Crossroads

Chapter 31

As dusk fell, Stephanie continued running relentlessly. Her face was pale as if she had been frightened.

The mountain road was rugged and uneven. Stephanie tripped and lost a shoe, but she couldn’t care less about that. She gasped for breath as she hurried westward, as if someone was chasing her relentlessly.

Stephanie remembered that there was a village nearby. She needed to find someone and to call for help.

Just then, the atmosphere around her shifted, and the thick clouds rolled violently in the sky. Soon after, it began to drizzle, soaking her thoroughly.

Suddenly, Stephanie’s eyes lit up when she saw a shabby tile house ahead. She then ran toward it excitedly.

“Is anyone there?” she shouted while cautiously looking back over her shoulder.

As Stephanie reached out to knock on the door, she realized it wasn’t closed. She pushed the door open and looked inside. Because it was already dark and the sky was filled with dark clouds, Stephanie couldn’t see clearly inside the house.

“Hello, I’ve been abducted here. Please help me…” She said in a panic as she stepped inside carefully.

Stephanie had been forcefully abducted by several men from the hospital to this secluded rural area.

Just moments ago, she seized the opportunity to grind the rusty hoe against the rough rope binding her hands to the wall. Immediately, she untied the rope from her feet and fled in a panic.

Now, Stephanie’s wrists bore numerous bloody gashes from the hoe, and blood was trickling down her wound. Yet, she ignored her injuries and just kept running, fearing they would capture her again.

The rain fell and stung her wounds, causing her face to scrunch up in agony.

However, the moment Stephanie stepped into the silent tile house, her body froze.

She found that there was no one there, not a trace of life, just utter silence.

Stephanie looked around, her face pale as she stared blankly at the shabby, dirty tile house and the item’s scattered all around.

Just then, a terrifying lightning bolt slashed across the sky, followed immediately by a thunderclap that made her tremble in fear. The rain outside poured down furiously as if the sky were collapsing, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

Stephanie kept shrinking back as she looked around fearfully.

She then felt discomfort in her abdomen and instinctively rested her right hand on it as she lowered her head, her complexion instantly turning pale.

At that moment, Stephanie recalled the harsh words Dominick had previously hurled at her, his voice cold and ruthless.

“There are plenty of women who could bear my children. And you, Stephanie, don’t have the right. Remove the child from her

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Chapter 31

womb…”

now. Mr. Wellington ordered that the child to be removed. You’d

mind was a jumbled mess, filled with a constant interplay of these

hand still tightly clutching her still–flat abdomen. Meanwhile, her

this place against my will. I was threatened and intimidated by those ruthless thugs, and now have to flee in panic. I’m all alone and helpless in

watched as the rain poured down fiercely outside. The rolling torrents were so heavy it washed

the mountains.

ran toward the house and shouted in alarm, “Come out! Hurry up and get out! The house is about to

middle of the house when she turned around

saw many large boulders crashing down outside

heart tensing with urgency. She desperately wanted to move her feet, but her body wouldn’t obey. She

that moment, a thunderous roar suddenly filled the air,

stopped in his tracks and looked around

22 22 SE

many other sounds.

watched the weather worsen. “We mustn’t go near the houses at the foot of the mountain. Stay safe, or we might

an umbrella over him and said respectfully, “Mr. Wellington, we’ve already sent people to look around. This place is dangerous, you should

start looking. It’s really dangerous to stay here, we should head back!” Vincent

downpour, the rain had destroyed Stephanie’s tracks, making it even

as he ignored them. His tense nerves seemed to be holding something back, his gaze sharply scanning the surroundings while his heart pounded

11:22 Fri, 21 Jun

Chapter 31

and ran toward the left

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was already soaked through as he was crouched on the ground

in the mud

looked up and dashed forward in the

far when

when he saw the house before him, which was now buried under mud and

tile house must be what we just heard collapsing. I

“Regardless, we

towards the ruins, forcefully lifting the

with the thunder made

and hurriedly joined in

He wondered, “Is Stephanie in this house? If she really came here, with the heavy rain just now, she must have

help move some large objects, an anxious look on

suddenly crouched down. He was overwhelmed with too many emotions and pounded

ruins.

as his eyes filled with unbearable anxiety. They all knew that under such conditions, rescuers wouldn’t be able

and helplessness. He despised himself for being unable to do something, which rarely happened. He couldn’t let this happen,

to see

the usually cold and indifferent Dominick to care so much about a

didn’t

were frightened, each digging frantically without hesitation.

Chapter 31

Fri,