Crossroads

Chapter 270

Last night. Stephanie was kept up for most of the night by the crazy person upstairs. Thankfully, he quieted down after midnight. Otherwise, she might have gone upstairs to give him a piece of her mind.

She couldn’t shake off the residents stories about the haunted Room 402. Combined with the noise from above, she ended up and spent the whole night having nightmares.

with frayed nerven

In her dream, she was in a spacious, unfamiliar room. The room was empty except for a large white bed in the center, and she was tied to it, unable to move her limbs.

Stephanie struggled in fear, but the ropes were thick and firmly bound her hands and feet. She couldn’t break free. A dark figure then entered the room, but she couldn’t see his face dearly, likely because she was restrained. From the angle of her position, the figure seemed extremely tall and

terrifying.

“Who are you! Are you trying to hurt me! What did I do to offend you!” She tried to stay calm and negotiate. “If I really did something wrong. I apologize. Ill make it up to you. You can ask whatever you want.”

But the person just stood silently by the bedside, not saying a word.

Finally, Stephanie couldn’t suppress her fear and screamed, “Hurt me if you want. I don’t care about the pain or suffering Just give me back my children. They’re just babies. Please, don’t hurt them just give them back!”

She then woke up with tears still streaming down her face.

Stephanie sat up, leaning against the headboard in a daze. Ever since that night, nightmares had become a nightly ritual, a terror that seeped into

Late her very bones.

She couldn’t forget what had happened, but whenever she tried to delve deeper, she was afraid to remember too clearly

She was trapped in this conflicting emotion, like being lost in a maze, unable to find her way out. Fear and anxiety gnawed at her, her spirit nearly shattered. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold on or what she was even living for anymore,

Stephanie grabbed the medicine from her bedside table and took a pill without caring if it was on an empty stomach.

She closed her eyes, silently repeating her prayer in her mind. She didn’t dare speak the words aloud, convinced that saying them might somehow negate their power. It wasn’t superstition, just pure fear.

Stephanie knew she couldn’t wallow in misery. She jumped out of bed, freshened up, and threw open all the windows, flooding the house with sunlight and a renewed sense of life.

The air was crisp after last night’s downpour. She inhaled deeply changed into her running clothes, and decided to jog around the block. A little exercise could work wonders for her mood.

The moment she depped outside, she spotted the white drone still sitting there.

“Who leaves an expensive toy like this lying around!” she wondered.

better of her She knelt down for a closer look and was impressed by the drone’s intricate design. She picked up the remate and pressed a few buttons,

was stunned. She chased after it but could only watch helplessly as it zipped out the stairwell window

grawing at her. Unsure how to fix this, her eyes darted to the elevator, and in a moment of panic, she

quite damp, but fortunately, the concrete dried quickly. Stephanie ran frantically after the drone, splashing water and getting

glared at the toy drone on the ground, tempted to kick

wasn’t hers to destroy. She fiddled with

button.

even shot up into the air surprisingly fast. After

wasn’t so

decided to put it back in its place, a large dog

excitedly chasing the drone. It barked and bared its teeth,

startled. She n

minute, she calmed down. The husky was probably a pet from one of the residents. It

a mischievous grin. Stephanie controlled the electric toy, making the drone fly erratically up and down. The energetic husky

PM & D

Chapter 270

trying to catch it until it eventually

would return soon, so she brought the drone down to ground level. making it

lawn ahead. She focused her attention, and a small head popped out of the

grass.

year old, with soft skin and dressed in a cute little Spider–Man nutit. His big curious

Stephanie froze, watching

The todiller, a bit wobbly on his feet, toddled towards her and sweetly

completely stunned.

playing peek–a–boo behind the clouds. It was a lovely Saturday morning, with plenty of people from the neighborhood

over to hang our with Stephanie for the day.

upstairs, Andy tugged on Molly’s sleeve, his tiny finger pointing towards an empty spot on

back

you doing“” Molly

onto her cheeks as she tried to tuck the remote behind her back

shook her head and gave herself

was still playing with an electric toy

a bit flustered. She hadn’t meant to let him get dirty, but a little mess was

she asked. Andy, the boy she’d glanced at, suddenly blushed for no apparent reason, his little face turning bright red

speechless. She couldn’t believe

to discuss with Dominick tonight, so I thought I’d bring him

heard the name “Dominick“, her

small hands wrapped around the