Crossroads

Chapter 266

Stephanie wandered around the neighborhood and eventually sat on a stone bench under the shade of a tree.

She looked up, her expression thoughtful as she gazed at the towering 60-story commercial building across the street. Its sleek black glass exterior reflected the sunlight, and the large silver logo "the Innovate Group" gleamed with an understated elegance.

As if recalling something unpleasant, she lowered her head and kicked at a pebble on the ground.

This apartment complex was only 12 miles away from his workplace. In her haste to move out, she hadn't considered this. Now, staring at the building, she felt uneasy.

"Should I look for another place! She hesitated.

The location was perfect in every other way-surrounded by restaurants, shops, and commercial streets. This part of the city had great transportation and was super safe. If not for the pending redevelopment plans, this area would probably be just as bustling as the commercial hub across the street.

"What are you thinking about?" someone suddenly asked.

Whether I should move," she replied instinctively and paused, turning around in surprise at the two people standing before her.

"Stephanic, I heard you just moved here." Diana said, d, her voice low and complex.

Molly had returned, still furning. "You kickedout this morning, and I was going to leave you to your own devices, but Diana said we help you check out your new home."

She added, "Oh, and Oscar is here too"

Indeed, a tall figure cover from the hallway behind them. Stephanie looked at these uninvited guests with an impassive face.

"Diana, shouldn't we be we be out shopping for the house! Molly asked.

"We should pick up sgroceries for dinner and cook a meal at her home, Diana replied.

need Molly and Diana chatted excitedly, as if they were the ones moving in, even suggesting they buy a small Christmas tree to cheer things up - it wasn't even Christmas! Molly shoord Stephanie off to run errands while she went upstairs with Diana to check out the room, Oscar accompanied Stephanie to the nearby supermarket. They walked out of the complex in silence, one behind the other, their footsteps falling in Watching them, a spark of curiosity ignited within Molly. "How did they used to be together?" she asked Diana. "Was Oscar always so quiet?" Over the past two months, she had surprisingly gotten to know Oscar well enough, but Stephanie had been in a fragile state, so they barely interacted.

Diana, who'd been tirelessly sprucing up the apartment, straightened up and winked at Molly. You'll see soon enough. The shorter the skirts, the higher the stocks."

As Molly noshed to open the door, she saw Stephanie and Oscar returning with bags of groceries. She also heard Oscar's clear, pleasant voice speaking about something rather peculiar.

yle villa for the night. T Oscar said, "A businessman on a trip needs a hotel room. His guide takes him to this swanky foreign-style about the cost, but the guide says it's half the usual price. Naturally, the businessman's a little suspicious."

"What are you guys talking about?" Molly asked, eager for the gossip. She took a bag of fresh groceries from them. Stephanie glanced at her and replied. "Oscar is telling a joke."

Molly blinked, her mind drawing a blank.

night. The guy's worried They settled into the living room, and Oscar continued in his calm voice. "The guide told him not to worry, because the place used to be a pig farm.

Stephanie's eyes widened slightly. Then, she nodded as if she had learned something Molly, still thoroughly confused, shuffled into the kitchen and asked Diana with a puzzled expression, "What are they even talking about? Was that supposed to be a joke!

Diana started washing vegetables, chuckling as she said, "Oscar once said that finance is too close to money, yet too few people understand it. There are traps everywhere, so be careful"

Molly was still confused. So, Oscar was trying to make a financial joke earlier!

She turned her head and glanced toward the sofa again.

12:12 PM d Chapter 260

Soon, Molly cto a conclusion. "Oscar has a unique way of cheering people up" The idea of him forcing himself to tell jokes was surprising Diana smiled, "That's because Stephanie is in a bad mood. Ovcar wouldn't usually sell jokes otherwise Typically, Oscar wouldn't say a word if it Modly sighed. They really rally suit each other. If she had followed her elders arrangements from the beginning, none of this would have happened"

Diana's expression suddenly turned somber. "I keep those two ums at home, cleaning them daily, just for peace of mind, no matter what Molly's eyes mirrored her sadness. Their one-bedroom apartment wasn't big enough, and they didn't dare to talk abour children, not with Stephanie arounL By 5 PM, they had prepared a table full of delicious dishes. The four of them gathered around a small round table, creating a cozy though Oscar felt a bit out of place as the only man among three women.

atmosphere.

"Oscar just join us for this meal. Everyone has their own utensils," Molly said, knowing his habits from their two months of living together. Previously, they had to separate the ingredients, and the two of them even ate at different times "Just this once," Diana said as she placed a plate of spaghetti in front of him.

y to others at the table made him visbly uneasy. He didn't like it at all..

A slight frown marred Oscar's handsfeatures. The close proximity to However, Stephanie casually placed svegetables in front of him Oscar's face tightened as he glanced at his bowl and hack at her. Stephanie, however, paid him no mind and continued eating.

Diana seemned to have anticipated this, smiling as she urged Molly to start eating. "Don't let anything go to waste tonight. Dig in""

Molly's eyes darted across the table to Oscar. After a brief internal struggle, he finally picked up a clean set of utensils and mechanically finished his food with a blank expression..

Molly found the whole scene quite entertaining. Oscar's reluctance, mixed with his fear of disobedience, was truly fascinating to o watch After dinner, as they tidied up the small bedroom, Molly hesitated for a moment before speaking "Stephanie, if you ever need help, you can talk to Over. He'd be more than willing to help if you ask. She remembered Stephanie still felt something was off about the babies deaths. Most prople would have to accept the situation, but Oscar was different. He had a way of getting to the bottom of things Stephanie glanced at her but remained silent After clearing the table, Diana sliced up sfruit and brought it out. Oscar had gotten a call right after dinner and had to rush off, leaving the three women alone in the house.

"So Stephanie, what are you going to do about meals from now on?" Diana asked.

"Oh, she'll just order takeout" Molly chimed in. "Though Oscar did buy her scookers and she can do ssimple dishes."

Diana and Molly chatted casually, bur Stephanie remained quiet, her gaze drifting towards the window. Dusk had settled, and a few stars twinkled in the darkening sky Stephanic seemed a bit distracted just a moment ago when Oscar was leaving, she had followed him out wanting to say something. But as soon as they were outside the building, Mason had rushed over, and the two men started talking in hushed tones.

Mason said. "I found the USB drive and checked it the way you said. This USB drive is too clean, with no prints at all. Not even Matthew's. It's been wiped. Someone's seen the video."

A cool breeze drifted through the window, snapping Stephanie back to the present. She

"Who should I trust? she murmured under her breath e glanced up p at the obscured full moon in the dark night sky.

• Around ten, Diana and Molly headed home, reassured by Stephanie's apparent good mood.

Stephanie showered and then curled up on the sofa, instinctively pulling her legs close as she sank into her thoughts.

Her mind raced, a chaotic whirlwind of thoughts...

Suddenly, a loud thud jolted her back to reality.

She snapped her head up, eyes fixed on the ceiling, as another thud echoed through the room.

The intermittent noise persisted, like someone dribbling a basketball upstairs.

The constant thumping quickly transformed her gloomy mood into pure frustration. Damn ist She had heard that a new tenant had moved in upstairs. "What on earth is he doing, playing horse at this hour!!"

Stephanie thought she should seriously consider finding a new place. The Innovate Group across the street was already bothering her, and now this

12:12 PM Chapter 266

new tenant upstairs was just as annoying.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, telling herself that if the guy upstairs was still making noise after midnight, she would change her clothes, knock on his door, and ask if he had a death wish.

Perhaps the upstairs tenant sensed her anger because the noise stopped at 11:50 PM. The night finally quieted down.

After two agonizing hours, Stephanie threw her hands up in defeat and screamed at the ceiling. "Lucky for N you! Exhausted, she retreated to her bedroom, burrowed under the covers, and quickly drifted off to sleep

Postscript - About Oscar's Joke

Once leveraged, an area could develop rapidly in a short time. For instance, a place that was encelan backwater would suddenly sprout a bunch of grand buildings. Everyone got excited about real estate speculation until one day, the bubble burst.... This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

"Gover, folks. Tto ball

So everyone backed off, but for the area itself, it turned out to be quite a good thing, What was once aßign farm had been transformed into villas with improved infrastructure, though it was uncertain who the new owners were.

Actually, the original joke went like this.

"Man, this villa hotel is swanky. How can it be so cheap!"

"No worries. It used to be a pig farm.

Fine, it seemed Oscar's character really lacked a sense of humor....

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