Cross Roads

Chapter 48 Stephanie froze in place, her expression complex as she watched Dominick embrace Jessica and walk away. Vincent offered a word of comfort, "Stephanie, are you alright?" Stephanie lowered her head, her long eyelashes hiding the emotions in her eyes as she murmured, “I'm fine. It's just a minor scrape." Vincent was frustrated. "T "I'm talking about Dominick leaving with that Jessica. Don't be too sad." "Who's sad? Why should I be sad?” Stephanie, as if her feelings had been pinpointed, snapped her head up and yelled at him, "My right hand fingers are hurting so much I could cry. Let him do whatever he wants. It has nothing to do with mel" Vincent was left speechless and thought, 'This woman is stubborn as a mule. I clearly saw the hint of sadness in your eyes. After all, seeing your husband cozy up to another woman must stir semotions! The two of them then took the elevator down to the parking garage together.

Vincent couldn't help but nag Stephanie. "Didn't I tell you to go to the top floor? Why did you end up on the 35th floor?" "I saw Jess... Never mind!" She frowned, unwilling to finish speaking Vincent walked to his car, opened the door, and grumbled at Stephanie, “Didn't I've always told you that women should just be more obedient? If you had just tolerated Dominick's scolding just now, everything would have been fine. Instead, you fronted off with him..." He pondered, 'But cto think of it, not many people actually dare talk back to Dominick like that. If it were someone else, that person would have been beaten and carried out by now." Stephanie's expression turned even grimmer at the mention of Dominick. "He's always so gentle with his Jessica. But why does he lash out atevery the sees me? What did I do to offend him? It's not fair!" Vincent found that odd as well.

Dominick was usually indifferent to others, and it took a lot to truly anger him, but his reactions were always different when it cto Stephanie.

Vincent got into the driver's seat and suggested, "You should go back to Wellington Villa and find a way to make up with Dominick..." "I did nothing wrong!" Stephanie looked defiant.

Just as she was about to get into the passenger seat, a figure suddenly hurried toward them.

It was the Wellington family's bodyguard. "Mrs. Wellington..." The bodyguard seemed very anxious as he asked, "Mrs. Wellington, have you seen Mr. Wellington?" Stephanie kept a straight face and did not reply.

Vincent rolled down the car window and asked, "What's the matter?" Upon seeing Vincent was there as well, the bodyguard respectfully called out. "Mr. Hayes." The bodyguard quickly explained, "We were with Mr. Wellington at the club practicing boxing all day. About ten minutes ago, someone from the Flaming Bar called Mr. Wellington, saying that they couldn't reach Mrs. Wellington on the 35th floor." 10:35 Sat, 22 Jun G Chapter 48 * 86%** With that, the bodyguard looked at Stephanie strangely and continued, "Mr. Wellington looked very grim. He hung up the phone, grabbed his car keys, and rushed over here. We didn't know what happened, but Mr. Wellington sped and ran red lights all the way on the mountain expressway. He even nearly collided with another car..." Stephanie and Vincent were both momentarily stunned at his words.

"Mr. Hayes, did something happen at the Flaming Dar? I heard Mr. Wellington had the 35th floor cleared out." The bodyguard pressed on.

"Where is Mr. Wellington now?" Stephanie's lips were tightly pressed, her eyes slightly darkened.

ne with the "It's nothing serious. Dominick has already left the Flaming Bar..." Vincent said casually, then nodded to both of them before leaving bodyguard.

Stephanie climbed into the passenger seat with a heavy heart and remained silent.

Vincent then drove her back to Wellington Villa. Along the way, he felt confused and puzzled as well.

As they neared Wellington Villa, Vincent couldn't resist asking, “Stephanie, did you know Dominick before?" Stephanie responded sullenly, "Why? Are you going to say I look like Jessica again? She actually had sur..." Vincent glared at her and interjected, "Forget it, Stephanie. Even if you did know Dominick from before, you probably offended him more than once.

After the car smoothly parked outside the gates of Wellington Villa, Vincent turned around, picked up a rose- colored handbag from the back seat, and handed it to her. “You left your purse in my car. I couldn't reach you at the Flaming Bar. No wonder you weren't answering my calls...

After listening to his complaints, Stephanie got out of the car and went back inside with the Wellington family's servants.

She picked up her purse and suddenly remembered something. Stephanie then immediately pulled out her phone and saw that Vincent had indeed called her twice. Moreover....

Stephanie's expression beccomplicated as she stared at the display, which showed twelve missed calls from Dominick.

She muttered under her breath, "He's p probably y with his Jessica right now." Stephanie returned to her bedroom, feeling gloomy. She slammed the bedroom door shut with a loud bang, feeling inexplicably irritable.

anwhile, Dominick, looking equally i irritated, slammed the car door shut with a thud.

"Dominick..." The woman in the passenger seat called him softly, her voice filled with concern. “Dominick, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Dominick's gloomy face turned and glared at the familiar face beside him.

Jessica felt inexplicably panic under his intense gaze.

"Dominick, did you cto the Flaming Bar looking for me?" Her voice was suppressed with guilt, her "I... I was forced to chere by scolleagues who said we had to have dinner with a producer." tone soft and weak as she explained, As Jessica spoke, she looked frightened as she grabbed Dominick's hand, her voice trembling. "I didn't expect the Flaming Bar to be such a complicated place. It's terrifying, those people are just reckless..." Chapter 48 As Dominick listened to her, his eyes were intently fixed on her face, yet he remained silent as if deep in thought.

And Jessica also noticed his distracted demeanor.

It was as if Dominick didn't care about what had happened to her at the Flaming Bar. Instead, he was just pondering something else own.

Jessica then softly pleaded with her sweet voice, "Dominick, I promise I won't cto places like this with my colleagues anymore. Please, don't be mad at me." Dominick looked at her and sneered inwardly, If only she could be this obedient..." He leaned back against the car seat, closed his eyes, and tried to calm the agitation in his him.

At that moment, Dominick closed his s eyes, his brow slightly furrowed. Jessica sat quietly beside him, her gaze lingering on him.

He was exceptionally handsome, with flawless skin and well-defined features. Perhaps because of his unique background, he exuded an aloof and unapproachable presence that was inadvertently captivating.

"Dominick... Dominick, I love e you so much," she declared in a dazed voice.

"Get out of the car," Dominick commanded without moving from his seat. His voice was cold and clear, instantly shattering the intimate atmosphere.

Jessica felt unwilling to accept this. She thought, 'Every tI try to get closer to him, he pushesaway. Tonight, I must...' She then leaned close to Dominick's ear and whispered his name, “Dominick..." Usually, when a woman offered herself willingly, most men wouldn't refuse.

Yet Dominick looked visibly annoyed as he pushed Jessica away. "I said, , get out!" His st His stern voice startled her, and she froze in shock.

"Dominick." Jessica felt resentful yet somewhat fearful of him.

Dominick looked at her face, feeling an inexplicable irritation rising within him. "Get out," he ordered one last time.

Jessica, who had always been compliant in front of him, knew Dominick's brooding personality was not to be crossed.

Afterward, she got out of the car and was escorted back by Dominick's bodyguard.

Meanwhile, Dominick sat alone in the driver's seat of the convertible. He rested his right hand casually on the door and looked up with a solemn gaze at the dark sky above.

Jessica watched him from a distance and felt uneasy.

She had never seen Dominick like this before. He seemed very troubled. But what could trouble such a man? Jessica got into the bodyguard's car rand looked back longingly at Dominick as they drove away.

Suddenly, Dominick pressed his lips.

together as if he remembered om something important. He then slammed on the accelerator and sped past their car, disappearing into the night. Jessica was shocked as she saw his swiftly passing figure, sensing his agitation and anxiety. She wondered, "Where is he going?" Dominick drove straight back to Wellington Villa 10:35 Sat, 22 Jun Chapter 48 Upon his arrival, the household staff immediately greeted him. "Mr. Wellington, would you like slate-night snacks?" "No need." As soon as Dominick spoke, he paused and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Mrs. Wellington?" The maid reported truthfully, "Mr. Hayes brought Mrs. Wellington back half an hour ago. She should still be up in her bedroom..." Upon hearing that, Dominick's expression turned complex.

He went directly upstairs but did not return to his bedroom.

Instead, Dominick sat in the study and was sitting there for a long time.

86% It wasn't until the cool night breeze blew through the floor-to-ceiling windows that Dominick glanced at the wall clock and noted that it was one in the morning.

He pondered, "She must be asleep by now...

A rare sense of discouragement flashed across Dominick's stern face, especially recalling Stephanie's defiant look when she confronted him.

"Why are you yelling at me?!" Her angry voice echoed in Dominick's ears. In truth, he didn't want to scold Stephanie, nor did he want to argu with her.

Dominick walked toward the bedroom and gripped the doorknob before gently turning it.

He immediately glanced toward the bed. At that moment, the bedroom was dimly lit, and the woman on the bed was already fast asleep while she lay on her side.

Dominick stood by the bed and gazed tenderly at Stephanie's sleeping face.

Actually, he had been in a bad mood all day, especially since today was the Winter Festival, a day he om despised Particularly after he received a call that Stephanie had gone to the Flaming Bar, his irritability could no longer be contained, so he scolded her. Dominick looked out at the quiet moon, calmed his emotions, bent down, and lifted the blanket, his gaze falling on her right hand.

wen her f He didn't know what trouble Stephanie had gotten into this time, but now even fingers were bruised and swollen.

Afterward, Dominick lifted her hand to examine it. Just then, Stephanie, on the bed, felt the pain, furrowed her brow, and instinctively pulled her hand back.

"Stephanie, when will you learn to behave?" Dominick murmured as he stared intently at Stephanie. His tone was full of irritation, yet helpless about what to do with her. He then turned and walked toward the dresser to get the medical kit.

But just as Dominick took a few steps, he saw a birthday cake on the small living room table in the bedroom, and he froze in place.

He mused, 'Did she buy buy this birthday cake for me?"