret it,” Sofia said, seething.

Stephanie and Sebastian froze, completely shocked by her outburst. Lottie heard Sofia’s angry rant, and she couldn’t help but frown.

‘Oh, my God. My dear daughter… why do you talk like this? I’ve told you a thousand times. Stop cursing! You can’t just go around saying things like that. I can’t even tell who you take after with that temper,’ she thought.

Turning around, she saw Sofia coming in from the hallway. “Alright, enough with the swearing. Don’t you think you should act a little more like a lady?”

Lottie was seriously frustrated with Sofia. She’d raised both Sofia and Stephanie the same way, but Sofia had always been rough and tomboyish. She never wore the cute dresses Lottie bought for her. The high heels, jewelry, and handbags—everything custom-made—were all completely ignored.

Lottie thought Stephanie was better. A young girl should look like a princess, dressed up in pink and cute clothes.

Sofia saw them eating, and though she was still mad, she walked over and sat down at the table. She replied to Lottie while still fuming, “What’s the point of being ladylike? We’ve got Stefi to be the cute little princess of this family.”

Stephanie just stared at her, speechless. Lottie sighed, rubbing her temples. “Let’s see who’s gonna marry you then.”

The words hit Sofia harder than Lottie realized. She froze for a second, gripping her fork tightly. A sharp pain stabbed her chest.

“Yeah, nobody wants me, huh? Fine, I won’t get married. But if I’m still unmarried, and Stefi still gets pushed around, who’s gonna protect her when I’m gone?”

Stephanie paused, and Sebastian’s face darkened. Lottie asked, “You? Protect her?”

Sofia responded immediately. “I’m just speaking the truth. Three years ago, I just took a nap, and Stefi was gone.”

Back in Fiorenza, anyone who messed with Stephanie would usually have to face Sofia before Sebastian stepped in. Some people tried to create trouble between the sisters, but because of Sofia’s protective attitude toward Stephanie, no one dared to stir up any conflicts between them.

Lottie felt a headache coming on. “Why—”

“Mom, this is really good, too.” Stephanie quickly said, cutting Lottie off. She’d noticed the flash of sadness in Sofia’s eyes earlier. She knew Sofia’s trip to Sandara hadn’t gone as expected.

The memory of Sofia sinking into despair after Dan’s death came rushing back to Stephanie. For a long time, she couldn’t shake the pain. Dan was gone, and it felt like Sofia was drowning in grief. She had only just learned about Dan’s news in Sandara, and now, it seemed like what she saw there hurt her even more.

Sofia seemed tough on the outside, but Stephanie knew she buried her pain deep down. If she ever let herself feel it, the emotions would overwhelm her.

‘Is she really unwanted? No, she just wants one man, and she couldn’t care less about anyone else,’ Stephanie thought.

Over the years, Lottie had tried setting Sofia up with matches, hoping to help her move on. But every time, the guys would meet her once and never follow up.

Hearing Stephanie, Lottie glared at Sofia for a moment. “We’ll talk later.” With Stephanie there, Lottie didn’t want to bring up the subject of Sofia just yet.

Sofia huffed, “Don’t think you can stop me. I’m still going after Richard. Three years ago, he took Stefi away. This isn’t over.” She kept saying she was seeking revenge for Stephanie, and Sebastian shot her an annoyed look, but Sofia didn’t care.

Lottie’s face darkened when she heard that Sofia still planned on going after Richard. Thinking about the conversation she had with Richard the other day made her head spin. She didn’t know how to feel about what Richard had gone through back then.

People used to say Richard was ungrateful and turned on his best friend. But what they didn’t know was that if it weren’t for Richard’s drastic actions, the Giovanni family would have suffered an even worse blow.

After the meal, Sofia took Stephanie to her room, while Sebastian went with Lottie to the study. Sofia threw open the wardrobe door, reached in with both arms, and pulled out a whole row of clothes, tossing them onto the bed.