Chapter 86
Chapter 86
The moment the words left her mouth, he took a long stride forward.
Something felt off. But before Stephanie could react, he pulled her into his embrace.
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The next second, the coolness of his lips, laced with a subtle taste of red wine, landed against hers.
Boom! Stephanie felt like she had been struck by lightning. Her entire body froze, her mind blanking out completely.
To Sebastian, her stillness meant no resistance. His kiss grew bolder, more demanding.
Five seconds passed before Stephanie finally snapped out of her daze. Instinctively, she placed her hands against his chest, attempting to push him away.
But in the next moment, Sebastian caught her wrists, pinning them behind her.
“Don’t…” she murmured softly.
Sebastian, now hovering over her, cracked his eyes open, his gaze clouded with intoxication.
His deep, unfocused stare made her uncertain if he was even fully aware of what he was doing. Stephanie struggled free and cupped his face with both hands. “Tell me. Who am I?”
Her voice trembled with both hope and fear. For years, she had buried her feelings for him, never daring to let them surface. And now, here he was, responding in a way she had never imagined.
But he was drunk.
She didn’t even know when exactly she had started liking him, wanting him, and loving him.
They weren’t related by blood, but that didn’t make her fears any less real.
Growing up, Sebastian had always treated her as family. He used to introduce her as his sister whenever they were outside. Stephanie had always regarded the relationship between them as sibling affection..
He had held her in the palm of his hand and doted on her like a younger sister.
If she laid her heart bare and he didn’t feel the same way, it wouldn’t just be rejection; it would shatter the bond they had built over a lifetime. She couldn’t bear that.
When he didn’t answer, a flicker of disappointment crossed her eyes. “You don’t recognize me?” There was a hint of sadness in her voice.
Still, he didn’t speak. Instead, he cradled her face in his hands, leaning in once more.
Stephanie turned her head away just in time. “Sebastian, please sober up.”
If he had been sober, maybe she would have let things unfold. But he wasn’t.
Stephanie was afraid that when Sebastian woke up tomorrow and found out it was her, everything between them would be
over.
And she didn’t even know who he thought she was at that moment.
Stephanie had been away from the Giovanni family for years; things could have changed. People could have changed. The thought made her chest tighten with an unbearable ache.
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Chapter 86
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With some effort, she managed to break free. She went straight to the kitchen and started brewing a cup of back coffee, something strong enough to help clear his head,
She wasn’t skilled at cooking much else, but black coffee was her specialty,
Back in Fiorenza, their parents were often out at social events, and Sebastian was often drunk.
The house staff would brew coffee for him, but they never liked how it tasted.
So Stephanie had taken it upon herself to learn. She experimented, tweaking the recipe until she found just the right balance. It turned out Sebastian and the others preferred her version over anything the servants made.
Now, she carried the cup over to him. “Sebastian, have some coffee,” she said gently.
But he had already dozed off on the couch in her room. Stephanie sighed, setting the cup aside. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him up to sit upright.
He was heavy, but for her, lifting him was easy.
Stephanie had Sofia to thank for her great strength.
On the surface, the Giovanni family’s business appeared simple. But Sebastian, the heir to the Lucano family, was the most powerful arms dealer hidden within the shadows. Danger followed him like a ghost, always lurking.
When Stephanie was thirteen, she had been kidnapped. After that, Sebastian never stopped worrying about her safety.
Sofia had seen enough and decided to step in. She took Stephanie away for three months of training.
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