Crossroads

Chapter 209 

Stephanie was startled. This was her first tseeing Yvonne cto Breeze Vila. “Yvonne, if you are looking for your brother, he’s at Grandpa’s. 

However, there was no response to her question. 

She noticed Yvonne standing about 30 feet from the dining table. Yvonne stood there quietly with a hesitant expression as if she was waiting for something. 

“Yvonne, what’s wrong?” Stephanie asked, frowning in confusion. 

From what she had heard, Yvonne was somewhat introverted and rarely interacted with people. Her current behavior was very unusual. 

On second thought, it seemed unlikely that Yvonne had cto Breeze Villa to find her brother. Dominick was usually aloof and seldom approached his sister, and Yvonne was even less likely to bother him. 

“Yvonne, are you looking for me?” Stephanie guessed. 

Already half–full, Stephanie, no longer interested in her breakfast, stood and walked towards her. 

Yvonne’s bright eyes flashed with alarm. “Don’t disturb others while they’re eating. Don’t interrupt. Don’t speak loudly…” 

As Stephanie got closer, Yvonne’s lips trembled as she murmured these rules softly. 

Seeing how nervous she was, Stephanie stopped, not daring to get any closer. 

“Are you waiting forto finish breakfast?” she asked gently, trying to ease Yvonne’s anxiety. 

But Yvonne remained silent. 

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She seemed uncomfortable with eye contact, keeping her head down. Her long hair covered half her face, slightly flushed with nervousness. 

“Should I call Sandra?” Stephanie suggested, feeling at a loss. 

She didn’t want to scare her and thought Yvonne might be more comfortable with the household staff. 

“Dominick is upset.” Yvonne suddenly raised her head and exclaimed, looking anxious. 

‘What?‘ Stephanie was stunned. “Yvonne, your brother isn’t here. Or are you looking for me?” She still didn’t understand, but it was clear that Yvonne didn’t want her to call Sandra. 

The outburst made Yvonne think she had done something wrong. She looked conflicted, opening her mouth several times but saying nothing. 

“What do you want to tell me?” Stephanie asked. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.” 

Using a trick she had once used on Oscar, she tried to coax the nervous girl in front of her. 

This seemed to work. Yvonne’s eyes flickered when she heard her promise. 

“Stephanie,” she called softly. 

Stephanie felt a strange sensation. Yvonne had explicitly cto her. 

They hadn’t talked much before, unlike with Hayley. Yvonne would just politely greet her at family meals. Today, her calling her nfelt different. 

"My brother is upset,” Yvonne interrupted nervously with this cryptic statement. 

Stephanie felt a bit awkward. “Are you saying Dominick is upset?” Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

The idea of him being upset sounded childish. What did it matter if a grown man was happy or not? But she guessed that in Yvonne’s mind, it probably meant her brother had been in a bad mood lately. 

With everything going on, he was likely quite stressed. 

“Yvonne, do you like any fruit? Let’s go sit in the living room instead of standing here.” She wanted to get along with her, but as soon as Stephanie took a step, Yvonne crouched in terror, hugging her head and trembling. 

“I mean no harm.” Stephanie was stunned. She had never encountered such a reaction. It seemed like Yvonne was very scared. 

‘Is she afraid of me?’ Stephanie didn’t understand why Yvonne would be scared of her. 

Not wanting to provoke her further, Stephanie decided to find someone else to help. 

But as she tried to walk past, Yvonne suddenly grabbed the hem of her maternity dress. 

“Stephanie, Dominick is very unhappy.” Yvonne, who was half squatting, raised her head and said, her face full of anxiety. 

Stephanie was astonished. 

Even though she didn’t fully understand what Yvonne was trying to say, she knew it involved Dominick and seemed serious. 

Stephanie wanted to squat down to talk to her at eye level, but her pregnant belly made it difficult. 

“Yvonne, I know you ctobecause something is wrong, right? Can you stand up so we can talk properly? I promise I won’t get angry or upset, and I won’t be mean to you. You don’t have to be afraid of me.” 

Stephanie had sexperience communicating with people with autism. Their inner world was very sensitive and fragile, so one couldn’t yell at them carelessly. She reflected on whether she had been too harsh before, causing Yvonne to fear her. 

“I’m not afraid of you.” Yvonne stood up, glancing around nervously to ensure no one else was around Breeze Villa before relaxing a bit. 

Seeing her cautious behavior, Stephanie used all her patience to communicate with her. “Then what were you afraid of just now?” 

“Dominick will be angry.” 

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She was speaking in riddles again. Stephanie maintained a smile. “Your brother isn’t here. You don’t need to be afraid of him.” 

This was the first tStephanie realized how much this quiet girl cared about her brother. 

“Yvonne, I know you care about your brother. You think he’s been in a bad mood lately, right? Dominick can handle it himself, and all the Wellingtons, including Grandpa, will help him…” 

“Dominick doesn’t like the Wellingtons.” 

Yvonne’s words stunned Stephanie, causing a whirl of emotions in her heart. “You mean Dominick doesn’t like the Wellingtons?” 

Yvonne lowered her head again, avoiding eye contact. Her young face showed a mix of complex emotions. 

“Dominick doesn’t like the Wellingtons, he doesn’t like the piano, he doesn’t like girls…” Her voice was soft, like sharing a secret, hesitant to speak out loud. 

Suddenly, she paused. “He likes you.” 

Stephanie was taken aback but didn’t interrupt her. 

“Dominick was very unhappy. He was tied up by bad people. They beat him with chains. It was very painful. It was cold and snowy. The clothes Grandpa bought for him were gone. He ran desperately, hid in a trash can, and was bleeding. But Mom found him and tied him up again…” 

‘Mary tied Dominick up? Dominick was kidnapped by his own mother when he was five years old?‘ Stephanie’s mind went blank. 

“Dominick doesn’t like the Wellingtons, he doesn’t like the piano, he doesn’t like girls…” Yvonne looked like she had done something wrong, her face flushed with urgency. She repeated herself disjointedly, struggling to express her thoughts. 

“Mr. Wellington has been distant and withdrawn ever since he was kidnapped at the age of five. 

“Dominick hates women. Don’t get too close to him. He doesn’t like being too close.” 

“Can’t tell Grandpa, can’t tell Brad, can’t tell Hayley,” Yvonne mumbled, counting on her fingers. “Can’t tell Vincent, can’t tell Scott…” 

He always kept so many secrets to himself. 

She paused again and looked up at Stephanie. “Dominick is just like before. He’s very unhappy.” 

Stephanie froze, staring at her without saying a word.