Chapter 26
+23)
Seeing the necklace clutched in her hand only made her frustration spike. She stomped her foot, irritated.
Right then, the butler appeared, stepping into the tension. “Mrs. Ashford.”
Grace sighed, a heavy, defeated sound. “What’s she being so stubborn for? Who else would want her besides Chris?”
If she broke off the engagement, Stephanie’s reputation would tank. No prestigious family in Long Harbor would touch her
after that.
And the Hart family… Grace knew them too well.
If Stephanie lost Chris, they’d chew her up and spit her out without a second thought.
Grace couldn’t wrap her head around it. ‘How could Stephanie just reject someone like Chris?‘
The butler glanced at Stephanie. “She’s still young. She just can’t swallow her pride when it comes to Olivia.”
The butler thought Stephanie was just acting out because she couldn’t let go of what Olivia had done to her.
Grace agreed with him.
Grace snorted in agreement. “She can stir up trouble anywhere, but when it comes to the Hart family, she better check that high–and–mighty attitude.”
The truth was, the only reason Grace cared so much about Stephanie was because of Chris’s grandmother.
The old lady had insisted that Chris must marry Stephanie, calling her the family’s lucky star.
As far as Grace was concerned, none of the Hart girls were worth her time.
Grace’s anger boiled over. She was furious about Chris and Olivia’s affair, but even more enraged that it was Stéphanie who had declared the cancellation of the wedding.
Now, the Ashford family had lost face. Dignity? Gone.
And with Chris’s grandmother demanding that Stephanie be taken back, Grace couldn’t help feeling like there was no way to fix this.
Her mind raced through possible solutions as she stomped her foot again, making a final decision. “I’m really losing my mind! Where is Olivia staying?”
The butler replied with a stiff nod. “Long Harbor International Clinic.”
Stephanie had just stepped out of the Ashford family when a sharp honk broke through the quiet.
She turned toward the sound and saw Chris’s Phantom parked nearby.
She raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t left yet.
Chris stepped out of the car, a cigarette dangling from his fingers.
His tall, lean frame seemed to command the space around him, the kind of presence that made people stop and take notice.
There was an effortless, aloof elegance to him that made it clear: he wasn’t someone you could just walk up to.
12:21 Mon, 3 Mar
Chapter 26
If you could overlook his issues, he was hard to ignore.
Under his leadership. Ashford Group had doubled its market value in just one year.
He was respectful to his elders, dutiful, and seemingly had everything going for him–except one glaring flaw: his awful judgment when it came to women.
Their eyes met, but Stephanie’s gaze was cold. No warmth. No softness.
55%
Chris spoke first, his voice low but commanding. “Give your car keys to Kevin. He’ll drive your car back to Cloudridge Valley. You can ride with me.”
Stephanie let out a short, almost bored laugh. “I can drive myself.”
She tossed the words out with just the right amount of sarcasm.
It was the charm of an independent woman–Stephanie would never let herself be the one who needed saving, or waiting for someone else to take charge.
田
