The Day Silence Spoke novel Chapter 256

Sensing her gaze, Santino looked up at the rearview mirror and gave her a slight, smiling curve of his eyes. Latisha quickly looked away, bending down to retrieve her phone.

After what felt like an eternity, Santino finally stopped the car.

Latisha looked out the window to see they were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by wilderness. Her palms were slick with nervous sweat.

Santino got out, slammed his door, and then opened hers, pulling her from the car. The motion was so rough that she stumbled and fell, only to be hauled back to her feet. His grip was like iron; she felt as small and helpless as a chick in his grasp.

He dragged her by the wrist into the woods, forcing her to stumble along behind him. Although it wasn't raining, the grass was soaked with dew. Before long, her pants and shoes were completely drenched.

After a long walk, Latisha’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, utterly exhausted.

Santino paused and glanced back at her. “Get up.”

She looked up at him. Perhaps it was because his voice was so gentle, tinged with a hint of a smile, that it lacked any real menace. Latisha instinctively shook her head. She truly couldn't walk another step.

Santino still had a firm grip on her wrist. When she didn’t move, he simply started dragging her. Latisha had no choice but to scramble to her feet and stagger after him.

...

Meanwhile, Clifford stood at the scene of the massive car crash, staring at the tangled wreckage in silence.

Ziven stood beside him, anxiously stealing glances at his boss’s expression. “Mr. Lambert, a call from your father.”

Before being taken into custody, Renata had received a file on Santino. All the information was correct, except for one thing—the photograph. This Santino was not the real Santino. He was an impostor. His name was a lie.

Renata found it laughable. The husband she had lived with for two years was a complete fraud. With Reuben's evidence being irrefutable, she offered no defense and confessed to her crimes. Her only hope now was that Clifford would get her out, so she had to take the full blame.

...

Dawn was breaking. Latisha was slumped in the forest. After being dragged around all night, she was soaked in dew, her hair a tangled mess. Beside her, Santino leaned against a tree, his eyes closed in rest. He looked pristine compared to her disheveled state.

Latisha watched his closed eyes for a long time. Convinced he was asleep, she bit her lip and quietly began to push herself up, preparing to tiptoe back the way they came.

But she hadn’t even taken a single step before her ankle was yanked tight, and she fell hard to the ground. She looked back and saw a rope tied around her foot. The other end was held firmly in Santino’s hand.