Crossroads

It was another calm morning. After finishing breakfast, Stephanie took a stroll in the backyard of Wellington Villa.

Lately, Stephanie had been feeling a bit off.

She furrowed her brow and quickly turned around...

"There's nothing..." she muttered to herself. There was indeed nothing unusual behind her. Everything seemed normal, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her intensely.

Maybe she was just overthinking things, at least that was what she thought. She remembered the nutritionist saying that pregnant women tend to have wild imaginations.

Blaming all her doubts on her twin boys, she felt a bit relieved. Her biggest wish now was to give birth smoothly without any complications.

It was Saturday, and Dominick wouldn't be going to the office, busy in his study since early morning. Vincent and the others were there too, and it didn't seem like they were working on business matters.

Stephanie leaned lazily against the railing of the veranda, looking over at Vincent, Scott, and...Hayley, who were walking and talking softly to each other.

She had no idea what they were up to, and Dominick didn't want her involved.

She stared blankly at the pool when suddenly, a clear voice broke the silence. To her surprise, Hayley was walking toward her.

"Looks like the babies will be here in a couple of months."

Hayley's tone was casual without malice, like she was bored and just looking for someone to chat with.

"I'm due in October," Stephanie replied, not really wanting to engage with her.

"October, huh? Mr. George Wellington will be thrilled to have his precious great- grandchildren sharing his birth month. Wellington Villa will be buzzing in October, especially with Mr. George Wellington turning 80 this year..."

As Dominick's wife, Stephanie felt she hadn't been very dutiful to his grandfather. In comparison, Hayley seemed more like a part of the Wellington family. Stephanie wanted to ask, but Dominick, the cold city man, wouldn't let her get involved in anything. Since coming back from Serenburg, the old man had been distant, and she was afraid of being seen as a nuisance if she asked too many questions.

Hayley didn't seem to be leaving. She leaned against the railing too, continuing to chat, "Steffi, are you still upset about Molly quitting? I called her the other day. It's true that I didn't handle it well and I can help her..."

"Ms. Isaac, are you lost? Dominick's study is that way."

Stephanie showed no expression as she pointed to the left, making it clear she wanted Hayley to leave.

"You don't need to be so hostile towards me..."

"When dealing with someone with ulterior motives, I can't outplay you, so I have to avoid you. Hayley, we're not the same type of people so stop just drop the act."

Stephanie's face showed impatience. She straightened up, not wanting to look at Hayley anymore, and planned to leave along the veranda.

"What do you mean by 'ulterior motives"? Is that how you describe me to Dominick?"

A flash of tension crossed Hayley's face as she quickly blocked Stephanie's path.

"Stephanie, I can be sharp sometimes, but I believe I handle things the right way. When I warned you not to hold Dominick back, I meant it. Now, I'm trying to ease things between us to avoid putting him in a difficult position. Don't keep testing they will get tired of it..."

patience with your tantrums; one day, good enough for Dominick? It's like you're the one poisoning me and giving me its antidote at the same time, preaching to me like you're some kind of saint. Don't expect me to listen to your crap, Hayley! Just stay the hell away from me!"

5, thank you for your kindness and patience?

For reminding me over and over that I'm Stephanie was furious and directly told Hayley to leave.

Hayley, seeing Stephanie's anger, didn't get mad. She'd dealt with difficult clients before and was more curious than anything. "Y hate me, huh?"

really seem to Stephanie never hid her dislike for Hayley.

"Why don't you start by explaining why you pretended to be Oscar's girlfriend?"

Stephanie looked straight at her, clearly seeing the guilt in Hayley's eyes.

"You...you know Oscar well?"

Hayley couldn't keep up the act in front of Stephanie; maybe it was because Stephanie sounded confident and her gaze was clear.

"Vincent mentioned the other day that you used to visit Pearson Villa a lot as a child. But Caelorium, where the Reed family lives, is at least a three-hour drive from Frostvale. Did your family really allowed you to run around as you wished?"

No matter how unimportant Stephanie seemed, she was still Gary's daughter, and when she was younger, Gary was a dedicated husband and father. How could he have let his only daughter wander off, and to a place quite a distance away from their home so frequently?

Hayley found this hard to believe and was worried about what Stephanie might have said to Dominick and the others.

"What's wrong, Ms. Isaac? Are you worried?"ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Stephanie raised an eyebrow, her voice taunting. "You don't need to worry. Dominick and Vincent don't take my words seriously. How could I ever compare to your tireless dedication to the company and Wellington family?"

Stephanie didn't want an outsider affecting her mood. With a stern expression, she turned and walked away.

"Oh, by the way, there's something I can tell you. Reed Villa is quite far from Pearson Villa, but my grandfather used to live in the suburbs nearby before he passed away. When I want to visit him, no one from the Reed family dared to stop me..."

"General Clark..." Hayley's expression changed suddenly when she connected the dots.

In fact, Stephanie came from a very privileged background. Not only was she from the wealthiest family in Caelorium, the Reed family, but she was also the beloved granddaughter of the late Thomas, who had retired to the outskirts near Pearson Villa. It was easy to imagine how much Thomas adored her.

Hayley had once read about his life. A journalist had interviewed him, and the he had mentioned his mischievous granddaughter, insisting that his comrades' descendants must take care of her to ease his mind.

Thomas' comrades were...

"Stephanie, Oscar was born out of wedlock. What relationship does his biological mother's relatives have with your grandfather?" Hayley shouted after Stephanie's retreating figure, her voice urgent and slightly raised.

"Are you curious?" Stephanie paused briefly to glance back at her coldly and said, "If you want to know, go find out isn't that your usual style of doing things, being domineering without any regard for others? Oh, and you can also get Dominick's help; he's faster at digging up information than you."

Hayley stiffened, growing with frustration as she watched Stephanie walk away.

"What do you think Stephanie and Oscar have to do with each other?"

In the study on the second floor of Wellington Villa, the morning sun spilled in, brightening the room, but the atmosphere was heavy and tense.

Vincent lounged casually on the sofa, making himself coffee and sipping it lazily.

He looked up at Dominick standing by the glass window, breaking into a grin when he became entertained by his amusing thoughts.

"Dominick, are you still thinking about what Mason said at the Pearson family's party? Mason must be referring to Hayley, likely because he saw you spending a lot of time with her and just let his imagination run wild, saying nonsensical things about you stealing a friend's girl.

a strict and

"Besides, Stephanie's temperament is well-known. Even her grandfather, General C paper tiger. She's been fearless and willful since childhood, spoiled and headstrong. If Stephanie wi imagine how miserable Oscar would be...

figure, is often dismissed by her as a be with Oscar, I can't even begin to Weekends were meant for relaxation, and Vincent was lost in his thoughts, laughing without a care in the world.

However, the other two men in the el study couldn't bring themselves to laugh. Scott glanced at the man m standing by the window, while holding a small object in his right hand, remained silent despite their ongoing speculations.

Scott raised an eyebrow, his face showing a hint of curiosity. "A wooden box."

The rosewood box...seemed to belong to Stephanie.

Dominick,