Cross Roads

Chapter 172 "Stephanie, you do know Oscar?" A sleek black Bugatti sped towards Pearson Villa. The interior was spacious and comfortable, yet the atmosphere inside the car was tense.

Vincent kept his eyes fixed on the woman across from him with a complex gaze. “Last tyou said..." The last tthey'd spoken, Stephanie had claimed to have known Oscar for a long time.

At that time, he thought she was joking because it seemed impossible.

Even Dominick turned his head to look at her, raising an eyebrow as if he wanted to say something.

"I don't like this gift." Stephanie ignored the question and directly hande the expensive gift bag to Dominich not bothering to hide her disdain.

Dominick glanced at the gift bag in his hand. He knew she'd been giving him the cold shoulder ever since they got in the car.

"I've already talked to HR about your friend,” he said, guessing that her bad mood had something to do with that woman named Molly.

"I don't need your help. Stephanie turned her head towards the car window, firmly refusing his offer.

Vincent rolled his eyes. This woman always played the victim and somehow still cout on top. Now she had the nerve to refuse help.

"Dominick, Stephanie doesn't have a lick of work experience," he blurted out, “Just do what you think is best. She doesn't understand how these things work... Don't let her get to you!" Dominick hadn't considered that. Why should he worry about firing sbasic employee? If keeping Molly could make Stephanie happy, it was worth it.

Stephanie, who had been staring out the window, suddenly got angry.

It was like something had provoked her as she retorted without hesitation, "Vincent, what do you mean I don't understand? I may not get your shady business deals, but have I ever meddled in them? I have neither the tnor the inclination to deal with your messes." "Hayley's decision wasn't about you, Stephanie. Don't read too much into it just because you're bored," Vincent replied.

"Bored? Is that what I am, Vincent? A bored housewife, good for nothing but popping out babies and holding you guys back?" Stephanie's anger grew. "Hayley can do whatever she wants with this. Molly should get out while she can, before she gets sucked into skind of disaster and can't escape!" Vincent noticed she was far more anger than usual, sensing she must have been provoked by someone earlier. He relied on his instincts and decided to keep quiet to avoid further conflict.

Stephanie, seeing Vincent back down, turned away with a huff, refusing to even look in their direction.

"Take this." Dominick noticed her cheeks flushed with anger. He gave a subtle nod to the bodyguard in the corner, who promptly produced a glass of water.

The car was stocked like a mini-bar, which left Vincent feeling utterly hopeless since all the drinks were mango- flavored.

Dominick was naturally allergic to mangoes, while Stephanie loved mango-flavored drinks. What a twisted fate. Stephanie took the water and sipped it twice. She was indeed a bit thirsty. Her eyes flicked over to Vincent, and she found herself increasingly annoyed by him.

"Vincent Hayes,” she snapped, "cut it out with your ridiculous ideas and stop trying to corrupt Dominick!" Vincent felt baffled and instinctively wanted to retort, but for safety's sake, he sneaked a glance at the other man.

Dominick was actually smirking at Stephanie's outburst, clearly amused by her tirade.

It was because Stephanie's words made it seem like she was protecting him.

"Vincent, don't deny it. You definitely had Hayley buythis awful scarf, humph." Stephanie was bored with the drive and still sdistance from Pearson Villa, so she decided to pick on Vincent. Her voice was firm and carried a ion Che une honestlysopaulbe the sufi court Haulan bad müüan hanNE Chapter 172 Dominick had no idea how to please a woman, so it had to be Vincent's idea to have Hayley pick out a suitable gift for her..

But whatever Hayley chose, she found it unsuitable.

"I think Hayley has pretty good taste. This white scarf is top-notch silk, a really high-end brand. What's not to like, Stephanie?" Vincent admitted straightforwardly. He opened the gift and looked at it, finding nothing wrong with it.

That morning, when he and Dominick had visited Hayley at the hospital, she'd seemed much better and had expressed a desire to go shopping on the main street.

A few days earlier, Dominick had done the Hayes family a huge favor, and Vincent's grandpa had been saying they should thank Dominick. So, he cup with the idea of sending a gift to Stephanie on Dominick's behalf. If Stephanie was happy, Dominick would be happy too.

But it turned out this woman was being incredibly picky.

Dominick, meanwhile, was taking a closer look at the scarf. It wasn't actually white, but a light grey, made of gauzy silk with a subtle purple floral pattern. It had an airy elegance, shimmering slightly as he moved it. The quality of the material was undeniable.

"You don't like it?" Stephanie pouted and pushed the cup back towards Dominick. "I just don't like it." Vincent was frustrated. Well, since Stephanie said she didn't like it, its value immediately plummeted.

Dominick didn't say much and casually tossed the scarf aside, thinking for a moment before saying, “Red suits you more."

It was true. White wasn't Stephanie's color. She wasn't the gentle, understated type. Her flamboyant personality and striking looks demanded attention. The bold red, a shade many would shy away from, accentuated her smooth skin, making her even more mesmerizing and alluring. Dominick loved it when she wore her red silk nightgown. It always meant a passionate night for him.

"I don't like red," Stephanie grumbled. She knew very well about what Dominick was thinking.

Actually, the color didn't matter. "No woman likes a gift picked out by boyfriend's girl friend..." Imagined if she received a gift from a man with delight, only to find out another woman helped choose it. Sure, it was fine to get a second opinion, but the mere thought of it stung.

*Gifts are supposed to be thoughtful. If you don't care, don't even bother!" Stephanie snapped glaring at the two men before her. “Just because I like this doesn't mean I'm going to like everything Hayley likes, for crying out loud!" These guys were sharks in the boardroom, but when it cto women, they were completely clueless.

Vincent seemed to realize something, remarking nonchalantly, "Now I get why Matilda was so pissed off the other day." Matilda was already his ex-girlfriend.

Most women would just hint at their annoyance, but not Stephanie. She was bold and direct.

Stephanie gave him a single word. "Idiot!" Vincent's face darkened, but Dominick couldn't help but chuckle.

Feeling a bit tired, Stephanie rested. her head on Dominick's shoulder, looking smug as she watched m Vincent's defeated expression. She glanced out the window, a flicker of nervousness in her eyes as they neared Pearson Villa... Dominick adjusted her posture and held her, making her more comfortable.

Vincent stared blankly out the car window, refusing to look at the shameless couple. This was a disaster. Bros before hoes, right? Dominick had totally forgotten their bro code. What a shame!