Crossroads

Chapter 281

Stephanie woke up with a sneeze.

She had dawdled until midnight the previous night before finally falling asleep. Just as the morning sun was barely making its appearance, her phone began buzzing incessantly with messages from the Innovate Group’s staff, reminding her to be at the airport on time. Today, she and three other models were scheduled to fly to Harlington for a photoshoot.

ང་ཧ་ཨཱཇཅ་༠ 。:

Clutching her phone, Stephanie was taken aback. She had genuinely forgotten about this.

“Okay,” With her characteristic sluggishness in the morning, she mumbled an acknowledgment and obediently went to brush her teeth.

“Stephanie, are you coming down with a cold?”

To her credit, before leaving, she remembered to call Molly. Perhaps it was her slightly nasal voice that prompted Molly’s concern.

“I’m on my way to the airport now. Looks like I’ll be staying in Harlington for three days.”

Seated in the taxi, Stephanie complained while on the phone, “Vincent is so afraid I’ll get fired that he had someone wake me up before dawn.

“Wait, the Innovate Group’s staff doesn’t fall under Vincent’s management, right? Does the Innovate Group provide wake–up services?”

With her mind still a bit foggy, Stephanie sneezed again, grabbing a tissue to cover her nose. The wake–up call matter seemed not worth pursuing further.

“Damn it, Stephanie! You said you were going to eat and drink your fill. Did you know Dominick didn’t attend the banquet, so you ran off too? You heartless…” Molly’s voice from the phone was filled with resentment.

Dominick didn’t go to the banquet either?

Just hearing that name put Stephanie in a bad mood.

“Hey, what were you up to last night, getting yourself sick? Will it affect your shoot?” Molly’s tone softened, worrying about her friend.

“I spent the night on the balcony in the cold wind…” Stephanie recalled the foolish things she had done last night, her voice trailing off. “I suspect the tenant in Unit 502 upstairs is someone I know.”

“What’s with Unit 502?”

“Never mind.” Stephanie’s expression became complicated; she didn’t want to talk about this.

“Oh, by the way, Oscar told me you were with Scott last night. Did he drive you home?”

Now, it was Molly’s turn to avoid the topic. She stiffened, answering, “Yes, we came back early.”

The two women, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, ended the call as Stephanie informed Molly that she was almost at the airport. Molly, with her innate caretaker instincts, reminded her once again to stay safe before hanging up.

Roberts Villa promptly at six in the morning. Her busy day often began with preparing breakfast for Scott and Andy, rousing them from bed. She would then send Andy off to school and ensured Scott

to Roberts Villa in her old car, she noticed a striking red Lamborghini

her car, casting a jealous glance at the new

be

find that both Scott and Andy were already awake without

she asked naturally as she walked in.

the guest

from behind the sofa, and

in the doorway.

1/8

Chapter 281

After she stood there for a moment, she

chin arrogantly and seated herself in the central position of

standing there

commanding. Molly, unwilling to argue and feeling she had no right to, nodded

living room, silently

crash breaking the tense silence in the house. Startled, she hurriedly bent down to clean up the shards, accidentally

hire someone like this as

from the living room reached Molly’s cars, making her feel embarrassed. She quickened

as if she had done something wrong and ended up in a place where she didn’t belong,

Villa today was truly agonizing for Molly. “I’ve already eaten before coming here, so you guys go ahead.” She forced out an excuse, really not

said nothing, merely waved his hand for her to

spooned up his string beans, looking up at her

they didn’t eat together at the same table. However, Scott had expressed concern that her cooking might upset their stomachs, so he had her “test” the food first. Eventually, somehow, her relationship with the father–son

table as the employer’s family?” Chloe lectured Andy gently, but Molly’s smile froze on her face, unable to keep

typically, a maid wouldn’t dine at the same table as the employer’s

Andy still adored her. Especially when Chloe

all, she was his biological mother, and no one could change

to come and see Andy today.” When only Molly and Scott remained in

moment,

to respond. Chloe was Andy’s biological mother,

mop from the utility room. When Scott emerged from his study again, he

holding out a box

didn’t take the

softly, “Come on, eat up. You won’t have the energy to work for me if you don’t.” He then pressed the cookies into her hand.

held them without