Chapter 227

Night fell.

Latisha tossed and turned on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the clock on the wall. It was eleven. Clifford probably wasn't coming back tonight either. She rolled over, ready to fall asleep, when a sound from upstairs startled her.

She looked up toward the second floor and listened intently, but heard nothing more. She lay back down, but a moment later, she heard it again—the sound of someone pushing against a glass window.

Latisha frowned and got up, heading upstairs. She thought she must have forgotten to close a window. She pushed open the bedroom door and was about to reach for the light switch when a pair of hands grabbed her own.

The sudden figure in the dark made Latisha freeze, her body rigid with fear. She instinctively opened her mouth to scream, but the sound caught in her throat, refusing to come out. Just like always.

A soft chuckle came from beside her. "I was wondering if you'd actually be able to scream this time."

That voice was even more terrifying than the sudden ambush. Latisha tried to wrench her hands free, but his grip was like iron. She grabbed the doorframe, trying to flee.

But the difference in their strength was too great. He easily dragged her back into the room and kicked the door shut. The room was plunged into darkness, leaving Latisha nearly hopeless as she leaned against the door, unable to communicate.

Then, Santino flicked on the lights. His smiling face came into view, showing no awareness that he was an intruder. He was still smiling with that familiar, arrogant charm.

Latisha bit her lip, not daring to breathe. She signed: *What do you want?*

Santino pinned her against the door, bracing his hand next to her head. "It's been a while. I just came to see how you are."

Latisha turned her head away, not believing a word of his nonsense. She pressed her ear against the door, hoping to hear any sound from outside, but there was only silence.

"Are you waiting for Clifford to come back?"

Latisha tensed.

"He's with Yesenia right now," Santino continued. "Probably already asleep in her arms. If you're counting on him, you're out of luck."

She turned to look at him. His eyes were smiling, but all she saw was danger.

"Not angry? Such a good little puppy," he murmured, his fingers tracing a line on her cheek.

Latisha bit her lip harder, bracing for the slap she knew was coming.

But it never came. Instead, Santino said, "Can you really swallow that? Do you need me to help you get revenge on them, hmm?"

Latisha refused to engage. She didn't believe for a second that he would help her. Making a deal with him was like trying to bargain with the devil. Besides, a man who breaks into a house in the middle of the night could not be up to any good.

Santino gripped her chin, forcing her to face him. His gaze fell on the red marks on

her face. “Latisha, you really are a disappointment."

The scabs had fallen off, leaving

behind thin, pale red lines that

looked like streaks of lipstick, adding.

swnow

a strange touch of color to her pale face.

Latisha couldn't stand it anymore. She signed again: *What do you really want?*

Santino's lips curled. "Tell me what he said to you."

She looked at him, confused.

"About the company," he explained patiently.

Latisha's eyes flickered. She

immediately thought of what Clifford had said about being kicked off the board. He never used to tell her anything about the company, but now he had.

Her heart began to beat faster. Could it be that he had predicted Santino would

come looking for her? Was this... another test?

Seeing the change in her expression, Santino smiled. “It seems he really did tell you something."

She suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and shook her head.

"You're not going to talk?"

Santino's fingers slid from her face down to her neck, while his other hand, which had been on her waist, slipped inside her pajamas.