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.

Scott and Andy, rousing them from bed. She would then send Andy off to school and ensured Scott took his stomach medication after breakfast. She’d clean the floors,

her old car, she noticed a striking red Lamborghini parked at the entrance. The stark contrast between the two cars was

out of her car, casting a jealous glance at

might be driving such a

to find that both Scott and Andy were already awake without her having to yell at

asked

the guest here?”

figure emerged from behind the sofa, and soon, Chloe’s displeased face

in the doorway.

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Chapter 281

stood there for a moment, she finally broke

arrogantly and seated herself in the central position of the living room

are you standing there like an idiot? Go

and feeling she had no right to, nodded

in the living room, silently observing

her routine of making toasts and salads for them. Suddenly, she dropped a plate, the loud crash breaking the tense silence in the house. Startled, she hurriedly bent down to clean up the shards, accidentally cutting her finger on a piece.

hire someone like this

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

was awful, as if she had done something wrong and ended up

agonizing for Molly. “I’ve already eaten before coming here, so you guys go ahead.” She forced out

said nothing, merely waved his hand for her to

eat with us,” Andy, still a child, spooned up his string beans, looking up

that her cooking might upset their stomachs, so he had her “test”

would the maid eat at the same table as the employer’s family?” Chloe lectured Andy gently, but Molly’s smile froze on her face, unable to keep up with her pretense

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

noticed that despite Chloe’s previous snobbery, Andy still adored her. Especially when Chloe mentioned taking him

and no one could change that blood

come and see Andy today.” When only Molly and Scott remained in the house, Scott set down his newspaper, looked up

didn’t immediately respond. After a moment, she

to respond. Chloe was Andy’s biological mother, and despite their divorce, she still had

a bucket and mop from the utility room. When Scott emerged from his study again, he saw her wearing gloves, a scarf, and even a work cap, as if she were about to tackle a year’s worth

out a box of

blankly and didn’t take

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

just held them without making a