Crossroads

Chapter 25

Dominick wondered in confusion, "Stephanie went missing?"

After she left Reed Villa, she didn't return to the hotel and suddenly vanished without a trace.

Vincent was also helping to search for Stephanie and couldn't help but complain, "What on earth is Stephanie up to? She doesn't even pick up her phone. Is she doing this on purpose to make us search for her?"

Dominick gazed at the slowly setting sun in the sky, his stern face masking his emotions, feeling somewhat irritated.

Scott hurriedly parked the car in front of the hotel and leaned out to shout to Dominick, "Dominick, we've found her. She's at the cemetery..."

Dominick pondered in bewilderment, 'She's at the cemetery?"

When Dominick arrived at the cemetery with the others, he immediately recognized the wornan squatting in front of a tombstone in the west section of the graveyard. It was none other than Stephanie herself, Dominick then approached her with a complex expression and heavy steps He stood beside Stephanie and scolded her sternly, "Stephanie! What on earth are you trying to do? Are you intentionally making everyone worried, trying to cause a frantic search to satisfy your vanity? Don't play this trick withnext time, Stephanie. If something happens to the child, you won't be able to handle the consequences."

Stephanie suddenly looked up and shouted with resentment, "I know! I know! I'm just a tool for bearing children to your"

When Dominick met Stephanie's tearful and reddened eyes, his eyebrows furrowed slightly Afterward, he glanced at the tombstone in front of Stephanie, which bore the nMadison Clark, Dominick then realized that this was the grave of Stephanie's mother.

As the sun began to set in the west, the sky started to darken. Meanwhile, Dominick and Stephanie just looked at each other in silence, making the already gloomy cemetery seem more cerie After a long while, Dominick coldly said, "Let's go back." His voice was much calmer than before.

Stephanie did not respond to him. She was still squatting in front of the tombstone, unwilling to leave.

Dominick looked down at her frail figure and inexplicably felt annoyed. He scolded her, "Stephanie, what's the matter with you? Stop acting spoiled and throwing tantrums. I have no patience with women!"

"Cback with me!" He repeated sternly.

"I don't need you to tellwhat to do." Stephanie kept her head down, her gaze fixed on the photo of her mother on the tombstone, her eyes brimming with tears.

Dominick was frustrated. "Your mother passed away six years ago. Don't tellthat just because you returned to Reed Villa today, you've becsentimental. I don'thave tto keep an eye on you, Cback withright now!"

He really didn't have much patience for women and bent down and simply pulled Stephanie to her feet.

But, for sreason, she was being stubborn today. With her eyes red and swollen, she clung tightly to her mother's gravestone, refusing to let go.

Stephanie cried out, "I won't gal I don't want to! I won't let you force me. None of you can force me...

Chapter 25

Dominick wondered in confusion, Stephanie went missing?"

After she left Reed Villa, she didn't return to the hotel and suddenly vanished without a trace.

Vincent was also helping to search for Stephanie and couldn't help but complain, "What on earth is Stephanie up to? She doesn't even pick up her phone. Is she doing this on purpose to make us search for her?"

Dominick gazed at the slowly setting sun in the sky, his stern face masking his emotions, feeling somewhat irritated.

Scott hurriedly parked the car in front of the hotel and leaned out to shout to Dominick, "Dominick, we've found her. She's at the cemetery..."

Dominick pondered in bewilderment, "She's at the cemetery?"

When Dominick arrived at the cemetery with the others, he immediately recognized the woman squatting in front of a tombstone in the west section of the graveyard. It was none other than Stephanie herself.

Dominick then approached her with a complex expression and heavy steps.

He stood beside Stephanie and scolded her sternly, "Stephanie! What on earth are you trying to do?! Are you intentionally making everyone worried, trying to cause a frantic search to satisfy your vanity? Don't play this trick withnext time, Stephanie. If something happens to the child, you won't be able to handle the consequences."

Stephanie suddenly looked up and shouted with resentment, "I know! I know! I'm just a tool for bearing children to you!"

When Dominick met Stephanie's tearful and reddened eyes, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Afterward, he glanced at the tombstone in front of Stephanie, which bore the nMadison Clark. Dominick then realized that this was the grave of Stephanie's mother.

15** 3 23 24 25 2

As the sun began to set in the west, the sky started to darken. Meanwhile, Dominick and Stephanie just looked at each other in silence, making the already gloomy cemetery seem more coric.

After a long while, Dominick coldly said, "Let's go back." His voice was much calmer than before.

Stephanie did not respond to him. She was still squatting in front of the tombstone, unwilling to leave Dominick looked down at her frail figure and inexplicably felt annoyed. He scolded her, "Stephanie, what's the matter with you? Stop acting spoiled and throwing tantrums. I have no patience with women!"

"Cback with me!" He repeated sternly.

"I don't need you to tellwhat to do." Stephanie kept her head down, her gaze fixed on the photo of her mother on the tombstone, her eyes brimming with tears.

Dominick was frustrated. "Your mother passed away six years ago. Don't tellthat just because you returned to Reed Villa today, you've becsentimental. I don't have tto keep an eye on you. Cback withright now!"

He really didn't have much patience for women and bent down and simply pulled Stephanie to her feet.

But, for sreason, she was being stubborn today. With her eyes red and swollen, she clung tightly to her mother's gravestone, refusing to let go. Stephanie cried out, "I won't go I don't want to! I won't let you force me. None of you can force me..."

Chapter 25

Upon seeing her like this, Dominick reproached her angrily, "Stephanie, you are the sole heiress of the Reed family, the wealthiest family in Caetorium, and your mother was the first heiress of the military and political Clark family. Even after your mother died of illness and Gary remarried, you are still more fortunate than many others out there. Don't wallow in self pity here. You have no right to do so.

Now, get up!"

Stephanie was profoundly hurt by his words and yelled back furiously, "You know nothing, Dominick! How dare you mock me?"

Her eyes were reddened with tears, and she instinctively clenched her fists as she recalled the past with the Reed family.

The agonizing and heart-wrenching memories triggered the pain suppressed deep inside that threatened to tear her apart.

Stephanie shouted at Dominick angrily as tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, "My mother, Madison, she committed suicidel"

As she remembered her deceased mother, she couldn't help but let the tears fall.

"Courtney and Claire, the two sisters, were originally impoverished students from the mountainous area. My mother kindly funded their university education in the city. But in the end, that despicable Courtney, she had an affair with my father and becpregnant with his son..." Stephanie's voice choked up as she looked up at Dominick and shouted as if venting all her anger, "Do you know that Courtney, that hussy, is only three years older than me?! That year, my dad brought hCourtney, who was pregnant at 20, saying he wanted a son and wanted to divorce my mom!

"Why?! Why did he do that?! Back then, he was just a poor boy. It was because my grandfather, Thomas Clark, appreciated and supported him that he has achieved what he has today. I hate him, I hate him so much..."

Stephanie had always deeply respected her father, but after he uttered such ungrateful words, she began to hate her own father.

Stephanie recounted what had happened later.

"One night, Largued with Courtney. My mom was afraid that I would be at a disadvantage, so she cforward to helpand accidentally pushed Courtney, who then fell and miscarried. My father blamed my mom for Courtney's miscarriage and actually sent her to prison. And in the end....

"In the end, my mom died

"My mom died... She committed suicide in prison..."

Stephanie couldn't control her tears anymore. Ever since she left the Reeds, she had told herself to endure it all, to be strong.

Afterward, she and her aunt Diana depended on each other and moved to Havencrest, living a frugal life, Fearing to worry Diana, Stephanie endured everything on her own.

Over the years, Stephanie had suffered grievances at Nelson Villa and Reed Villa, but she simply grinned and bore it. However, today, she couldn't bear it any longer.

As she held onto the cold tombstone, her tears rolled down her cheeks and dropped onto it one by one.

Dominick looked intently at Stephanie, his face stern and composed, and didn't know what to do.

She cried.

Stephanie had always avoided recalling the past with the Reed family and the suicide of her mother. She even felt responsible for her mother's death.

Gary, after her mother's suicide in prison, didn't pursue the issue of Courtney's miscarriage further, yet he still insisted on marrying Courtney.

Stephanie hated him for being so heartless as to marry that despicable Courtney shortly after her mother had been laid to rest.

She utterly despised the he Reed family, and so transferred to another school in her senior year, and left with Diana.

12:51 Thu, 20 Jun Chapter 25

But why?

"Why did Kevin have to do this totoo? He cheated onwith Claire. Why is it always the Peterson sisters? Why do they have to givea hard time... Stephanie's voice choked up, her cheeks wet with tears.

As her tears streamed down her cheeks and blurred her vision, she looked up at the sky and felt helpless and lost.

Stephanie murmured, "Why....

"Why did they do this to me....

She was utterly emotional as she turned to look at Dominick, Indignant and bitter.

"I just wanted a warm and loving home. Why does it have to be so hard?! I've always worked hard, giving my all no matter what I do. But why is life so unfair?!" Stephanie cried out in despair, which soon turned into helpless sobbing, "What have I done wrong? Please tell me. What did I do wrong? Why does it have to be like this?"

Dominick remained silent as he listened to her with her stubborn yet tear streaked face.

Stephanie gradually stopped crying. She turned her head away, no longer meeting his gaze.

She then curled her frail body, looking lonely and helpless as she grappled with her pain alone. She had been reluctant to share her personal sorrows with others as they were too painful to bring up.

Yet today, upon returning to Reed Villa and seeing Gary, Claire, and Courtney, Stephanie had grown bitter.

In the desolate cemetery, the setting sun cast its glow on Stephanie's delicate shoulders. As Dominick looked at her frail silhouette, his right hand clenched slightly.

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He didn't know what to say as he had never known how to comfort someone, especially a woman.

"Don't cry," Dominick finally managed to squeeze out awkwardly the two words, his tone cold and distant, hardly sounding comforting.

"It's none of your business!" Stephanie snapped, feeling like he was mocking her.

She wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, choked up, trying to isolate herself behind a façade of strength.

Dominick thought for a long while before awkwardly saying, "You look ugly when you cry."

At that, Stephanie immediately looked up and glared at him. Dominick ignored her glare and coldly urged, "Let's go back. Do you plan to spend the night in this cemetery?"

Stephanie knew it was already dark and lowered her head, looking somewhat hesitant.

Dominick, who was never a patient man, immediately turned to leave.

He shouted, "Have you had enough, Stephanie? If you're not going back, then spend the night here alone!"

Upon hearing Dominick's stern tone, Stephanie immédiately shouted back, "My legs are numb!"

After saying that, she felt embarrassed. She really had been squatting for too long.

Dominick stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at Stephanie's slightly flushed face, feeling both annoyed and amused.

12:51 Thu, 20 Jun M Chapter 25

Upon seeing Dominick squat down and start to roll up her pant leg, she immediately exclaimed, "Hey, what are you doing?!"

He said sharply. "You'd better keep quiet now!" Dominick rolled up Stephanie's pant leg and saw that her ankle, which she had twisted a few days ago, was swollen and red again. His expression darkened immediately.

He thought irritably. This woman really is troublesome."

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Stephanie was then carried out of the cemetery by Dominick. She nestled in his arms without resistance. Although she still found it uncomfortable, she felt, oddly enough, that he would not hurt her.

Upon seeing them approach, Vincent teased, "Stephanie, are you making Dominick carry you again? Oh, why are your eyes so red?" When Stephanie noticed their intense gazes, she blushed and immediately turned over to bury her face in Dominick's chest, feeling utterly embarrassed.

Dominick carried her into the car and calmly instructed, "Drive"

Seeing Dominick's stern demeanor.

Vincent didn't dare tease Stephanie As the further. As the car smoothly headed toward the hotel, Vincent chatted enthusiastically about what they would have for dinner.

Dominick ignored them, glanced down at Stephanie's flushed cheeks, and shot her an annoyed look while mockingly pondering, 'So she can be shy too."

That evening, she was only allowed to eat a tasteless nutritional meal we h

Perhaps because Stephanie's emations were turbulent today, she quickly fell asleep after taking a shower and lying down in bed.

den from going anywhere. She spent the next two days Dominick had a doctor look at Stephanie's ankle. The injury wasn't severe, but she was still forbidden confined to the hotel suite, and neither of them mentioned the Reed family again.

Vincent grumbled first thing in the morning, "Stephanie, you just keep causing trouble for me."

She responded, "My foot is okay now. I don't need you to accompany me, I can go by myself." Stephanie looked at a message on her phone about her high school's centennial celebration, which was happening nearby, and she wanted to go and see it.

Vincent's face darkened at her words. Dominick was busy and had left Stephanie in Vincent's care. Vincent knew that if anything should happen to her, he would definitely be the one to suffer.

"We're going back to Havencrest tomorrow. Stop causing trouble. Vincent flatly refused.

"I want to go!" Stephanie insisted. For her, Caelorium had nothing memorable except that school, Just then, Dominick cfrom the other end of the hallway and asked, "Where are you going?"

Vincent immediately passed the trouble of dealing with Stephanie to him, saying, "Your wife wants to go to the EEte High Sehbox in Caelocium. You attended that high school for stwhen you returned six years ago, right, Dominick? That's perfect, you two should go together..."

"You attended my school before?"

Stephanie was surprised. She couldn't believe she didn't remember Dominick with his striking appearance.

Dominick's eyes then darkened, his expression lined with suppressed and complex emotions. Vincent was suddenly alarmed and immediately shut up. It was only then that he remembered that this was Dominick's taboo and that the events of that