Let’s start all over again,shall we?

Chapter 236 Food Snatcher

Maggie’s eyes shimmered with moisture as she gave a weak smile, shifting the conversation.

Leo shared a similar background with Maggie, yet their paths diverged.

His mother, once Joshua’s mistress, was a fleeting figure that disappeared soon in his life.

She had hoped to manipulate Joshua through Leo, using cunning ways to conceive his child.

But when she tried to leverage the child, Joshua had grown indifferent, showing no interest in the child she had schemed to bring into the world.

The woman’s efforts to manipulate Joshua blew up in her face, resulting in threats, bribes, and finally. expulsion with a stern warning.

This descent into madness left Leo to navigate a childhood marred by abuse.

In her rare moments of clarity, she’d shower him with maternal affection, but in her darker times, she’d unleash verbal and physical torment upon him.

Raised without a father and in such tumultuous conditions, Leo forged a resilient and hardened shell,

Yet, he quickly learned that sheer strength wasn’t enough without a solid support network by his side.

Hence, the lad who once frolicked in the mud mastered the art of projecting the image of a model. student, at least on the surface.

He realised that by adopting the persona of a courteous and capable individual, he could earn trust effortlessly, bypassing the necessity for physical confrontation.

Experiencing the dark side of human behaviour from an early age, he cultivated a frostier demeanour, seamlessly merging it with his natural aloofness.

His interactions were always polite, never condescending, yet his true essence remained veiled. He observed others discreetly, responding to provocation with calculated ferocity.

Similar to Maggie, he was thrust into maturity ahead of his time, relegated to the role of a supporting

character.

of

Leo’s mind of the moments when Maggie

possessed a grace that seemed distant yet

do you keep getting yourself into trouble?” she

pushing her away as he struggled to stand amidst the pool of blood, snapping. “Stay out of it,

found her naivety and acquiescence

Food Snatcher

through him, sending him into a cold sweat

as she observed. She commented, “Stubborn as a mule. No wonder you keep landing

of sweat

the determined girl knelt before him, her eyes bright and unflinching, undeterred by the blood staining her skirt.

they prefer in orphanages?” she

the torment of his fractured bones engulfing his mind.

well–behaved, sensible ones. They won’t even feed bread crusts

his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut

a girl with a darkness that matched his own, a depth that drew him

Maggie teased, holding out a bag of

of the hot, fragrant buns, even though he didn’t meet her

grab the buns in his current condition, but the girl caught on with just one look. “Thinking about snatching them?” she teased.

you’ll forever be just a thief. But with a few nice words, I’ll gladly

even handle a twig, let

Leo quietly tallied how many she devoured. One, two, three. Her pace

had purchased five buns, and two remained untouched.

contemplated whether a few words of kindness might convince

his hard–earned job. He was accused of stealing another’s work

gnawed

in his throat as he pondered how to plead for help, but in the blink of an eye, she rose and tossed the

she/bid politely, yet

her past actions, Leo chuckled softly, marveling at her resilience.