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, stopped

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

Teresa Pearson hates Oscar, the illegitimate child. They’re probably announcing inheritance matters at tonight’s

few more sips

even more, confused. “Hayley, don’t tell me you’re genuinely in love with that fool. Oscar has nothing but good looks, and he’s been in a vegetative state

carried a hint of complexity as she remarked,

it yourself. You were heartbroken when he had the car accident, and you’ve

at Hayley and said, “I knew it! I was wondering how you ended up

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

it, still wearing her habitual smile, albeit slightly strained. She casually stated, “Dominick pretty much avoids all

a bit

her cigarette disdainfully. “It seems that idiot finally served some purpose,”

from the Pearson family she mentioned was

no attention to the strikingly handsome Oscar, but he happened to be

strange. They couldn’t control their emotions, feeling a strong

the day she first met Dominick on

Chapter 178

to studying abroad, she wasn’t used to the environment, and the outgoing nature of the foreign students made her uneasy.

only thinking about getting back to the classroom. Suddenly, a deep voice

one more.”

and she could just make out a well–built man

tell he was from a distinguished background. Like an arrogant young noble, he called out and then did nothing,