Crossroads

Chapter 21

Dominick didn’t do anything inappropriate towards her. He simply took some gauze and hydrogen peroxide from the medical kit to dress her wound.

The wound was somewhat deep, and as the hydrogen peroxide touched the cut, Stephanie couldn’t help but frown. Dominick glanced at her, still wearing a cold expression and saying nothing, but his movements became much gentler. After he finished, Dominick turned to tidy up the medical kit while Stephanie quickly slipped her shirt back on.

When Dominick turned back to look at her, she had already put on her jacket and was nervously meeting his gaze.

“Thank you,” Stephanie said awkwardly,

Dominick didn’t respond. Instead, he looked at her intently for a moment as if pandering something.

“Let’s go back.” He suddenly spoke up and strode toward the door.

However, Stephanie didn’t follow up immediately. When Dominick reached the door, he turned back to look at her with some displeasure, saying again, “Back to Wellington Villa.”

Stephanie sat in the wooden chair, biting her lip. “I need to wait for my aunt to come back. I have something to talk with her about,” she explained, hesitant to leave.

“Your aunt’s still in the sanatorium on a new medication. She can’t come home just yet, Dominick said flatly.

Stephanie was taken aback by the fact that he even knew about this.

With no excuses left, she lowered her gaze to her ankle, bit her lip, and braced herself to stand up. Then, she walked towards him with small steps.

Dominick seemed preoccupied with something else and barely paid attention to her as she followed him.

They walked out, one in front of the other…

The old apartment building had no elevator, forcing Stephanie to tackle five flights of stairs.

Each step sent a jolt of pain through her ankle, making her wince and pale slightly.

Dominick, naturally fast with his long legs, was already out of the building when he turned around and realized Stephanie was not in sight.

His brow furrowed as he stood impatiently, looking up toward the stairs.

Just as Dominick looked up, his usually stern face softened in surprise.

He frowned and took the stairs two at a time, finding her sitting on a step on the second floor.

“What’s this? Lost your tongue? Couldn’t you say your foot was injured?” he shouted, clearly angry.

Stephanie was already throbbing with pain, and his shout only fueled her grievance.

She couldn’t understand why he was yelling at her. “It is none of your business!” she retorted.

Dominick’s face darkened with anger.

12:49 Thu, 20 Jun M

Chapter 21

His patience was wearing thin, He watched her stubborn defiance and quickly bent down to scoop her up.

guard, Stephanie felt extremely uncomfortable and instinctively struggled. “Put me down, I

own?” Dominick repeated through clenched teeth, staring at

seemed he was thoroughly

besides the rusting stair railing

and watched her like

a cold

she felt a little frightened, panicked, and somewhat

She wouldn’t let him look down on her,

already twisted, was swollen now from walking down

floor.

but her right leg buckled. She pitched

the staircase railing, saving herself

up!” Dominick barked. “I

me you

helping, Instead, he continued to urge her on

eyes began to moisten as

squatted down, completely losing the

right ankle throbbed fiercely. She bowed her head, her hands clutching the stair railing

wanted to steel herself to

the pain was just

up, the

that? Louder!” His harsh voice

meeting his gaze. Her eyes held a stubborn defiance,

looked into her eyes, unexpectedly

coldly, taking

resist, though her body tensed

firm. Nestled in his embrace, she didn’t dare to move. She could feel his strong heartbeat and his

difficult to

“Mr. Wellington.”

Thu, 20 Jun

Chapter 21

the driver was about to go upstairs to look for

door,” Dominick commanded in a

stuffed into the car, looking

when he leaned over to buckle her seatbelt, their bodies pressed close together, Stephanie felt incredibly embarrassed ad instinctively squirmed a

up, sternly calling out her

not to move

some reason, when Dominick called her by

forcefully slammed the car door shut. His eyes narrowed

his words, not daring

sped away smoothly, leaving Dominick standing there, watching the fading car lights with a thoughtful

didn’t get violent when you busted those cheaters, did

approached from another direction with a teasing smile. He just saw Dominick carrying a woman down and wondered when he

Dominick ignored his teasing and asked

Vincent didn’t dare joke further and spoke honestly. “No

he looked down at the smartphone screen in Dominick’s

a particular angle, a photo showed a man and a woman seemingly wrapped in an intimate embrace,

above the apartment

been here before you got that MMS, but there’s no way they could have been hugging like in the photo.” He turned to Dominick with a sly grin..