Chapter 68
Back in the slums, no one ever treated her like this. Sure, she had fans and gang leaders backing her, but it never felt this way.
ever lost, they’d turn on
her in a heartbeat…
Fans adored her strength, but only because they feared her power. If she ever le
Gang leaders relied on her because she got the job perfectly done, for a price.
Everything was an exchange.
But here? It didn’t feel like a trade.
Regina stared at the mountain of food, hesitant. After a moment, she suggested softly. “Why don’t y
don’t you join me! There’s too much here for one person, though there are so many things I’ve never tried before, and I’d hate for it to go to waste.”
The three men paused and confused.
‘She never tried any of these!
Liam asked, picking up his fork. “So, what do you usually ear for breakfast?”
Regina shrugged casually. “Canned bread.”
That only deepened their confusion.
‘Canned bread? What’s that supposed to be!
Regina explained to Liam with genuine sincerity. “You take a can of creamed com, mix it with some hot sauce, and spread it between slices of bread.
Her face remained earnest. “If you’re curious, I could grab some for you the next time I visit the slums.”
For a moment, Liam’s composed expression wavered.
He gave her a sidelong glance. ‘Yeah… no thanks.
That doesn’t even sound remotely edible”
Shaking his head, Liam slid a warm croissant toward her. “Don’t you have anyone at home cooks for you?”
Regina paused, her hand hesitating over the croissant, A faint chill crossed her eyes as she said quietly. “They do, but not for me.”
“Why“” Liam asked, his tone laced with genuine confusion
The other two also exclunged uneasy glances.
Regina didn’t look at the Instead, her voice was calm as she replied, “There’s no law that says parents have to feed their kids what they cook.
A tense silence filling the space
Liam couldn’t find the right words to follow
up.
The three men had done their research on her foster parents.
Her so–called guardians were drifters, constantly switching between odd jobs and never staying in one longer than three months. Their only possession of note was a dilapidated house in the slums.
But the worst detail? Their record. was riddled with child welfare warnings.
Allegations of neglect and abuse, each inore damning than the last,
Ten reports in total. Ten layers of warnings.
Te layers of warnings signified that if a guardian’s child died unexpectedly, passed away from an illness, or disappeared, the guardian could f jail time for neglect
face
As Liam read through the records, he wondered, had Regina been abused since childhood? Had her foster parents raised her with this half–hearted care simply because they were afraid of going to jail
1/2
11:29 AM
Chapter 68
Liam glanced at his croissant, lost in thought.
Regina suddenly covered her mouth and let out a muffled, “Mmm!”
“What’s wrong?” Liam startled.
Regina swallowed hard, wincing. This thing’s full of hot butter, it burned me she exclaimed, catching her breath.
She took a few quick sips of water, but the heat lingered.
Liam smirked. “I should’ve mentioned, it’s better to take a small bite first.
Flustered. Regina muttered. “Noted Ive never had one before.”
Regina smacked her lips and winced. “Tastes good, but it really stings.
Liam chuckled and leaned closer. “Let me see how bad it is.”
She nodded and opened her mouth without protest.
Liam frowned slightly as he noticed the red, swollen spot on her tongue. Where does it hurt?”
Regina pointed to the side of her tongue.
Notable to see clearly, Liam gently pinched her cheeks. “Open wider.”
She complied, and he leaned in, resting one knee on the bed to get a closer look. The burn was obvious, but his closeness suddenly felt a little to
Pinned against the wall, Regina’s cheeks were slightly distorted by Liam’s grip as her mouth opened wider. The burn was still visible, her tongue red and swollen.
Her watery eyes, however, betrayed no emotion.
Like a startled fawn, she gazed at him quietly, unflinching
Liam’s eyes drifted to Regina’s lips, and his throat suddenly felt dry.
A strange heat stirred inside him, unfamiliar and impossible to ignore.
His grip tightened slightly, his fingertips pale against her skin, as he studied her delicate face, subtly distorted under his hand.
His gaze deepened, unreadable.
Hmm..