Vengeance With My White Knight by Maya Kensington

Chapter 187 Elliot quietly left the lounge to give Stephanie and Sebastian sspace.

+53) 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 tapart 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 srest, 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 wro when she emerged from the bathroom, Sebastian was already there.

and 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 seconds, he realized what she was about to do. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice wavered. "Why are you going back? Chere.” 1/3 Chapter 187 20 Mar 97% Stephanie, unable to cover her body with her hands, ignored him and hurried back into the bathroom. When she cout 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.

Sebastian wrapped her in a towel and began drying her hair gently. Stephanie nestled into him, feeling safe and comfortable. It reminded her of her childhood, when she would just let Sebastian take care of her, quiet and still. He glanced down and noticed her little nose was a bit red, her cheeks flushed rosy.

Stephanie was already tired, and with Sebastian's gentle touch, she felt herself drifting off.

Sebastian's eyes moved lower, catching sight of the towel slipping a bit. She'd grown up so much, and seeing those half-covered curves made him smile. No one knew what thoughts were forming in Sebastian's mind just then.

Stephanie didn't seem to notice anything. She asked lazily, "Elliot said something went wrong. Is that jerk causing problems again?" "He wouldn't dare right now," Sebastian said. He was sure Richard was busy dealing with his own issues regarding Finn and didn't have tto stir up trouble.

Stephanie cracked open her eyes. "Then what's going on?" "We still need to head back to Long Harbor," Sebastian explained.

At this, Stephanie's brow furrowed. "Aren't we going back to Fiorenza? I miss Mom.” Ever since Lottie had sounded so accepting on the phone, Stephanie had felt a lot more at ease.

She'd been worried about how her relationship with Sebastian was progressing, but her mom's unexpected reaction had really helped.

When her hair was almost dry, Sebastian tossed the towel aside. "How about I take you hfirst?" "What?" Stephanie blinked.

"I've got sthings to handle. Shouldn't take more than a few days," Sebastian said.

"Then I'm coming with you," Stephanie murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist. She missed her mom, but she couldn't stand the thought of being away from Sebastian.

As she spoke, a teasing smile spread across his face. He lifted her onto the small bed and playfully climbed on top of her.

09:35 Thu, 20 Mar Chapter 187 97%8 Meanwhile, in Long Harbor, Chris heard about the accident in the Shallow Bay Area last night. He rushed over as soon as he got the news, but by then, everything had calmed down.

Ella happened to be coming out just then.

Seeing her, Chris quickly blocked her path. "Where's Stephanie? How is she?"

Ella was still confused. She'd planned to leave last night, but she'd gotten so scared that she'd passed out and ended up staying in Shallow Bay Area. When she woke up in the morning, everything seemed normal again, like nothing had happened. Secing Chris, Ella sneered, “Why are you pretending to be worried now?" She wouldn't believe he actually cared about Stephanie.

Chris's face darkened even more. He gritted his teeth. "I'm asking you. How is she?" His eyes were cold.

Ella's patience was wearing thin.

"What does she have to do with you? Chris, your heart already belongs to Olivia. Don't try to get Stefi involved too-she'd find that disgusting. And she doesn't need you, anyway." Chris's breathing was uneven. He clenched his fists. "I just want to know how she's doing right now." Ella replied, "People only miss what they've lost, but Stefi was never yours." With that, Ella turned and walked away, leaving Chris behind.

When Sebastian cto Long Harbor, Ella figured it out. Even if Olivia didn't cback, Stephanie would never marry Chris.

Ella's memory flickered back to the wedding dress Stephanie had tried on. She faintly recalled hearing it was designed by scompany.

At the time, she hadn't grasped the significance. Now she realized Stephanie trying on that dress wasn't just about Chris-it was more about the designer.

Now that she looked at it this way, she figured the company that designed the wedding dress was probably connected to Sebastian.

'Chris is such a fool. He hasn't been I've felt bad fo sincere with Stefi, and I've felt bad for her before. But now it seems like Steff hasn't been genuine with him either,' she sneered inwardly. "Stefi, you're really something," Ella muttered to herself as she drove.

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