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

at her chest

cleaning lady. Her footsteps echoed as she climbed. each step triggering the sensor lights above, casting

to climb, so she

and wouldn’t return for at least an hour. ‘So I have to wait at least an hour,’ she thought

she might end up

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

and not watching her step, she

duller. The stairway lights cast a hazy, yellow glow, and she couldn’t be sure if he

going. The voice was abrupt and familiar, low

it was fear or shock, as she exclaimed,

and continued walking up

looked to her left and saw her room, 402.

502!” she recalled, her tone complex, and

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

the stairs, stopping

intense gaze made her uncomfortable, but she mustered the courage to ask. “Why are you living

resident above her might be someone she knew, and she had considered it might

an indescribable emotion, nervousness, confusion, and a hint of

taking out his key to

here?” she pressed,

apartment complex. He could have taken over the whole area by writing a project plan. A thought lingered in

was just an ordinary person now. She didn’t have the confidence to hope he was here because of

be a thin veil between her and the

him caught off guard, yet

showed no emotion and pushed open the door of 502 ignoring

stepped inside, he paused, turned, and, with his sharp, cold

cold question now felt like mocking if she had

cared about deeply, he dismissed

through her mind. It

and likely never would

stood quietly, watching him. This man seemed so