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 gravity, oblivious to

helped me was likely due to

long

if you hadn’t seen it yourself. It was at sunset that day when I was unfortunate enough to get separated from my classmates on the mountainside. Suddenly, five or six bandits from a mountain village attacked me. They dragged me

Dominick froze momentarily.

Chapter 134

face reflecting deep thought. Suddenly, she clasped his arm with both hands and leaned

him.

“I heard gunshots.

was it you who saved me

words paused, her cheek resting against his arm before she added insistently, “I

the woman nestled beside him, his thoughts mingling but

didn’t you tell

head, meeting his gaze directly. “Dominick, why

late at 11 PM. On any other day, he would have likely still been in his study, but tonight he felt a bit

dull ache pulsed through his brain, and he avoided dredging

tranquil night, time seemed suspended for a

Yet, her determination persisted.

I’m angry,” Dominick responded in

she recalled the events of that year, those scenes resurfaced vividly. “Stephanie, I’m angry that you accepted Kevin’s pursuit without reason, I’m angry

in truth, was only partially known to her and

long could he hate her

of hatred weighed

for every misstep, convinced she owed him, demanding her repayment for a

waited for six years for you to acknowledge

he realized it was all

she didn’t recognize him for

conflicted expression, struggling to comprehend his demands for contrition

Faced with

fear gripped her as she recalled the sounds of

gradually, accompanied by the acrid scent of blood. She knew the man who had come

do something for

Chapter 134

haunted by the possibility that her

tightly to his arm, she whispered, “I’ve been seeking answers, trying to

do you expect from me? A token of

was calm, tinged with a hint of

I’m here to repay you.” She blushed with

you did. He claimed