Crossroads

Chapter 269

Stephanie rushed inside, quickly sliding the glass door shut behind her.

The wind and rain battered against the glass. Soaked to the bone. Stephanie opened her right hand and looked at loose

at the small screw that had fallen

It was early evening, and the st

storm was raging outside with flashes of lighting and booming thunder.

The bright lights inside the room offered a small comfort. She tried to convince herself the screw had simply loosened on its own.

Stephanie cast one last glance at the gloomy balcony, shook off her unease, and headed to the bedroom to change her outht

But her heart was still filled with anxiety and insecurity

She double–locked her bedroom door and turned on every light. The storm outside was a stark contrast to the silence in her room. Even the

sound of her own ragged breathing seemed loud and clear.

Stephanie peeled off her damp clothes and towel–dried her face and hair. She reached for fresh clothes on the bed, her eyes f

falling on the faint scar on her abdomen, a remnant of the C–section.

She stared at it, her cool fingers tracing the nearly invisible line. Oscar had given her some kind of cream, and even the stretch marks had vanished.

It was as if her pregnancy and brief marriage to the Wellington family had been nothing but a dream. All traces were gone, and Dominick had disappeared from her life…

Suddenly, her phone buzzed, shattering the silence.

Her nerves were on edge. She glanced at the phone on her vanity table and hurried over. It was Oscar calling

“Babe, I’m outside,” he said.

Stephanie fraze for a moment before responding “Oh, hold on a sec. She hung up, quickly dressed, and checked her appearance in the vanity mirror.

Suddenly, something caught her eye, and she stared at her reflection.

Stephanie gathered her hair into a bun and lifted her chin, tilting her head to the side. On the smooth skin of her neck, just below her left earlobe. was a faint reddish mark.

Her fingertips brushed against the strange mark. It looked like a hickey.

“A hickey?”

idea seemed absurd. Stephanie let her hair down, dismissing the thought. It must have been

for Oscar. He stood straight, and his expensive black coat was drenched

strode inside, closing the door behind him.

quickly grabbed a dry towel. “Take off your coat. Are you soaked through? Why would you come all this way in the

towel and roughly dried his curly hair. Then, be locked eyes w

clear blue eyes and paused before

“There’s a thunderstorm”

at her. After a few more seconds, he sighed

not scared!” Stephanie snapped back, irritated by his suggestion.

Then, he laughed

blue eyes that were almost mesmerizing. When he smiled, his eyes crinkled at the

the sight of it now

I said stop laughing? Stephanie yelled,

one who could spar with him like

brightly lit room. All the lights were on, yet she claimed not to be afraid. But he wouldn’t say

Chapter 269

seemed to deepen. He

he

picked up on her discomfort within

with paranoid

glancing towards the balcony,

herm

said stiffly, clearly brushing him off.

wouldn’t dare tell him about the haunted apartment. She’d never hear the end of it. And with that strange mark on her neck, she was even

Want some pasta?” Stephanie said as she opened the fridge and pulled out the leftovers from that morning, planning to hear them in the

this morning. It’s a decent portion, and actually pretty tasty,” she added,

a can of chowder

maneuver around the cramped kitchen. She couldn’t help but

on his task. Whether working or cooking, he always moved efficiently. Watching him cook was surprisingly captivating. His serious expression when he stirred

help but think about how much of a failure she was as a woman, feeling guilty as she glanced at the pile of three or five plates at the side.

better of her, and she stepped in

the faucet and began washing the dishes. Meanwhile, Oscar didn’t pay attention to her efforts, taking some clams from the

playing around,” he said, looking at her

at her hands, covered in soap bubbles. It seemed like she

playing. Stephanie retorted stubbornly, but she just rinsed

true that when they were together, Stephanie was often the one causing problems, leaving Oscar to clean up her messes without a word of complaint. And now she

the small living room, each with a bowl of clam chowder. Oscar had added some kind of seasoning. and the warm aroma

It must have been sitting out for a while. It’s awful” Stephanie took a bite of