Chapter 27

The owner sighed sympathetically and pushed the bowl closer. "Eat up before it gets cold."

Latisha wiped her tears and forced a smile. She picked up her fork and began to eat, shoveling the stew into her mouth as if she hadn't eaten in days.

As she ate, her tears continued to fall, splashing into the bowl and mixing with the stew she swallowed.

The diner was run by a middle-aged couple in their forties. They had lost their only child in a car accident years ago. Since then, they had kept the diner open, often helping those who couldn't afford a meal, hoping to do good deeds in their child's

name.

Latisha sat in their diner all afternoon, not leaving even as dusk fell.

The owner's wife grew concerned. "That poor girl," she whispered to her husband. "Do you think she has nowhere to go?"

"She can't speak. She's probably here looking for work."

Later that evening, after most of the customers had left, the wife approached Latisha. "Honey, where's your home?"

Latisha just shook her head. She didn't have a home. Not since she was five years old.

The woman sighed. "Well, if you have nowhere to go, you can stay here and help us out. There's a small storage room in the back you can sleep in. All you'd have to do is wash dishes and clean up a bit."

Latisha stared at her, stunned.

The woman smiled. "But this little diner doesn't make much, so I'm afraid we can't offer you a salary."

Latisha nodded immediately, agreeing. Even though the woman couldn't understand sign language, she gestured a heartfelt "thank you".

The woman's expression grew distant, as if she were seeing someone else. "If my daughter were still alive, she'd be about your age."

Latisha lowered her eyes, silent.

The owner's wife tidied up the storage room. It had a simple metal-frame bed where they sometimes slept when they worked late.

That night, Latisha slept in the tiny room. It was nothing like Clifford's luxurious mansion, but for the first timean a long time, she felt a strange sense of peace.

She gently touched her stomach. "If Clifford never comes looking for me," she thought, "I could stay here until the baby is born. That would be enough."

But when Clifford returned to the villa late that night, it was empty.

He glanced at his watch. It was nearly midnight, and the little mute still wasn't back.

He checked the kitchen, then the upstairs bedroom. Nothing. With every empty room he checked, his expression grew darker.

Then, a thought struck him. He strode into the walk-in closet and threw open the doors. All of Latisha's clothes were still there.

His features softened slightly. He went back to the living room, pulled out his phone, and called his assistant. "Find out where Latisha is."

"She is missing?"

Clifford lit a cigarette and took a harsh drag, his voice a mixture of anger and amusement. "She's grown bold."

The assistant heard the dangerous edge in his tone and quickly agreed before hanging up.

It wasn't hard to find her. The security footage from outside Odyssey Entertainment showed which bus she had taken. She'd gotten off at the last stop in the old district.

The assistant watched Clifford stare at the monitor, his face unreadable.

"Should I bring her back?" he asked tentatively.

"No. Freeze all her cards." Clifford closed the laptop, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Let her suffer a little. She'll come crawling back when the money runs out."

But things didn't go as smoothly as he expected.

The diner's business was steady. It was never packed, but never empty either. They did well during the dinner rush, but a plate of pasta

didn't sell för mauch, so they never

made a huge profit.