Crossroads

Chapter 178

“There’s one thing I never understood…”

As dusk fell, Frostvale lit up with colorful lights, and the bustling commercial streets were filled with people. On the second floor of a high–end café, a woman sat by the glass curtain wall and gazed outside, her eyes a bit dazed, as if lost in memories.

Chloe, who was across the table, raised her voice again. “Hayley, I’m talking to you. What are you daydreaming about?” Hayley snapped back to reality and flashed her usual smile. “What’s up?”

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her, lit a cigarette, and took a puff. “Hayley, you’ve been an executive for too long. Your smile looks really fake.” She spoke very bluntly.

“It’s just an occupational habit.” Hayley didn’t mind and shrugged.

Chloe didn’t dwell on it either, knowing that Hayley’s role as an executive at the Innovate Group wasn’t easy.

Chloe continued, “By the way, Hayley, the Pearson family’s banquet should have started by now. Why aren’t you there?”

Hayley didn’t seem to care, taking a light sip of her coffee and speaking nonchalantly. “There’s no need to go.”

“The Pearson family is where you belong, Hayley,” Chloe said. “People see you as a strong career woman, but I know you long for a family because you grew up without parents. So, stop pretending.”

She married Scott right after she graduated from university. Chloe was a bit like Stephanie, with little social experience and a direct way of speaking. Sometimes Chloe compared herself to Stephanie but always felt she fell short, which irked her.

“If you ask me, you should marry a man while you’re still young and let love enrich your life. Stop thinking about work all the time. And also…” Chloe paused, looking at Hayley with a suspicious expression. “Hayley, there’s one thing I’ve never understood… How did you end up with that fool from the Pearson family?”

that, Hayley’s hand, which was holding the coffee cup, stopped

anything when you were with that Pearson guy because Oscar was the only third–generation heir, so marrying him wasn’t a loss.

From what I know, Mrs. Teresa Pearson hates Oscar, the illegitimate

didn’t say anything, picked up her coffee, and took a few more sips until the cup was

love with that fool. Oscar has nothing but good looks, and he’s been in a vegetative state abroad for years. Even

a hint of complexity as she remarked, “I never had a

you mean?” Chloe was taken aback. “Weren’t you and Oscar a couple? You said it yourself. You were heartbroken when he had the car accident, and you’ve been

shock as she looked at Hayley and said,

wonder. Back when we studied in Aurorastra, I remember clearly you had a crush on Dominick. At the beginning of freshman year, you mentioned him to me several times, the Wellington family’s oldest third–generation heir, acting all shy like a little girl. You even asked me how to get close to

him?” Hayley didn’t deny it, still wearing her habitual smile, albeit slightly strained.

Wellington family heir hated women. This quirk was well–known with a bit of digging. Hayley had no chance of getting

cigarette disdainfully. “It seems that

so–called fool from the Pearson

he happened to be Dominick’s best friend. Anything related to Dominick piqued her

this strange. They couldn’t control their emotions, feeling a strong urge to get closer and

to the twinkling streetlights outside the window, recalling the day she first met Dominick on the

Chapter 178

was early evening when she rushed and scattered her textbooks everywhere. Being new to studying abroad, she wasn’t used to the environment, and the outgoing nature of the foreign students made her uneasy.

textbooks, only thinking about getting back to

one more.”

area was dimly lit, and she could just make out a well–built man leaning against the hallway railing, casually flipping

from a distinguished background. Like an arrogant young noble, he called out and then did nothing, waiting for her to come and retrieve her book, not