Forcing a smile, I said, “Sir, I don’t need to go in. Could you just deliver this for me? It’s Homemade Herbal Soup I made myself. He’s been so busy, drinking too much coffee and skipping meals. I found a retired doctor to get the recipe…”
I pulled all the coins from my pocket and handed them to him. “Please, take this and give it to him.”
The guard stared at the handful of nickels and dimes, speechless.
“This is New York’s top five-star hotel. We can’t just let any stray dogs or cats in.”
Sophia Carter stood nearby, arms crossed, towering over me.
True to her name, in the spotlight of her father’s love she shone like a radiant jewel.
Even when she yanked the thermos out of my hands, no one dared stop her.
She shook it slightly, her gaze filled with disdain. “I’ll take this. But you don’t belong here. Go back to wherever you came from.”
I refused to step back. “That soup is for my dad.”
The next second, Sophia’s eyes suddenly reddened. She clutched the thermos to her chest and collapsed to the floor.
A furious shout rang out, followed by the sharp sting of a slap across my face.
My left ear buzzed, and the world fell into terrifying silence.