Chapter 39: A PLEA FOR SACRIFICE

"I cooked your favorite food," Ella said softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "You must be hungry, just eat with your mother first." Xina felt a bitter laugh rising in her throat. It was almost comical, hearing such a statement from her mother. Cooked her favorite food? The idea was so absurd that Xina couldn't help but let her disbelief show in her eyes. Her mother’s words felt like a distant echo, devoid of any real connection or understanding. Trying to hold back the sarcasm, Xina asked, "So? Do you know what my favorite food is?" Her tone was calm, almost detached, but there was an underlying edge to it that made the question cut deep. The silence that followed was telling. Ella fidgeted under Xina's gaze, her discomfort evident in the way she avoided eye contact. Those guilty eyes, once filled with warmth, now looked lost and unsure, the weight of her neglect hanging heavily between them. Xina waited, but the answer never came. The truth was clear: Ella didn't know. Afte