Vengeance With My White Knight by Maya Kensington

Chapter 24

stephanie’s breath caught in her throat, her whole body tense. For a moment, she couldn’t calm down.

Her hands shook as she grabbed the phone. “Hello?”

“Miss Giovanni” The voice on the other end was unmistakable.

Stephanie’s face went blank, her eyes betraying the storm of emotions she was fighting to keep in check.

She forced herself to speak. “Yeah, it’s me.”

The guy went on, “Mr. Giovanni’s flight is arriving at Long Harbor at 8 PM tonight. He wants you to meet him at the airport.”

Stephanie’s heart skipped a beat.

She gripped the phone tighter, her palm sweating. “He… he’s coming to Long Harbor?”

The weight of this moment hit her all at once. He was finally coming, after all this time.

Just yesterday, she’d had swiped the wrong black card while shopping. She knew he’d find out, but she hadn’t expected it to blow up this fast.

The voice on the other end belonged to Elliot Grant, an assistant.

Polite, respectful on the surface–but everyone in Fiorenza feared him. Elliot had a way of making people shake in their boots.

And if Elliot could do that… well, Sebastian Giovanni? The man he assisted? He could do anything.

He was the man who’d raised Stephanie.

Elliot’s voice came again, cold as ever. “He also said you better have an explanation ready. Or…”

He didn’t need to finish. The silence said it all.

Stephanie shuddered.

She hung up, the motion casual, but inside, her mind was racing.

The afternoon felt like a blur. She couldn’t focus. Her thoughts kept drifting. Even during the meeting, she struggled to stay

present.

All she could think about was Sebastian.

He was the guy the Hart family was looking for–the one who raised her.

Fiorenza, he didn’t just have power–he controlled everything. The legal world.

three years ago, just before she left Fiorenza. Her eyes filled

was lost in her thoughts

hit six, she stepped outside–and her phone started buzzing

she answered, “Hello?”

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13

Chapter 24

by Cathie’s voice came through,

Based arowed at the busy street, answering flatly. “You

only one who could joke with Carlins was Olivia

fe in with them. Always the high expectations, the endless

Catlin’s anger only flared

your best friend, right?

out a shon, cold laugh. “Yeah,

long silence on the other end. Catlin sounded

so mad, her

But instead, the just owned it,

It was clear now–Stephanie didn’t care about this family.

already planned how to interrogate her, but

“So, you

she couldn’t be bothered. “What’s the big deal? With everything going on between Olivia and me, you really think it’s surprising I’d cause

games, the way she pulled

kind of underhandedness. If she wanted something done, she’d do it straight up. No hiding.

by Stephanie’s bluntness, she

the words to express her anger anymore. All she could manage was repeating, “You… how

sharp. “What, Catlin? You want me to bring Allison back

said “Catlin” made Catlin

she’d never once called her “Mom.” In fact, she’d never addressed her formally at

stung. It wasn’t out of any kind of affection

deliberate choice–Stephanie didn’t want to show her even

to stop herself, Catlin

you really want to argue about something that pointless on the phone?”

“mom didn’t exist in Stephanie’s vocabulary. She had two

casually Stephanie spoke,

sitting in her chest all this time–heavy and painful–and now it was finally sinking in.

deep breaths, Catlin said, “Get Dr. Pierce back. I’ll

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on, 3 Mar