Crossroads

Chapter 290

When fate turned sour, it felt like a cascade of misfortune crashing down all at once.

Carrying two bags of garbage to dispose of on the ground floor, Stephanie noticed quite a few male neighbors stealing glances at her as she rode the elevator. She felt self–conscious and uncomfortable the entire way.

Underneath her long, dark green wool coat, she only wore a light purple silk nightgown. It was winter, and though she thankfully hadn’t completely lost her wits, she remembered to throw on a long coat. The modern style and color of the coat made her look even more radiant, with rosy lips and bright eyes. Despite her appearance, she felt deeply troubled.

She had no money, no phone, and no bra. Worse, she had forgotten to bring her keys.

Stephanie wondered if other renters faced such ridiculous mishaps. Glancing down at her feet in shabby flip–flops, she couldn’t help but sigh.

She walked through the complex, feeling utterly embarrassed and questioning how she had managed to get through the past few years.

Maybe the slight fever was clouding her mind.

For the first time. Stephanie fastened every button of her coat before seeking help from the property management. But her bad luck hadn’t run its course.

“Miss, I’m new here and don’t know where the spare keys are. Could you wait a bit?” said the new property manager.

“How long do I have to wait!” she looked at him and asked instinctively, crossing her arms and pulling her coat tighter in embarrassment. “Could you call someone? I’m in a bit of a bind.

Though the young manager didn’t understand her predicament, since it was a request from a beautiful girl, he agreed to resolve it as quickly as possible, even shyly offering her a seat in the property office to wait.

“No, thank you,” she replied, deciding to wait in her apartment instead.

Seeing a group of returning office workers waiting for the elevator at 10 PM, Stephanic wisely decided to take the stairs to avoid the crowd

glanced down at her chest

to the lack of foot traffic and a lazy cleaning lady. Her footsteps echoed as she climbed. each step triggering the sensor lights above, casting an

to climb, so she took her time, but her mind

manager’s call. The old property staff had gone for a late–night snack and wouldn’t return for at least an hour. ‘So I have to wait

themselves too much, she might end up spending the night outside her

a phone and call Molly to come to my rescue?” In moments of crisis, she always thought of her

watching her step, she suddenly bumped into someone. Startled, she

stairway lights cast a hazy, yellow glow, and she couldn’t be sure

was abrupt and familiar, low and

fear or shock, as she exclaimed, “Why

He turned and continued walking up

looked to her left

the lunatic from 502!” she recalled, her tone complex, and quickly

to look at her, clearly displeased by her calling him a lunatic. His eyes were sharp in the dim

stopping about

her uncomfortable, but she mustered

suspected the resident above her might be someone she knew, and

surged with an indescribable emotion, nervousness, confusion, and

taking out his key

living here?” she

choose to live in this old apartment complex. He could have taken over the whole area by writing a project

had changed. Stephanie was just an ordinary person now. She didn’t

a thin veil between her and the truth, and she desperately wanted to know. She shouted his name, her

him caught off guard, yet she was the one feeling anxious

open the door of 502 ignoring

he stepped inside, he paused, turned, and, with his sharp, cold eyes, asked, “Do you want the

question now felt like mocking if she had been pushed

she cared about deeply, he

understand why he asked that out of the blue. A thought flashed through her mind. It seemed that

and likely never would

watching him. This man seemed so distint from her