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.

since

voice and shouted repeatedly into the phone, her

anxiety.

“What?”

about Stephanie’s taking away and

you hurt her again, I’ll ensure you both enjoy your time

words sent a shiver down Claire’s spine as they

then…” Courtney’s voice trailed off, tinged with

how could Claire and Courtney remain unscathed if Dominick knew about

he really

with fear, shattering Courtney’s hopeful

she gripped her phone tightly. “What

you want?” Claire had asked the

no

desolate outskirts, her heart gripped by a relentless fear, as if she had provoked

so many of her secrets known by him, she lacked the means to retaliate and was forced into

your side?” Courtney’s voice came

wanted Claire to cling onto Kevin? Courtney was

“Kevin, you

u should go back.”

a complex expression, urging him

on his chest. Luckily, they were in a hospital and could bandage it up quickly. However, Stephanie felt conflicted seeing the

a month for the bruise to heal, and it was because

temper.” Stephanie felt

“I’m fine.”

inferior to Dominick, whether it

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Chapter 59

how to fight since childhood. You don’t need to compare yourself to

at her, “I never expected you to

outshone them. After all, he was the eldest male descendant of his generation in the Wellington family. Plus, there was always a difference between maternal and paternal grandchildren. Whenever anything was

past, you were always the best to me,” Stephanie, sitting next to him, spoke up

by her words

the eyes of the beholder.” It was probably something like

“And now…” His gaz

increasingly intense, his voice

are waiting for you,” she urged again, emphasizing, “We’re both married now, and

Their love was

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

Stephanie, I feel…” Kevin

phone is tinging.” Stephanie said coldly,

phone continued to ring incessantly. The caller seemed

the amusement park and she’s

was Claire calling. She sounded anxious, and her voice was audible

complex gaze. Before hanging up, he responded,

injured, so you should go back

intensely. There was no awkwardness or

so calmly about his daughter. For a moment,

truly didn’t care about

I only found out about my daughter when Claire returned to the country…”