she's gone

"I remember she seemed on edge, anxious even," Diego explained. "I brought her some food, but she declined, insisting that I should stop visiting her. She said it was for my own safety, that I had a bright future ahead that I shouldn't jeopardize by being associated with her."

Li-lah's eyes welled up with tears once again as the weight of her mother's actions and emotions pressed upon her

As Diego's words settled into the depths of Li-lah's consciousness, tremors of trepidation coursed through her body. She knew, deep down, the significance of her mother's abrupt disappearance, but she couldn't find the courage to voice her thoughts. The truth was too painful, too devastating to acknowledge aloud.

Diego's voice continued, filled with empathy and concern. "Li-lah, I've been trying to investigate your mother's disappearance. And, I'm sorry to say this, but for a mature woman to vanish without a trace... it's highly unlikely but if we were to involve the most powerful man in Mexico, then