Crossroads

Chapter 32

The sky was turbulent with dark clouds, accompanied by thunder and lightning.

On this stormy and rainy night, a few people walked on the rugged mountain road and finally arrived at a wooden cabin with great difficulty.

“Our village received a notice to evacuate due to heavy rain some time ago. There’s no one living downstream anymore. The river has surged up, and it’s dangerous to go back on the mountain road. You should stay here for the night.”

Thanks to Ryan Bennett’s assistance, they followed him to a simple yet spacious wooden cabin.

“Is it safe here?” Vincent asked, feeling somewhat uneasy as he looked at the howling wind and rain outside.

“This mountain is filled with walnut trees which are very sturdy. Our wooden cabin is very solid,” Ryan reassured them.

Hearing this, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. In such terrible weather today, one small misstep could lead to being engulfed by mudflows.

“Let’s start more fires and dry our clothes.” Ryan went to the kitchen and brought back a bundle of firewood.

Vincent and the others didn’t hesitate, immediately starting to arrange the firewood piles and taking off their soggy clothes. Seeing. these men collectively undressing, Stephanie immediately felt embarrassed and turned away awkwardly.

“Don’t take off your pants!” Dominick, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up.

His words made Vincent remember that Stephanie was here and felt somewhat embarrassed.

They took off their jackets and shirts, revealing their chests, but kept their trousers on. They sat close to the fire, letting the heat dry their pants. They felt extremely uncomfortable with mud all over their bodies.

“No cellphone signal here. We can’t contact anyone else.”

As they busied themselves to start a fire, they discussed, “Kevin and the others should find shelter from the rain…”

Stephanie looked shocked upon hearing Kevin’s name.

Dominick’s gaze had been fixed on her all along and the surprise on her face seemed to carry another meaning in it. He tightly pressed his lips, the look in his eyes complicated.

“Call me Kelly. I have some clean clothes. Come with me and get changed,” a simply–dressed woman, Kelly Turner, came out of a small room. She was Ryan’s wife, and she smiled kindly at Stephanie.

Stephanie nodded at her. “Thank you.”

Stephanie, who was five feet six inches tall and slightly taller, wore Kelly’s dark blue cotton clothes. The sleeves and pant legs were much shorter, but she didn’t mind at the moment. She thanked Kelly and walked out.

However, as Kelly followed her out, she noticed the scars on Stephanie’s wrists and ankles and shock registered on her face. “How

11:23 Fri, 21 Jun

Chapter 32

did you get so injured? Oh my, they’re infected with pus from being soaked in water.”

As Kelly spoke, Dominick almost instinctively took a step forward.

Stephanie happened to look up at him, instinctively stepping back as if afraid of him.

常66%自

When Dominick noticed her reaction, the look in his eyes turned complex for a moment. He turned his head away to stare in another direction as if he hadn’t been looking at her before.

tincture at home. Let me get it for you so you can apply it… Kelly ran back to the room to fetch the

stained with a purplish–blue color, and the iodine tincture stung a bit. She frowned slightly, enduring the

clock. It was around 7 o’clock in the evening, yet thunder rumbled and

night was truly

a round dining table in the main hall. Shortly after, Kelly brought out a pot of oatmeal and warmly served it to

not hungry. Please go ahead and

felt uneasy eating their

looked at Stephanie. “Stephanie, why don’t

e pregnant.”

spooning a bowl for her, and Stephanie, feeling

like

“Pregnant?”

looking at Stephanie with concern. “Oh dear, with your weak

murmuring to herself, “I

a loss. She also didn’t like eggs and wouldn’t eat them at

which she had developed during her time at Reed Villa as a child. She subsequently tried to change her

“Kelly, I’ll have the oatmeal or maybe some bread. You

those…”

people to get a

+65%

Chapter 32

door and walked out.

rain is heavy, it might ease up by tomorrow

Stephanie came out and found that a

“They said they’re going to get

in such heavy rain? Why didn’t you try to stop them? It’s dangerous outside. What if…” Kelly exclaimed, putting the

persuade them.” He felt a bit

the door, the expression on her face turning

mind on something. Don’t worry about them,” she said while persuading Kelly

worried and asked curiously, “Miss, you’re probably all from the city. I heard they came to find you. How did you end up in our small

puzzled. “Did they really come to find

and whispered, “No way.” How could Dominick come looking for

the dimly lit main hall. In the flickering light, their shadows swayed as they

suddenly in such

“These

check on them.” Ryan couldn’t stand it any longer, so he put on his coat and hat and got ready

him and whispered, “There’s such heavy rain and thunder outside, and you don’t have a flashlight. If you slip and fall down the slope, how

H

this loving couple and couldn’t help but resent Dominick even

felt that Dominick was causing trouble for others in the stormy weather and making her worry. He thought

with this area. Nothing’s going to happen,” Ryan reassured his wife,

soon as the door opened, Dominick and the others

to toe, looking disheveled, but they were carrying a large net filled with about

this stormy weather?” Kelly breathed a sigh of relief at

Chapter 32

66%藏

handle it ourselves.” Dominick glanced

met Dominick’s cold gaze, feeling momentarily stunned by his handsome and refined appearance, suddenly understanding why her husband

about in the kitchen, and though Kelly was worried, she had no choice but to let them do

helpless expression, Stephanie felt her

kitchen, feeling outraged. They were acting as if they owned the place and were completely

I can’t believe