Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter_27
The owner sighed sympathetically, pushing the bowl of spaghetti closer to Quinn. “Eat it while it’s hot. Tastes better that way,” he said softly.
Quinn wiped her eyes, offering a weak smile in return. She picked up her fork and began to eat, her movements slow but steady. It became apparent that she hadn’t eaten in days, the hunger in her actions betraying her struggle. Tears continued to fall, mixing with the sauce, as the steam rose from the bowl. She barely noticed, her mind too clouded with everything that had happened.
The couple who ran the shop had been through their own heartache years ago when they lost their child in a tragic traffic accident. Since then, they had dedicated themselves to their restaurant, serving food with love and occasionally offering free meals to those who seemed to need it most—just as they did for Quinn.
As the day faded into evening and the last customers left, the owner’s wife approached Quinn with a soft, concerned look. She knelt down to meet her eyes. “Sweetheart, where’s your home?”
Quinn shook her head, her expression somber. She hadn’t had a home since she was five years old. The woman’s heart broke for her as she stood and exchanged a glance with her husband.
With a gentle sigh, the woman offered, “If you’ve nowhere to go, why not stay and help out here? We have a storage room you can sleep in. Just help with dishwashing and a bit of cleaning during the day.”
Quinn’s eyes widened with surprise, and the woman smiled wryly. “Mind you, we don’t make much here, so there’s no pay. But you’ll have a roof over your head.”
Quinn nodded gratefully, silently thanking her with a simple gesture. The woman watched her, her gaze becoming distant as she spoke again, more to herself than to Quinn. “If my daughter were still here, she’d be around your age.”
Quinn lowered her eyes, the words sinking deep into her heart. She couldn’t bring herself to respond, but her emotions surged as she silently accepted the offer.
The woman led Quinn to the storage room and prepared a metal-frame bed—a simple setup, but one that had served the couple well on long nights when they stayed at the restaurant past hours. As Quinn lay down, the small space felt cramped compared to Alexander’s villa, but in some strange way, it offered her the safety and peace she hadn’t felt in a long time. She touched her belly gently, pondering the future. If Alexander didn’t come looking for her, maybe she would stay here. Perhaps it would be simpler. Perhaps it was time for a change.
Meanwhile, Alexander returned home, the villa eerily quiet. It was nearly midnight, and Quinn still hadn’t come back.
He searched the kitchen, the upstairs bedroom, and then checked every door, growing increasingly uneasy. His steps faltered as he neared the walk-in closet, and something told him to check. When he opened the door, he saw that Quinn’s clothes were still there, neatly hung. A flicker of relief passed through him, but his unease lingered, like a shadow that wouldn’t leave.
Back in the living room, he pulled out his phone and called his assistant. “Find out where Quinn is.”
“Quinn’s missing?” the assistant replied, a note of surprise in his voice.
Alexander lit a cigarette, the ember glowing faintly in the dim room. He took a long drag, his face unreadable as he exhaled slowly. “Getting clever, isn’t she?”
The assistant, sensing the sharpness in Alexander’s tone, quickly ended the call, not daring to add anything further. Finding Quinn wouldn’t be difficult; pulling up the surveillance footage from outside VX Games would easily show where she had gone.
The footage revealed her getting off at the last bus stop, heading toward the old district. The assistant glanced at Alexander, who was staring intently at the screen, his face impassive.
Tentatively, the assistant asked, “Should I bring Quinn back?”
Alexander’s voice was cold as ice as he switched off the monitor. “No. Freeze all her cards.” He paused, his eyes darkening. “She’ll learn her lesson. She’ll come back home once she’s faced some hardship.”
But things weren’t going to unfold as smoothly as he’d anticipated.
