Crossroads

Chapter 186

“Dominick really adores Stephanie, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, so you need to be careful not to upset her, or else Dominick would get mad at you. Did you get that, Yvonne!”

After lunch, the lary weekend afternoon found them wandering leisurely in the back garden of Wellington Villa Stephanie, full of excitement, had brought fish bait and eagerly teased the fish in the pond. As she glanced over towards the gazebo, she noticed two women engaged in what seemed like an intimate conversation

She didn’t know what Hayley and Yvonne were chatting about, but when Yvonne glanced in her direction, Stephanie felt an odd look in her eyes.

Stephanie didn’t have much of an impression of Yvonne, finding her rather reserved. She had wanted to get closer to her, but everyone said she was too bossy and might scare Yvonne away.

Stephanie was frustrated. How would she scare Yvonne?

Then, she remembered how Oscar used to be withdrawn as well and didn’t understand why things had turned out this way

She sprinkled the fish bait into the pond. Several fish energetically leaped out of the water to snatch the food, creating splashes and ripples. Stephanie found it amusing, her eyes lighting up mischievously as she tossed the bait to another corner.

“It’s quite satisfying to watch others work so hard.”

Stephanie was being childish, stretching her neck to peer into the pond with narrowed eyes, smiling cunningly, amusing herself with the fish.

“She can play by herself all day…

A familiar deep voice came from behind. Stephanie froze for a moment, then turned to see Dominick walking towards her. Her cheeks blushed slightly, maybe from the afternoon sun, or perhaps from the subdued smile on Dominick’s face.

That glance unsettled her heart.

Stephanie instinctively stepped closer to him, but the pond had no railing, and the ground was scattered with smooth pebbles of various sizes. As a result, she slipped and staggered on her feet,

Startled, Dominick quickly ran over but Stephanie wasn’t that fragile. She adjusted herself slightly, waving her hand and reassured him, I’m fine, really”

his

like “walk carefully” or “eat seriously, as if he needed to watch

always think I’m just messing around every day. I think I’m

her think

fell upon her flushed profile, a mix of exasperation and amusement tugging at his lips. “Stay away from the edge,”

under his scrutiny, nodded

eyes twinkled with mischief as he observed the bickering

be strolling along the corridor just then. Glancing over his shoulder, he caught a

with an inexplicable sense of foreboding. Her

eyes

narrowed

as she

noticing her

quite articulate the reason

felt that someone had been

troubled expression and wanted to delve deeper, but before he could, his phone buzzed insistently. It was

release, Dominick turned and took a few steps away before finally pressing the answer button. “What’s up?” he inquired, his voice laced with

the company, or any business–related affairs, Dominick instinctively kept Stephanie at a distance. He had once told her that she wasn’t his subordinate and didn’t need to be privy to

Chapter 186

grew older, the more they

protective measure fueled by his possessiveness and desire to shield her from the harsh realities of the business world. This was Dominick’s unique way of safeguarding those

her thoughts swirling with

side, unable to decipher the content of his

dared to cross

when he

on“” Vincent’s relaxed demeanor evaporated, replaced by a

astonishment and subtle derision. “Can you believe it? Who would reject

losing his grip?” Vincent quipped, unable

industry. Just last week, he boldly unveiled a new venture in renewable energy- an arena known for its steep investment requirements and slow returns. Despite the challenges. Mason had been

investment from the Innovate Group, the most influential player in the industry. It was hard to