Her panicked face was reflected in his pupils, and the corners of his lips slightly lifted, that was the first time she saw him smile, like a crack in the ice revealing starlight underneath.
Before heading to work, she stuffed a twenty-dollar bill into his hand.
Her fingertips brushed against the thin calluses on his palm. As she turned away, she didn't notice him staring at the ink on the bill, the smile on his lips slowly fading.
The complex emotion in his eyes startled Finn, ever since Miss Camila passed away, he hadn't seen Master Jeffrey show that kind of expression.
"Her name is Rachel Diaz. Three years ago..."
Finn's report echoed in the Bentley.
Jeffrey looked out at the passing street scene, absentmindedly stroking the crumpled banknote with his fingertips.
When he heard "killed Camila Howard," he suddenly let out a chuckle. Finn was so shocked he nearly bit his tongue.
"Go check the accident report from that year."
Jeffrey watched the figure in a sanitation uniform grow smaller in the rearview mirror, thinking about her profile as she cooked noodles last night, how the tips of her hair were dusted with flour without her even realizing it.
"Also, send me the financial status of the Diaz family—" He paused. "Especially Danielle's recent bank statements."
The Diaz family's living room was filled with luxury packaging.
Stepmother Faith's jade bracelet gleamed coldly under the light.
"Rachel, look, Danielle is about to play the second female lead, and the crew says she needs to pay a deposit of three million—"
"I don't have any money."
Rachel only said those three words.
Faith's smile froze for a second, then she smiled again and said,
"You don't have money, but Ralph does. You dated him. After what happened, he broke up with you, right? Shouldn't he at least compensate you a little?"
"Aunt Faith, didn't you, Dad, and Danielle all keep your distance from me when something happened?"
Master Diaz, Brandon, said unhappily,
"What? Are you here to bring up old grudges now? If you hadn't killed someone, your sister would've already become a leading lady and a big star!"
Rachel smiled sarcastically.
Danielle was picked as the lead because the TV series was funded by the Patel Family Group, and Ralph specifically requested Danielle for the role.
Later, when she and Ralph broke up, Danielle's lead actress role was obviously gone too.
"Sis, are you still blaming us for not doing anything for you when you were in trouble?"
Danielle asked softly.
"But you offended the Howard Family and Jeffrey! The Patel Family was so scared they cut ties with you and Ralph. What could our family have done? If we actually stood by you and helped you with the lawsuit, it wouldn't just be you offending them, the whole family would've gotten dragged in and ended up offending the Howards and Jeffrey too. How could a regular family like us survive their anger and revenge?"
"That makes some sense."
Rachel suddenly smiled and looked straight at Danielle.
"But if you can't share my pain, why should I pay even a single penny for your success?"
Danielle's face changed, and Brandon had already slapped Rachel hard across the cheek.
"What are you saying? You killed someone with your car, went to jail, and brought shame to our family. You've ruined your future. Do you want to ruin your sister's future too?" Brandon yelled.
His eyes were full of disgust toward his daughter.
When their family still had connections with the Patel Family, he had been so proud in front of relatives and friends.
Now, all that pride had turned into shame.
Rachel's cheek burned, but her expression stayed calm, like she didn't care at all.
"I just wanted to pay my respects to Mom, but it seems there's no need to do that here anymore. I won't step foot in this place again."
With that, Rachel turned and left the house she once called home.
This "home" no longer had a place for her.
When Rachel returned to her rented room, it was pitch dark. She turned on the light and was greeted by cold silence.
The small room looked empty at a glance.
Had Jeffrey left? Her heart suddenly felt hollow. In the end, Rachel was all alone again.
Rachel let out a bitter laugh and was about to close the door when she saw a figure slowly walking toward her.
It was Jeffrey!
He was still wearing the same worn-out clothes from yesterday and carrying a bag.
His thick bangs almost covered the upper half of his face, making it hard to see his expression.
But she knew, beneath those bangs was a face that could easily captivate anyone.
Is he really a homeless man?
Rachel wondered. She didn't really know him; they were basically strangers.
Taking him in was impulsive and maybe even reckless, but deep down, she just felt like it was the right thing to do.
Maybe people are just social creatures after all.
"I'm back," he said with a cold, indifferent voice, but to Rachel, it sounded like the sweetest thing she'd heard all day.
Her throat tightened, and her voice trembled. "I... I thought you weren't coming back."
He looked at her. "I just went out to buy some things."
Rachel quickly stepped aside, pulling him into the house and closing the door behind them. She noticed the bag he was holding, it had two white buns inside.
She smiled softly, like a weight had lifted off her chest. "Let's eat together later. But first, I want to light some incense for my mom. Today is the anniversary of her passing."
Rachel took out red candles and incense from her bag, along with a framed photo.
The black-and-white picture showed a woman in her thirties, looking gentle and beautiful.
She lit the candles and incense, then bowed three times in front of the photo. "Mom, I'm starting a new life now. I'm doing well. I have a job that supports me, and I can take care of myself. You don't need to worry. I'll keep getting better and better..."
Jeffrey stood nearby, watching her quietly. Rachel's lips curled into a smile, but her eyes shimmered with tears that hadn't fallen.
The mixed light from the candles and the room cast shadows on her face, highlighting her delicate features.
Her arched brows, small nose, and perfectly shaped lips made her look quite pretty.
But Jeffrey had seen many beautiful women. His late fiancée, Camila, had been exceptionally stunning. To him, Rachel was just ordinary.
He already knew today was her mother's death anniversary from her records.
A woman who had just gotten out of prison, working as a street cleaner, and saying she was doing well?
"And now, I have someone living with me," she said softly, turning to look at him.
Her almond-shaped eyes glowed with a quiet happiness in the flickering candlelight.
It was like his presence alone was enough to make her feel at peace. After a moment, she turned back to the photo. "So, I'm really good now, Mom. You can rest easy."
After saying that, she bowed three more times and placed the incense in its holder. Then she stood quietly, staring at the photo in silence.
About fifteen minutes later, the incense had burned out. Rachel blew out the candle and said to Jeffrey, "Alright, I'll tidy up and make some soup. Let's have dinner together."
"Okay," he replied.
Rachel quickly cleaned up and took an egg and a tomato from the fridge. She made a simple tomato egg soup and served it with a samosa for each of them.
"So, Jeffrey, what did you do before?" Rachel asked while they ate.
"I did whatever work I could find. If there was no work, I'd just find a place to rest," he answered.