جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 40

"It's not usual for you to eat here."Ruby turned to see who Mia was reprimanding. Javier, who had just arrived, was now sitting across from her."I wanted to eat with Ed. It's been a while since we ate together," Javier smiled, glancing at Ed, who was sitting at the end of the long table. Tita specifically asked Ruby, who usually sat anywhere, to sit at the far right end of the table, affirming her status as Ed's wife.It was a place Mia had never been assigned, but she wasn't saying much today. It was the first time Ruby had seen Mia not talk much. Usually, Mia would always mock or blame her for something during meals."When are you going back to Guadalajara?" Pedro interrupted Ed and Javier's conversation."Not your concern," Ed replied shortly, returning his attention to Javier.Ruby lowered her gaze, suddenly wanting to laugh. She found satisfaction in witnessing Pedro lament Ed's disregard for him. He then covered his embarrassment by

"Repeat it again.""Huh?" Ruby was confused. She had already repeated herself twice, and her voice was clear enough."Repeat," Ed requested."I... am not afraid... of your face." Ruby stood up and let go of Ed's hand. The hand no longer resisted, nor did it seem like it wanted to destroy anything."I have never been afraid of your face." Without prompting, Ruby reiterated her words, sensing their impact. Ed quickly calmed down.Indeed, it had an effect, which surprised Ed as well. He didn't understand how those words eased his pain. It didn't disappear entirely because Ed still felt the pull of pain, but it no longer burned or drove him crazy."You fainted when you saw me," Ed said."Ah, that... I was surprised. I didn't know your face would... I was very surprised, and I was in pain. Nauseous and everything else. Tense, even vomited." Ruby explained that she felt embarrassed as she looked down. Earlier, Ruby didn't mind

"We really didn't know about this, Don Rosas. They suddenly seized the marketing territory in the west."While tapping his fingers on the table, Ed listened to the sudden report."San Diego?" Ed asked."Yes. It seems like the new DEA is really working hard." The person reporting seemed fearful."I'll take care of it later. You guys should just use another safe route. Stay away from that area. For now, use the eastern route for supplies to LA. Houston or New Mexico," Ed said."But it will be very costly. There will be expenses...""I know, but only for now. We'll raise prices later if the profit margin turns out to be small. But for now, we need a way in." Ed waved his hand, signaling for them to leave.The command should have been easy to obey, but because they were too surprised, the two standing in front of him looked at each other."What else?" Ed asked, puzzled as to why they needed to repeat themselves."Nothing. We

Ruby should have anticipated it, but she was still surprised when Lori opened her jacket. The dress she was wearing wasn't much different from Ruby's. From the beginning, Lori had come to visit the bar.But slowly, Ruby felt grateful. Lori's appearance at least diverted some of the attention she was getting. Since she entered, Ruby has felt uncomfortable with the stares from the patrons. They didn't bother to look away politely, but instead enjoyed ogling her body. This made Ruby realize that being beautiful and sexy also had its downsides."Did you see that? They said there would always be a new DJ every week, and they promised to bring in famous DJs. So, the music here is bound to be exciting," Lori pointed towards the dimly lit stage where someone was busy setting up and spinning various equipment in front of them.Ruby saw them directly for the first time, but she knew that the music blasting into her ears was coming from those gadgets. Ruby arrived late in

Ed parked his car haphazardly, then stepped out with wide strides. His unattractive face looked even more terrifying as he approached Otiz, who also seemed panicked."You're already here," Otiz said, looking surprised because Ed's journey duration was too short.The shopping area wasn't as far from Ed's house, but still, the journey shouldn't have taken just an hour."Have you found her yet?" Ed hissed, squinting at Otiz."Not yet. I'm sorry. But this area gets very crowded at night," Otiz gestured around, attempting to defend himself from further wrath.Indeed, the area was becoming increasingly crowded with both locals and tourists. Once the sun wasn't scorching, many people hit the streets, whether for a stroll or to enjoy the various street music echoing loudly. There were even a few flamenco dance performances, attracting large crowds and blocking the narrow alleys. It made it even more difficult to find someone. The area resembled a night mar