The Day Silence Spoke novel Chapter 327

Latisha blinked, then quickly pulled the door open, slid inside, and fastened her seatbelt. Clifford remained silent, pulling the car out of the parking spot.

The rain had stopped, but the sky was still a gloomy gray.

After sitting in the hotel all night, Latisha's hands and feet were numb with cold. As the car moved, the wind rushing through the open window carried the faint scent of alcohol.

Latisha grew worried. He had been drinking, and now he was driving…

She didn't dare say anything. She glanced at him, then quickly looked away as the wind stung her cheeks. Cautiously, she reached out a finger and pressed the button to close the window, sealing out the cold air.

They drove back to Aqua Harmony Haven in silence. After he parked the car, Latisha finally turned and tugged on his sleeve. Clifford looked at her, still not speaking, but she could feel the icy aura radiating from him.

She signed, *Do you want to take a shower? I can run the water for you.*

He didn't answer. Instead, he looked away, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “Is it that you’ll listen to anyone except me?”

Latisha froze for a second, then shook her head, wanting to sign an explanation, but he wasn't looking at her. She stared at his somber profile, opened her mouth, and forced out a few broken words. “No… I… was… worried…”

This time, he listened quietly, though she couldn't tell if he understood. After he finished his cigarette, he flicked the butt out the window and turned to her.

“Do you remember me telling you not to listen to anyone but me and Ziven?”

Finally, she sank to the floor in defeat. She had even forgotten where she put the notebook.

After sitting on the floor for a moment, she got up, refusing to give up, and searched the room again. At last, in a corner, she found a small box. She carried it to the doorway to use the outside light. Inside was a pile of torn paper.

Latisha’s eyelashes trembled. She pulled out the scraps, trying to decipher the words, but they were too shredded to read. She clutched the box, her nose stinging with unshed tears. She had forgotten. She couldn't remember who had torn it apart.

When Clifford came out of the bathroom, he heard her soft sobs. He walked toward the storage room and found her on the floor, hugging the box, crying inconsolably. It reminded him of when they were children and Renata had broken her favorite toy. She had held the tattered doll just like this, crying with the same helpless, pitiful expression.

A shadow fell over her. Latisha looked up through her tears and saw him standing there, his expression cold and detached.