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?”

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

she studied her. Not giving Hayley a chance to respond, she continued, “I never said anything when you were with that Pearson guy because Oscar was the only third–generation heir, so

Mrs. Teresa Pearson hates Oscar, the illegitimate child. They’re probably

anything, picked up her coffee, and took a few more sips until the cup was empty, then slowly set

good looks, and he’s been in a vegetative state

a hint of complexity as she remarked,

and Oscar a couple? You said it yourself. You were heartbroken when he had the

looked at Hayley and

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

wearing her habitual smile, albeit slightly strained. She casually stated, “Dominick pretty

a bit

as she looked her over, snuffing out her cigarette disdainfully. “It seems that

so–called fool from the Pearson family she mentioned

be Dominick’s best friend. Anything related

people were just this strange. They couldn’t control their emotions, feeling a strong urge to

the window, recalling the day

Chapter 178

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. Though she

about getting back to the classroom. Suddenly, a deep voice behind her

one more.”

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

could tell he was 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 even bothering to