Crossroads

Chapter 265

Stephanie was dead set on moving out and renting her own place.

Molly failed to change her mind. She made a desperate call to Oscar for help, but he seemed tied up.

It was Saturday, and there wasn’t much else to do. Stephanie’s ankle, though still injured, didn’t bother her much for walking, and she’d already taken off the bandage. After lunch, Molly reluctantly agreed to go apartment hunting with her.

Luck was on their side. They found a one–bedroom apartment in the city center from the online post. The fumiture and decor were brand new, and the rent wasn’t too bad.

“One thousand three hundred dollars a month, with a year’s rent paid upfront, plus 10 thousand dollars deposit. Take it or leave it. Don’t waste my time. Make up your minds.”

The landlord was a man in his 30s, about 57 feet, dressed casually with glasses. He looked decent enough, but his tone was incredibly harsh

“A year’s rent upfront and 10 thousand dollars deposit! You’ve got to be kidding!” Molly furned.

The landlord continued, “The renovations and furniture here are brand new. A 10–thousand–dollar deposit is already very cost–effective. If there’s any damage at the end of the lease, you’ll have to compensate me. A five hundred square feet apartment in this area would cost you at least 23 thousand dollars..”

“Ten thousand dollars is outrageous,” Molly countered. “Five thousand dollars tops. And this isn’t exactly a new building, despite the neighborhood. Let’s see your property deed, just to make sure we’re not dealing with a middleman here.”

While Molly tried to haggle over the rent, Stephanie seemed uninterested. She wandered around the cramped apartment, muttering. “It’s a bit tight, isn’t it?”

“If you think it’s small, why don’t you go live in a mansion?” the landlord retorted.

The apartment was so tiny that Stephanie’s comment was heard by everyone. The landlord’s face darkened. “Are you two serious about renting! This is a small place. It isn’t for royalty,” he sneered.

Molly looked a bit weird. She rubbed her temple and mumbled, “She really is a royalty”

price. She signed the contract, transferred the funds via her phone, and

be frugal.” Molly sighed, watching her sign the contract

people took days or even weeks to compare options before renting, but Stephanie was

the three pages of the contract

drawer and turned around, saying casually, “Who would dare to

Molly s

for a moment. Indeed, who would

if there were problems with the contract, it wasn’t clear who

ugly Molly mustered, her mind immediately jumping to Stephanie’s connection with the

in a cold voice. “I said, I

usual fire return, Molly felt a wave of relief. A feisty Stephanie was way better than a

know what I’m doing,” Stephanie said calmly as she started tidying up the kitchen. “If you talk to Diana, let her know I’m not

surprised to hear this, unsure of how to respond, so she simply

but notice how the apartment was super close to the Innovate Group, with a bus that ran

a large supermarket a few blocks away, making shopping for daily necessities easy. They bought some new cups, bowls, and bedding, and after a quick clean–up, the apartment was ready for move–in. That

however,

under her breath, deeply

12:12 PM

Chapter 265

of your

feeling a surge of resentment. But then again, that little punk, Andy, was quite a handful. He had even called her the night before, complaining about her not attending

left. Stephanie found herself bored and decided to take a stroll around

white casual shoes. Since it was a bit chilly in early winter, she added a white short–down jacket on top. With light makeup