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

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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.

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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.

Kelly ran back

applying the iodine tincture, Stephanie’s hands and feet were stained with a purplish–blue color, and the iodine tincture stung

round clock. It was around 7 o’clock in the

rainy night was truly hard to

with only a few wooden chairs and a round dining table in the main hall. Shortly after, Kelly

go ahead and

them. He felt uneasy eating their food while taking shelter in their

looked at Stephanie. “Stephanie,

e pregnant.”

bowl for her, and Stephanie, feeling somewhat embarrassed under everyone’s gaze, looked at the oatmeal

didn’t like eating

“Pregnant?”

at Stephanie with concern. “Oh dear, with your weak condition, how will you manage childbirth? You need to

the kitchen, murmuring to herself, “I

loss. She also didn’t like

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

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

those…”

the kitchen, Dominick instructed a few people to get a flashlight and some tools from

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Chapter 32

door and walked out.

up by tomorrow morning. There’s no

and Stephanie came out and

they’re going to get some

try to stop them?

persuade them.” He felt a

the expression on her

his mind on something. Don’t

asked curiously, “Miss, you’re probably all from the city. I heard

really come to find

moment and whispered, “No way.” How could

hung high in the center of the dimly lit main hall. In the flickering light, their

they run out so suddenly in

“These

stand it any longer, so he put on his coat and hat and

have a flashlight. If

H

and couldn’t

and making her worry. He thought he was superior and expected

worry. I’m very familiar with this area. Nothing’s going to happen,” Ryan reassured his wife, patting her shoulder before pushing

the door opened, Dominick and the others

were all soaked from head to toe, looking disheveled, but they were

in this stormy weather?” Kelly breathed a sigh of relief at their safe return, quickly stepping

Chapter 32

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need. We can handle it ourselves.” Dominick glanced at

feeling momentarily stunned by his handsome and refined appearance, suddenly

though Kelly was worried, she had no choice but to let them do

expression, Stephanie

feeling outraged. They were acting

I can’t believe