Crossroads

"Babe..."

That gentle and crisp male voice whispered in her ear, "Babe..." He repeated over and over with utmost tenderness, softly calling her nickname.

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"Stop it, it's so cheesy!" Only her mother would use that tone to call her by that nickname.

Stephanie's brows furrowed, looking struggle. She found the voice eerily familiar.

She was sure she had heard this gentle voice before.

'Who are you... She opened her mouth to shout, but her body shuddered with a start. The next second, she abruptly opened her eyes, staring at the white ceiling above, feeling the faint smell of disinfectant at the tip of her nose.

That was when she realized she had been dreaming, She was in a hospital.

"Hospital?" She murmured, her face pale, her mind blank.

She looked around, her vision blurry, and the beeping of the heart rate monitor filled her ears

"Why am I in a hospital?"

Her body was feverish, her mind sluggish, and she was barely able to grasp the situation.

"What did you say?"

Meanwhile, in the still of the early morning, police and rescue teams were busy at the factory...

"Did I you say Stephanie is in the hospital?"

Vincent clutched his phone, his voice filled with disbelief.

"What?" Dominick strode forward impatiently, snatching the phone from his hand, his voice low and shocked.

"Stephanie is in the hospital!"

n the hospital!"

"How could she be in the hospital?"

Meanwhile, Stephanie was still at a loss. "Why am I in a hospital?"

Her thoughts were heavy, and there seemed to be a man...

Suddenly, as if remembering something critical, Stephanie's expression turned anxious, and her heart raced. She quickly threw off the white hospital blanket, checking her abdomen nervously.

She tensed up, looking intently at her smooth stomach.

Then, Stephanie sighed in relief.

She recalled meeting a man at the company gala, a gentleman in a black suit. Then, Isaac mistook her for Jessica and escorted her into the Chapter 73

venue before she left.

Isaac had followed her, trailing her to the underground parking, where she stumbled upon Dominick and Randall in a shootout Isaac had clamped a hand over her mouth, forcibly taking her away.

At the abandoned chemical plant, Isaac had held a cold blade against her abdomen, ready to cut her open...

Suddenly, Stephanie's thoughts scrambled, and she looked confusedly towards the door.

Noises from outside broke her train of thought, that was...

"Back when we ran the company together, this would never have happened!"

"Today, of all days, the corporation's 50th anniversary is ruined! The stock price will tank tomorrow. Dad, I've told you, Dominick is too young. He can't handle the whole company...

Stella and her sisters had come with George to the hospital under the guise of visiting Stephanie, but actually, they came to add the fuel to the fire.

At 1 AM, the night air was chilly, and the hospital corridor was noisy.

George, leaning on his cane, listened to his daughters' complaints, frustrated.

This was supposed to be a grand celebration for the company's 50th anniversary, but this just had to happen on this day!!

"Quiet down, let's see how Steffi is doing!" George scolded his daughters, clearly displeased.

"Where's Stephanie?"

At that moment, at the hospital's left elevator entrance, a tall and imposing figure hurried over, Dominick, his clothes damp and his face unusually flustered. "Where is Stephanie?"

As Stella saw him approaching, she immediately scowled and blocked his path.

She berated, "Dominick, you not only oppress your kin but also offend so many people for your own desires. Stephanie and Jessica are the ones suffering now. Next time, it could be us! Your selfishness really dragged us downl

"Get out of my way!"

Dominick was not in the mood to argue and was visibly irritated. He didn't care about the fact that she was his aunt and pushed her aside.

"Is Stephanie here?"

He turned to George, repeating the question with clenched teeth, his voice filled with disbelief.

With a snort, George exploded in anger. "You bastard! You neglected your wife for that mistress. And you still have the nerve to come here!"

Scolded by his grandfather, Dominick's stem face flashed with a moment of astonishment.

He wasn't angry, just incredulous.

Stephanie was really at the hospital.

But he couldn't understand how she could be there.

"Dad, don't forget the management issues at his company! There's a shareholders' meeting tomorrow, and I don't think he's fit for his current position anymore..." Stella pushed, aiming to oust him from his leadership role.

Her sisters also jumped in, seizing the moment to clamor Dominick, however, couldn't bother with the corporate affairs.

His usual sharp demeanor was go gone, replaced by an edge of confusion. His brows furrowed, and he strode to the hospital room, opening the room.

As he looked toward the bed, his eyes widened. Stephanie was really there.

She lay on the hospital bed, watching the man approach her, and somehow, she felt a bit nervous.

Dominick hurried over. As he approached the hospital bed, he looked down at her with a piercing gaze that seemed to interrogate her, as if questioning something...

Stephanie felt a shiver running through her spine as his intense and sharp eyes fixed on her.

"Why are you here?" he suddenly demanded in a deep voice.

Stephanie pressed her lips together, offering no m him at all, turning her back to him.

Dominick was growing increasingly agitated.

kwas reply, lowering her gaze as she recalled some things. She seemed like she didn't want to see He leaned over, pressing his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "Who saved you at the factory?" His voice was low and stubborn.

When he infiltrated the factory, he found Isaac attacked in a small office room. He could still remember he saw a man and a woman embracing each other in the midst of fire.....

"Answer my question! Who saved you at the factory? Who is he?"

Dominick grew even more irritable, his question as he repeated the question.

Stephanie's shoulder throbbed under his firm grip. She furrowed her brows in anger and glared up at the man above her. "Let go!"

To her, Dominick had rushed to Jessica's rescue and didn't care about her fate.

She couldn't believe he had the nerve to interrogate and question her.

"Who saved me is none of your business!" she retorted, meeting his gaze defiantly.

Dominick's face hardened at her tone.

But a flicker of guilt pricked at him when he saw her pale face. He looked away, his grip loosening as he stood up straight.

"Why were you at the gala?" he pressed, struggling to contain the impatience in his voice.

Stephanie bit her lip, ignoring him.

"Stephanie!"

Dominick's rage boiled over. He spun around, glaring at her stubborn face, and roared her name, a name burned into the deepest part of him.

His fury was so intense it seemed to shake her very soul, and she could feel his unease.

Stephanie lowered her head, having mixed feelings at that sudden.

He seemed...desperate.

"I don't know." She spoke in a low voice. "I don't know who he is..."

She wasn't lying. She truly hadn't seen the man's face, only knowing that he had appeared just in time to snatch the steel knife from Isaac's hand, saving her....

Stephanie's long eyelashes fluttered against her pale cheeks. Her eyes were dull with lingering shock.

Dominick watched her, and his rage seemed to slowly dissipate.

"Why were you at the gala? Who let you go there? What did you see in the underground parking lot?" he asked, then thought for a moment and added, "Stephanie, don't hide anything from me..."

"What about you? What a are you hiding from me?"

she interrupted him Dominick's eyes narrowed slightly, seemingly taken aback by her question.

Under the sheets, Stephanie's left hand tightened into a fist as if mustering courage, and she looked straight at him. "Dominick, your study... "You've been to my study?" Dominick's voice immediately turned cold.

Stephanie's face drained of color. She knew he would be angry, but this.. was a level of fury she wasn't expecting. "...I just..." She fumbled for an explanation.

Dominick seemed to remember something, his expression darkening with a warning. "Who allowed you into my study?

"Stephanie, you have no right to pry into my affairs!" His eyes scrutinized her intensely. "Who have you been talking to? You...

"My affairs are none of your concern either!" She suddenly felt very disheartened.

"I'm not feeling well right now. Please, get out, now!" Stephanie's voice was sharp and cold as she firmly pressed her lips together.

"Stephanie, you..." Dominick looked visibly annoyed.

"Ms. Carter is safe and sound now. I don't need your concern. Mr.

Wellington, please XO.com leave-immediately. I don't want to see you!" Stephanie shouted, her face cold and stern.

The door to the hospital room slammed shut.

Dominick leaned against the hospital wall, his gaze complex as he glanced at the door. He suppressed his irritation and fatigue, closing his eyes.

He wanted to say, "I'm glad w

"I'm glad you're fine."

He wanted to let her know he was worried about her.

But those words caught in his throat. He wasn't used to them, and he wasn't sure how to even start.

"Dominick, where's Stephanie?"

10.44 Sat, 22 Jun Chapter 73

Vincent's voice broke the silence.

He'd rushed over after hearing she was at the hospital, only to find Dominick alone outside her room, a flicker of loneliness in his usually stoic eyes.

"Keep an eye on her," Dominick said curtly and walked toward the elevator.

Vincent stood there, stunned. Dominick looked like he wanted to stay a bit longer, yet he was gone so quickly.

"Stephanie, did you and Dominick have a fight?" he asked as he turned the doorknob.

Stephanie's tense shoulders relaxed at the sight of him.

"How could you do that to Dominick? He had risked his life at that factory to find you. He's worried..."

The last words echoed in the air, leaving Stephanie stunned.