Chapter 231

Yolanda's voice cracked, but it wasn't enough to stop Wallace from hanging up the phone.

Renata watched her, her grip on the baby tightening. The infant, likely feeling the pressure, let out a sudden cry that pierced the quiet of the courtyard. Renata quickly soothed the baby and headed back inside, leaving Yolanda sobbing on the ground.

Several maids witnessed the scene, hiding in the shadows and whispering among themselves.

Just as Yolanda was sinking into despair, her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number.

[If you want to save your son and daughter, come to this location. Remember, come alone. I'm watching your every move. Try anything clever, and you know the consequences.]

Yolanda's hands trembled as she stared at the message. Her chest heaved, her mind too clouded with panic to think clearly. All she could do was follow the instructions. She got into her car and drove toward the designated location.

At Aqua Harmony Haven, Latisha and Clifford sat at the dining table. A clattering noise echoed from upstairs-Ziven's men were at work, installing security bars on the windows. Their beautiful villa was slowly but surely turning into a prison.

“It's a nice day. Where would you like to go? I'll take you,” Clifford said suddenly from across the table.

Latisha glanced outside. The sky was overcast, threatening rain at any moment. This was a nice day? She looked back at him.

Clifford met her gaze. "Well?"

After a moment of silence, she signed, *I want to see a movie.*

She couldn't remember the last time they'd seen a movie together. Maybe five years ago, or even longer. But she vividly recalled the first time. She was eight, and her favorite cartoon had been made into a feature film. Clifford had seen an advertisement and taker her She'd been overjoyed, sitting in that dark theater, feeling just as happy as all the other children around her.

Clifford paused, as if lost in the same memory, then nodded. “Alright."

After they finished their meal, he drove her to the mall. It had been so long since he'd been to a movie that

he didn't even know how to buy ticket anymore, and he actually went to stand in the physical queue.

Latisha watched him from a

distance. Tall and dressed in a dark

trench coat, he stood head and

shoulders above the crowd.

Thankfully, the line was short. He returned quickly with the tickets and a latte for her.

As Latisha quietly sipped her drink, he leaned back on a nearby sofa, his gaze fixed

on some distant point, lost in thought. She kept stealing glances at him. He was acting strangely today, though she couldn't quite put her finger on why.

They had to wait over an hour for the movie to start. In that time, Latisha drank three lattes and made five trips to the restroom. Just before they entered the theater, Clifford bought her two more. She felt nauseous from all the coffee, but when he handed them to her, she accepted them without a word.

Once inside, she realized he had bought tickets for an animated film. A wave of bitterness washed over her. Did he still think she liked cartoons?

The theater was filled with children. For a fleeting moment, she felt transported back in time. But now, she no longer felt like one of them, no longer happy. All she felt was a profound sadness.

Throughout the two-hour movie,

Latisha could barely focus, her discomfort growing as her bladder protested. Clifford, however, watched intently, his eyes glued to the screen. That was just like him. No matter how boring the task, he would commit to it

seriously whether it was watching a movie or a TV show with her. And even though she knew he wasn't truly engaged, that his mind was a million miles away, his effort never failed to move her.