Vengeance With My White Knight by Maya Kensington

Chapter 177 Chapter 177 Meanwhile, the Harts were squirming in misery.

+23 Caitlin hung up with Olivia, her heart pounding, and raced back to the Hart family estate. The minute she walked in, Olivia's gut-wrenching cries hit her from upstairs.

A maid saw her and dipped her head. "Ma'am." "What's wrong with Olivia? Did you give her anything?" Caitlin snapped, her voice tight.

The maid shifted, nervous. "We're out of meds. I called the doctor, but he's not coming." Caitlin's breath caught. She didn't say another word-just bolted up the stairs.

She flung Olivia's door open. The room was dark, thick with a heavy vibe.

Olivia was curled up on the bed, gripping her stomach, gasping through the pain.

She'd always been proud-especially of that stunning hair she'd show off like it was her crown.

Now it was gone. All of it. Her scalp bare, not a single strand left from yesterday's last bits. Caitlin's chest hurt, her voice shaky. "Olivia.” Olivia looked up, her face twisted in pain. "Mom, it hurts. It hurts so much." "I know, but..." Caitlin's hands balled up, useless.

Her head was spinning, coming up empty.

She grabbed Olivia's hand, her heart cracking open, raw and aching.

The house had no meds left. Olivia couldn't leave the country-couldn't even get out of Long Harbor.

She was sick, desperate, with no fix in sight. It didn't get much worse than this.

"Mom, it hurts so much. I need painkillers-can't we get sfrom the hospital?" Olivia begged, her voice thin and scratchy.

Sure, the pharmacy had stuff, but with her this bad off, over-the-counter meds was pointless. It was like popping nothing-zero relief.

Worse, without a doctor's okay, she'd thrown up twice, her stomach flipping like crazy.

Her body was already trashed; now it was straight-up torture, every moment a nightmare.

"Stefi still won't forgive me, will she? Mom, tell her I'll cclean-I'll own it," Olivia forced out, teeth gritted.

"Tell her I'll get better first, then go to jail and face the music, okay?" she added, her voice cracking into sobs. The pain was tearing her apart, her head getting fuzzy.

She'd almost rather patch up and sit in prison-at least it'd beat this slow, miserable crawl to the end. Caitlin's heart stopped, her breath stuck in her chest. “Olivia, don't freak out. I'll figure something out-l promise." "Figure what out? What's left but begging Stefi?" Olivia shot back her voice spiking with desperation.

1/4 ☐☐☐91% Chapter 177 Caitlin didn't seem to have heard a word she had said. Anger and fear churned inside Olivia.

"Did you see Stefi and mess it up again? Did you not talk to her right?" she pressed, bitterness cutting through.

It had to be that. The more she chewed on it, the more it made sense.

+23 People had hearts-real ones. If Caitlin had just buttered Stephanie up a little, Olivia believed that she wouldn't still be stuck. here, trapped in Long Harbor.

Caitlin fumbled, thrown off. “I-I... Don't worry, I'll find a way. I will." She kept saying it, but her voice shook with panic and no answers.

Olivia's frustration boiled over, trembling. "I might not make it that long-do you even get that, Mom?" Find a way, find a way—if she could, Olivia wouldn't still be caged here, hurting like this.

Caitlin opened her mouth to answer, but her phone rang, its sharp chslicing through the mess.

It was the maid at the hospital with Tyler. “Ma'am, they're saying Mr. Hart has to be discharged today."" "What? Where's Chad? He's not there either?" Caitlin's voice jumped, sharp and rushed.

Her breath hitched, her pulse pounding.

Chad had booted her from the hospital-now he wasn't even there? Panic ripped through her.

With the house falling apart, she couldn't believe Chad left their son alone in the hospital.

The maid sounded lost. "They're pushing hard here. What do we do? Neither you nor Mr. Hart are around." Caitlin froze, floored.

Her breathing jammed, fingers clamping the phone tight.

Stephanie's words to her butler popped into her head-she'd set this all up, every bit of it.

She'd left Olivia sick with no meds. Now her brother was next.

"Ma'am? Ma'am?" The maid's voice got louder, begging for something.

Caitlin's breath shook. "I-I'm coming right now," she managed, choking on it.

She was unraveling, her head a jumbled wreck.

Olivia, twisting in pain on one side. Tyler, kicked out of the hospital on the other. She was split, torn to pieces.

Her two kids-her heart ached, raw and ripped open.

In that instant, the Hart family crashed hard, the house buzzing with wild, suffocating chaos.

Stephanie sat on the bed, gripping the phone tight.

Sebastian was sprawled on the couch nearby, sipping water, his eyes locked on her, calm and steady.

Lottie Lucano's voice cthrough, heavy with worry. "I knew that little brat was scheming something with you." 2/4 Chapter 177 "My poor girl, you must've been scared stiff, huh?" Her tone was all warm concern.

Stephanie mumbled back, quiet. "Mom, I...” "Wait until we're back in Fiorenza-I'll rip him to shreds, I swear Lottic vowed, full of fire.

Stephanie went still, brain tripping over itself.

Lottie kept going. "Don't you stress, I'll fix this for you." Stephanie flicked her eyes to Sebastian on the couch, her cheeks turning pink.

Lottie was still rolling, no brakes, but Stephanic's heart was already going soft, a tiny smile creeping up. Sebastian had mentioned calling her mom earlier, and she'd been a mess since-nerves all twisted up. Her mom's take meant everything-her whole future with Sebastian hinged on it.

He was the heir to Fiorenza's old-school Lucano family and the one running the Giovanni house. Tradition said he needed a wife from the right stock-a real heiress, born into the perfect crew.

Back in Fiorenza, her mom had hauled him around to meet tons of those primped-up society ladies. She'd always thought it was setup for sbig, calculated marriage later.

But this? Lottie's reaction was throwing Stephanie off big time.

"Mom, you're not mad at me?” Stephanie asked, her voice shaky and small.

Her nose burned, tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

Lottie gasped, shocked. "Oh, sweetie, you're really rattled-saying silly stuff now!" Stephanie blinked, totally confused.

She couldn't quite follow her mom's vibe.

"He said he's getting the marriage license tomorrow," she blurted jumping at the chance to lay it out.

Sebastian gave her a look, one eyebrow cocked, a spark of mischief in his gaze.

The line went silent for a second-then Lottie blew up. "What? A marriage license? Just like that?" Stephanie flinched, jarred by the outburst.

Lottie's voice cranked louder. "You said yes?" It was basically a shout, all stunned disbelief.

Stephanie's throat closed up. She swallowed hard.

"Should... should I not have?" she squeaked, almost too quiet to hear.

"Of course not! You can't let that brat off that easy!" Lottie snapped, fuming.

"That little sneak, pulling this on you-trying to get a free ride? Stefi) up." She was listen listen up." She was off and running, no stopping her. Sebastian got up, strolling over, his steps slow and smooth.

3/4 +23 Fri, Mar 14 Chapter 177 B Before Lottie could wrap up, he snagged the phone from Stephanie's hand and ended the call, no hesitation. Stephanie looked up at him, eyes wide. "Mom said I shouldn't just go along with the license thing." She barely finished before his hand slid behind her head.

He kissed her, out of nowhere-hard but soft, a kiss that didn't mess around.

She shoved at his chest at first, hands pushing, but then she melted, letting him pull her in.

Lottie's reaction had finally smashed her last bit of doubt.

With Sebastian, the barriers were down-just trust and a gooey warmth filling her up.

Ten minutes later, the room felt hotter, the air thick with a flirty buzz.

Sebastian eased back, his voice low and rough. "Little vixen." ☐291%

Stephanie caught her breath, muttering under her breath, "Mom sounded like she's fine withbut ready to chew you out."

Sebastian's lips twitched into a smirk. He leaned in and gave her earlobe a light nip just enough to send a little shiver down her spine. Lottie had to be reeling-Sebastian hitting her with that out of nowhere, totally throwing her off.

Her own son, and she'd never picked up on his thing for Stephanie.

She'd been dead-set on pairing him with sfancy, high-class girl, but he'd dodged every one.

Too thin? Nah. Too full? No thanks. She'd trotted out girls left and right, and he'd shut it down every time. Turns out the sneaky guy had his sights locked on Stephanie the whole time, just biding his time. She was only now catching 1. up.

"She loved you," Sebastian said, letting out a soft laugh. "You're such a dork." Stephanie's mouth quirked, her eyes narrowing with a touch of annoyance.

Yeah, her mom loved her, but this wasn't slittle thing-she still felt a nervous buzz.

"Dork, huh?" He poked at her again, his voice all playful.

She huffed and gave his waist a good twist, her grip sharp and sassy.

Sebastian's eyes flashed, narrowing. "Keep that up, and I might not play nice." Her soft hands twisting him like that? It was getting under his skin, waking something up.

He palm, 1. d.

4/4 AD Comment mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1