Crossroads

"Why can't play the piano in front of Dominick?"

Stephanie didn't expect George to actually have a plano delivered and even had her play a canon. She thought she played quite well, but Brad looked nervous.

Brad looked somewhat hesitant. "Because Mr. Wellington... He really hates..."

"Why can't we celebrate Dominick's birthday? You never celebrate Winter Festival?" Stephanie, curious, stared at Brad.

"Well, this, um..." Brad's voice trailed off

"Do you care about Dominick?"

Sitting in the center of the couch, George took a sip of coffee, set down the cup, and raised an eyebrow, questioning.

Stephanie felt awkward and immediately denied, "No."

"Mrs. Wellington, Mr. Wellington has a lot of things he doesn't like others interfering with..." Brad sighed as he spoke.

"He's always so cold and secretive," Stephanie immediately whispered, complaining.

George, feeling similarly, muttered angrily, "Don't know who Dominick inherited that bad temper from, always with a stern face, never doing any filial action."

"You wouldn't!

tsay y that before..."

Seeing the two of them having shared frustration, Brad couldn't help but smile, then picked up a photo album and handed it to Stephanie.

Stephanie took the album, flipped it open, and glanced at it, surprised. "This kid is Dominick?"

the entrance of a private In the photo, a three-year-old boy, dressed in a light blue sailor suit with a small hat, stood obediently at the kindergarten. His bright eyes shimmered on his adorable face as he smiled shyly at the camera.

Stephanie was excited, picking up the album to get a closer look. "Is this really Dominick?"

She found the boy in the album so cute. How could...

Seeing Stephanie so excited, Brad couldn't help but marvel, "Mr. Wellington was very quiet when he was young, but then he was abducted...

As he said this, George gave Brad a serious look, and Brad immediately shut up, not daring to continue.

Stephanie was shocked as she looked at George.

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Carefully probing, she asked, "Was Dominick abducted when he was young?" Children from wealthy families being abducted was occasionally in the news, but Dominick's experience seemed unusual George didn't answer her, just looked up at the black grand piano with cloudy eyes, suppressing a painful memory..

Dominick was his only grandson, naturally the one he cherished the most, but..

Brad looked at Stephanie and said softly, "Mrs. Wellington, don't blame Mr. Wellington for being too aloof. He just hides too many secrets...

"Perhaps one day he will tell you."

0:36

Stephanie didn't pursue further.

Stephanie just felt that maybe there wouldn't be such a day because after she gave birth, she would leave Wellington Villa.

Thinking of Dominick, Stephanie felt a bit heavy hearted.

Looking at the antique tall-case clock on the left, she stood up from the sofa and said to George, "Grandpa, I'm leaving row..."

"Where are you going?"

Vincent drove to the airport, looking at Dominick in the back seat, and asked casually.

"Back to Wellington Villa."

Just off the plane, Dominick looked weary. Leaning against the window, he watched the scenery passing by, lost in thought.

The car drove steadily. Vincent glanced at the rearview mirror and noticed Dominick's distracted look. Every time Dominick asked him to pick him up from the airport, it was always because he was in a bad mood, Vincent immediately thought of Stephanie and wondered if she had angered him again.

"Dominick, actually, I was going to take Stephanie to Flaming Bar on Winter Festival. She didn't..." Vincent tried to be a peacemaker and took the blame.

"Am I too harsh on her?" Dominick suddenly spoke coldly, interrupting him.

Hearing his question, Vincent raised an eyebrow, not knowing how to answer for a moment.

Dominick had always been indifferent to everyone, and now, suddenly asking if he was too harsh on a woman, Vincent felt it was really strange.

"Dominick, I heard you rushed from the club to Flaming Bar that day, running through red lights and almost causing an accident, Vincent suddenly asked curiously. "Did you know Stephanie before?" Dominick seemed really nervous that day.

lout the c Dominick squinted his eyes, glaring fiercely out the car window...

Seeing his attitude, Vincent wisely shut up, but....

"Dominick, maybe you don't understand women well Some things you have to say for them to know," Vincent said with seriousness.

Vincent felt Dominick must care for her, but with his cold demeanor and habit of using commanding tones to his subordinates, Dominick probably didn't know how to cherish a woman.

"So you know her!"

Dominick's face turned cold as he suddenly turned to scrutinize him.

Hearing his displeased tone, Vincent immediately faltered, weakly explaining, "I'm not familiar with her."

Since Winter Festival, Dominick had been away on business in Paente for five days due to company matters. He rushed back home because George insisted on weekly Sunday classes, but today, when he got back home, he found Stephanie absent.

"Where is she?"

Dominick returned to Wellington Villa. George was leisurely trimming plants in the backyard, and Dominick asked with a restrained tone.

George put his plant back on the shell as if not hearing Dominick's question, and turned directly to Vincent. "Is your grandfather doing well lately?"

"My grandfather is in good health. Thank you for asking." Vincent immediately replied respectfully.

Dominick suppressed impatience and took a step forward. "Where did she go?"

he repeated.

"How are your parents doing lately?"

George looked at Vincent and continued his questioning.

Vincent, sweating slightly on his forehead under immense pressure, muttered softly, "My parents have been traveling to Olara lately. Everything is fine. Thanks for asking"

"How are your three elder brothers lately?" George continued to ask him tirelessly.

Knowing George didn't want to deal with Dominick, Vincent was embarrassed, but he wondered why he was being used as a shield...

Vincent glanced at Dominick-across from him and saw that his expression was very unpleasant.

Dominick turned directly to the bodyguard behind him and angrily reprimanded, "Where is Mrs. Wellington? Where did she go? Didn't I tell you to follow her?"

"Do you think you are just walking your dog on schedule every day? Why did you have someone follow her?" George suddenly snorted in Irritation.

"She's pregnant..." Dominick's face turned gloomy as he stared at George.

He had just returned, and Stephanie was gone!

"Are you concerned about her baby, or are you concerned about her?" George raised an eyebrow, glaring at the cold and arrogant Dominick.

Then he coldly added, "I don't think you ou could possibly care about her. You were publicly having car sex with Jessica.

How could you possibly care about your wife and child..."

DR George and Dominick glared at each other. The atmosphere was tense while the others endured uneasy silence.

Brad sighed helplessly, "Mr. Wellington, Samantha was hospitalized this morning due to high blood pressure. Mrs. Wellington rushed back to Caelorium..." Dominick had a gloomy face as he was surprised Stephanie had returned to Caelorium.

Stephanie had indeed returned to Caelorium. She went directly to the hospital to visit Samantha, who was resting in the ward. Since the caregiver was around, she didn't disturb Samantha and planned to come back tomorrow.

She despised the Reed family, except for Diana. Stephanie felt she had no family left.

But she was a soft-hearted person, and Samantha was eighty years old now.

The things she once hated seemed to have passed many years ago...

Every time she returned to Caelorium, she felt a bit melancholy.

Everyone had their own secrets and the pains and hurts they didn't want to speak of...

She suddenly thought of Dominick. She felt a person like him must also have many pasts he didn't want to mention. Would he tell Jessica?

10:36 Sat, 22 Jun u va Chapter 50

She felt he wouldn't tell her anyway.

Stephanie arrived at Caelorum around 3 o'clock in the afternoon, still early. Not wanting to stay cooped up in her hotel room, she hailed a taxi to take a leisurely drive around.

Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure and was startled.

"Stop the carl She instructed the driver to roll down the window, squinting her eyes to peer into the alley on the left....

There, two women were engaged in a heated argument, and one of them was Jessica.

Stephanie, puzzled, wondered why Jessica would...

"You've got the wrong person!" Voices of dispute echoed from the alley.

"Betty, Betty, I know it's v s you.

Where have you been all en all these years? Do you know how worried I've been about you..."

"I've told you. I'm not! I'm not Betty.

I'm Jessica now, a superstar won't come back to endure hardship with En you. Don't bother me..."

Jessica forcefully pushed the middle-aged woman, who fell to the ground in the narrow alley.

She wanted to chase after Jessica but stumbled, tears streaming down her face, and she could only shout after Jessica, who was running away, "Betty...

"Regina, are you okay?"

Stephanie quickly got out of the car and rushed over to help Regina up.

Regina, watching Jessica run away, couldn't hold back her her gars, wiping them away with her right hand. "Steffi, I'm fine. Sorry to make you

witness that."

Stephanie knew Regina because she was the owner of the milkshake shop where Stephanie had once worked part-time.

Assisting Regina back to the milkshake shop, Stephanie couldn't help but ask after some thought, "That woman just now...

Regina sat down, her gaze dark and troubled as she looked at Stephanie's face. "She's my daughter," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

Stephanie was shocked that Jessica was Regina's daughter! Deeply surprised, Stephanie asked, "Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Vincent had said that Jessica had been adopted by Ceritha's couple when she was a baby..

"My daughter ran away from home six years ago and cut off contact twith me. I raised her up myself. Even if NO she underwent plastic surgery, I would still recognize her!" Regina's voice grew somewhat agitated.

"Six years ago?" Stephanie looked at her and pondered.

"Six years ag