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

ever helped me was likely

lightly, reluctant to continue, remaining silent for a long while as she tried to ease her emotions, managing only a

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

Dominick froze momentarily.

Chapter 134

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

him.

“I heard gunshots.

you who

cheek resting against his arm before she added

woman nestled beside

didn’t you tell

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

11 PM. On any other day, he would have likely still been in his study, but

a dull ache pulsed through his brain, and he avoided dredging

time seemed suspended

Yet, her determination persisted.

I’m angry,” Dominick responded in

events of that year, those scenes resurfaced vividly. “Stephanie, I’m angry that you accepted Kevin’s pursuit

truth, was only partially known to her and the other part, bluntly put, was

could he hate

hatred weighed

towards her consumed him completely, holding Stephanie responsible for every misstep, convinced she owed him, demanding her

for you to

he realized it was

beginning, she didn’t recognize him for who he

expression, struggling to comprehend his demands for contrition and reconciliation,

injured that day? Faced with armed bandits, how did

gripped her as she recalled the sounds of

by the acrid scent of blood. She knew the man who

for him, but

Chapter 134

by the possibility that her actions could have cost him

his arm, she whispered, “I’ve been

you expect from me? A token

was calm, tinged with

I’m here to repay

what you did. He claimed he