Barely Breathing

[This chapter is dedicated to Mercury_Drug. Thank you for your continuous support. I'm truly grateful. Much love!]

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Nicole has her nose buried in the report that she has to finish. The matter about Stefan was out of her mind. She had already called his grandfather, she had done her part. She was quite sure that Stefan's father has something to do in his absence from the way the old Tiefenbacher wordings. And in not so many words, the old man expresses his disapproval of her and her still being a part of the family. 

She knew a long time ago that Stefan wasn't really a Tiefenbacher by blood because his father Steven—is just an adopted son of Alfred. 

She tried to not show her annoyance with the old man when she made the call. Stefan became a good friend over the years and she worried about him, but not enough to put herself in a situation that would become a problem to her.