Crossroads

Chapter 59

Dominick reclined against the car, adopting a leisurely posture. His eyes, partially veiled, lazily traced patterns on the car window with hist Fingertips, as if indifferent to the world around him.

“Not only did you deceive him, but you also orchestrated a plan to harm him in ways that he could never fathom…”

With each chilly, sonorous syllable, Claire’s complexion paled, as if the weight of Dominick’s words pressed upon her soul.

“No, that’s not true,” she protested, her lips trembling in denial.

“Stop your baseless accusations!”

Claire’s agitation grew, a mounting sense of dread and unease enveloping her in the confined space of the car. Desperately, she grasped at the door handle, wanting to escape.

But the door remained locked, trapping her within.

Dominick, disdain evident in his gaze, opened his eyes fully, fixing Claire with an unwavering stare through the rearview mirror.

“Ms. Peterson, according to this hospital report, you’re medically incapable of bearing children. So, may I ask, where did your daughter come

from?”

He casually tossed a bundle of papers toward her, his eyes ablaze with contempt and impatience. “While your daughter is truly related to the Nelson family, the DNA test shows that you’re not her mother…

“You first planned to get Kevin into legal trouble, then sought your brother–in–law’s help to save him, hoping to earn his gratitude so you could marry him and become part of the wealthy Nelson family. But Stella’s insistence that he marry another woman thwarted your plans. So you patiently bided your time abroad, waiting for the right moment to return with his daughter…”

“No! That’s not it”

With these accusations, Claire’s heart pounded with fear and apprehension.

‘No… he couldn’t possibly know,” she tried to comfort herself

Her thoughts spun in disarray.

This long–buried secret was unknown even to her sister, Courtney, so how could Dominick know about it so well?

Could it be that fateful year, he…

Startled, Claire looked up, meeting Dominick’s inscrutable and forbidding eyes in the rearview mirror.

Claire’s mind was in a mess, while she was drowning in fear and anxiety

The incessant ringing of her phone in her pocket jolted Claire back to the present.

Realizing she had been summarily dismissed from the car by Dominick, she turned her gaze toward the highway, where his vehicle had vanished into the distance, leaving her heart racing uncontrollably.

“Claire, are you alright?”

As the call connected, Courtney’s voice crackled with concern and urgency. “Why did Dominick look for you out of the blue?”

10:38 Sat, 22 Jun

Chapter 59

Claire held her phone and said in a trembling, low voice, “He knows everything.

he knows everything since a

to be frightened. She raised her voice and shouted repeatedly into the phone, her

anxiety.

“What?”

Courtney rise from her seat. “Does Dominick really know about Stephanie’s taking away and our

hurt her again, I’ll ensure you both enjoy

shiver down Claire’s spine

it, then…” Courtney’s voice trailed off, tinged with a mix of complexity and

how could Claire and Courtney remain

really

voice was tinged with fear, shattering

gripped

do you want?” Claire had asked

of utility in my hands has no reason to exist.”

the desolate outskirts, her heart gripped by a relentless fear, as

her secrets known by him, she lacked the means to retaliate and was

your side?” Courtney’s voice came from the speaker, laced with confusion

Claire to cling onto Kevin?

“Kevin, you

u should go back.”

with a complex expression, urging

had taken a solid blow from Dominick, leaving a bruise on his chest. Luckily, they were

handsome, and he was the epitome of a refined gentleman. It would take at least half a month for the bruise to heal,

him. He has a bad temper.” Stephanie felt

“I’m fine.”

at his injuries, and suddenly felt inferior to Dominick, whether it was their background, career status, or fighting

1784% #

Chapter 59

practicing how to fight since childhood. You don’t need

raised his head, chuckling at her, “I never expected you to

descendant of his generation in the Wellington family. Plus, there was always a difference between maternal and paternal grandchildren. Whenever anything was compared to him, these relatives paled in

to

taken aback by her words and looked

in the eyes of

“And now…” His gaz

her grew increasingly intense, his

wife and daughter are waiting for you,” she urged again, emphasizing, “We’re both married now, and we can’t

Their love was

one that seemed

Kevin’s expression became complex and conflicted. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly when, but every time he heard about Claire and their daughter, he felt a lingering

I feel…” Kevin suddenly

Stephanie said coldly, pushing

to ring incessantly. The caller seemed to have something urgent

at the amusement park and she’s been crying and

anxious, and her voice was audible even to Stephanie

complex gaze. Before hanging up,

is injured, so you should go back soon,” Stephanie

scrutinized her intensely. There was no

could speak so calmly about his daughter. For

if she truly didn’t

my daughter when Claire returned to the country…” Kevin hesitated, wanting to explain