Crossroads

Chapter 134

Sleep evaded her.

Stephanie tossed and turned in her bed, her movements restless, as if burdened by unspoken thoughts that kept her from drifting into

slumber.

“Stephanie.”

On the other side of the bed, Dominick noticed her agitation, finally unable to resist calling her name in a deep, subdued tone.

Immediately, Stephanie settled down.

Yet, within moments, she shifted again.

“Dominick, are you having trouble sleeping?” Her voice was clear and unwavering, betraying her own alertness despite the late hour.

The faint light from the bedside lamp cast a soft glow on Stephanie’s profile. She harbored a genuine fear of the dark.

“Dominick, can I ask you something?”

With evident inner conflict, Stephanie edged closer to Dominick, her tone betraying a hint of urgency as she posed another question.

He remained silent, his gaze fixed on her, prompting her to hesitate in her subsequent words.

“That year, during our high school graduation trip… You were our assistant teacher. Did you… Did you attend that trip?”

She asked cautiously, as if wary of touching upon sensitive matters.

“No,” Dominick replied bluntly.

Stephanie furrowed her brow suddenly, visibly perplexed. “But that’s impossible. Kevin said…”

“What did he say?”

you…” Her eyes searched Dominick’s face intently, a mixture of doubt and suspicion coloring her voice. “It couldn’t have been yo

Meanwhile, Dominick lowered his eyes subtly, offering no further explanation.

“Have you heard anything about the incidents during the trip that year?”

events, her voice laden with

my father ever helped me was likely due to that scandal, though it was also to protect the Reed

lightly, reluctant to continue, remaining silent for a long while as

classmates on the mountainside. Suddenly, five or six bandits from a mountain village attacked me. They dragged me down the hillside, pounced on me, and tore my

Dominick froze momentarily.

Chapter 134

thought. Suddenly, she

him.

“I heard gunshots.

was it you who

her cheek resting against his arm before she added insistently, “I krlow you

lowered his gaze to the woman nestled beside him, his thoughts mingling but

didn’t you

meeting his gaze directly. “Dominick, why didn’t you tell me that you did those

late at 11 PM. On any other day, he would have

dull ache pulsed through his brain, and he avoided dredging up memories of

time seemed

Yet, her determination persisted.

Dominick responded in

resurfaced vividly. “Stephanie, I’m angry that you accepted Kevin’s pursuit without

and the other

could he

hatred weighed heavily on

convinced

waited for six years for you to

in vain; eventually, he realized

beginning, she didn’t recognize him for who he truly

demands for contrition and

you injured that day? Faced with armed bandits, how did you

the sounds of struggle, gunfire, and cries of pain

blood. She knew the man who had come to her rescue had

for

Chapter 134

the worst, haunted by the possibility that her

tightly to his arm, she whispered,

expect from me? A token

voice was calm, tinged with a

to repay you.” She

taking credit for what you did. He claimed