Cross Roads

Chapter 265 Stephanie was dead set on moving out and renting her own place.

Molly failed to change her mind. She made a desperate call to Oscar for help, but he seemed tied up.

It was Saturday, and there wasn't much else to do. Stephanie's ankle, though still injured, didn't bother her much for walking, and she'd already taken off the bandage. After lunch, Molly reluctantly agreed to go apartment hunting with her.

Luck was on their side. They found a one-bedroom apartment in the city center from the online post. The fumiture and decor were brand new, and the rent wasn't too bad.

"One thousand three hundred dollars a month, with a year's rent paid upfront, plus 10 thousand dollars deposit. Take it or leave it. Don't waste my time. Make up your minds." The landlord was a man in his 30s, about 57 feet, dressed casually with glasses. He looked decent enough, but his tone was incredibly harsh "A year's rent upfront and 10 thousand dollars deposit! You've got to be kidding!" Molly furned.

The landlord continued, "The renovations and furniture here are brand new. A 10-thousand-dollar deposit is already very cost-effective. If there's any damage at the end of the lease, you'll have to compensate me. A five hundred square feet apartment in this area would cost you at least 23 thousand dollars.." "Ten thousand dollars is outrageous," Molly countered. "Five thousand dollars tops. And this isn't exactly a new building, despite the neighborhood. Let's see your property deed, just to make sure we're not dealing with a middleman here." While Molly tried to haggle over the rent, Stephanie seemed uninterested. She wandered around the cramped apartment, muttering. "It's a bit tight, isn't it?" "If you think it's small, why don't you go live in a mansion?" the landlord retorted.

The apartment was so tiny that Stephanie's comment was heard by everyone. The landlord's face darkened. "Are you two serious about renting! This is a small place. It isn't for royalty," he sneered.

Molly looked a bit weird. She rubbed her temple and mumbled, “She really is a royalty" "We'll take it." Stephanie had picked up bad habits from the Wellington. She didn't even bother to negotiate the price. She signed the contract, transferred the funds via her phone, and officially becthe owner of the tiny apartment.

*Stephanie, I think it's better to be frugal." Molly sighed, watching her sign the contract so quickly.

Most people took days or even weeks to compare options before renting, but Stephanie was incredibly efficient "We didn't even read the three pages of the contract carefully... Molly continued.

Stephanie casually tossed the lease into a drawer and turned around, saying casually, "Who would dare to trick me? Molly s was stunned for a moment. Indeed, who would dare Even if there were problems with the contract, it wasn't clear who would end up crying.

"If the Wellingtons get involved, it could get ugly Molly mustered, her mind immediately jumping to Stephanie's connection with the Wellingtons.

Stephanie, who had been calm up until now, suddenly spoke in a cold voice. “I said, I can handle it myself. I won't be bullied Seeing Stephanie's usual fire return, Molly felt a wave of relief. A feisty Stephanie was way better than a silent one. If she could go back to her old self, there'd be nothing to worry about.

"Molly, I know what I'm doing," Stephanie said calmly as she started tidying up the kitchen. "If you talk to Diana, let her know I'm not mad at her anymore." Molly was surprised to hear this, unsure of how to respond, so she simply hummed.

She also couldn't help but notice how the apartment was super close to the Innovate Group, with a bus that ran straight from the front gate. But hey, that had to be just a coincidence, right? There was a large supermarket a few blocks away, making shopping for daily necessities easy. They bought snew cups, bowls, and bedding, and after a quick clean-up, the apartment was ready for move-in. That night, Molly squeezed into the sbed with Stephanie, spending their first night in the new place.

The very next day, however, Molly was kicked out.

"You ungrateful, backstabbing. Molly muttered under her breath, deeply hurt, 12:12 PM Chapter 265 Stephanie ignored her, simply saying. "Go take care of your own business." Then, she slammed the door shut Molly stared at the closed door, feeling a surge of resentment. But then again, that little punk, Andy, was quite a handful. He had even called her the night before, complaining about her not attending his kindergarten events. Stephanie must have overheard the conversation. She always disliked intruding on others' lives, and perhaps she truly wanted to try living alone in peace.

Not long after Molly left. Stephanie found herself bored and decided to take a stroll around the neighborhood. She changed into a dark green shirt paired with long, deep blue jeans and wore a pair of white casual shoes. Since it was a bit chilly in early winter, she added a white short-down jacket on top. With light makeup and a natural look, standing around 5.7 feet, her hair simply tied back, and she looked like an innocent college girl.

After locking the door, she patiently waited for the elevator. The other residents, mostly elderly men and It's women couldn't help but take a second look at her, probably because of her striking appearance and unfamiliar face. "Miss, did you just move in? one of the elderly women chirped. "Are you studying at Havencrest? What's your major? Are you in an arts school?" The neighborhood, established years ago, was hto a stable and close-knit community, Stephanie wasn't good at small talk, and she simply replied with a blank expression. "Hi

Perhaps it was because the youth today were too flamboyant; the m elderly residents preferred quieter girls. Her good looks and quiet nature gave the impression of shyness and introversion, making her even more popular among them. "Where are you from, dear?" Once they were in the elevator, the enthusiasm of these long-tresidents only grew. Retired elders loved nothing more than playing matchmaker "Do you have a boyfriend? My nephew works at a big company, earning over 100 thousand dollars a year. He's very respectful and has no bad habits..." one of the elders said.

Someone interrupted her, "Oh, forget your nephew, he's barely taller than this young lady. They'd look ridiculous together" The two elderly ladies started arguing, leaving Stephanie feeling awkward. She just hoped the elevator would just hurry up and reach the ground floor.

When the elevator opened, boxes of packaged items were stacked at the entrance.

"Looks like we've got new neighbors moving in, someone remarked.

The elderly residents were still chatting away. Stephanie wasn't interested in their conversation and politely said, "Excuse me, I have to go." She then quickly left.

Behind her, the chatter continued, their voices growing even more enthusiastic. "Just upstairs from that girl, there's a new guy." Their voices grew even more excited. "He's really handsome."