Chapter 10

This was the only clean restaurant he could find in the area. He had been searching for hours now for a decent place where he could eat something but found none until he found Catherine's place.

He has been hungry and couldn't bear to go to the Eastern part of the place where the rich live to buy food. One of his workers recommends this place to him. True to his words the restaurant was neat even though it was not richly built, but it looked decent enough for him to have a meal.

"I will be in my shop," Mrs. Brown said and carried the little Elise to her shop leaving Catherine to do her business.

"What would you like to eat"

Catherine who has not removed her eyes from her customer asked. She was a little embarrassed she did not have any menu to offer him like they usually do at the restaurant where she worked before. Here in the slums, the customer will just tell you what they want and you provide it to them.

As if he knew how it works here, the stranger asked

"What did you have."

"I am sorry not much. We only have fried rice with chicken and baked potato and fish." She answered

"I see, I will have the fried rice with chicken," The man said wondering how poor-looking people in the slum could afford to buy a chicken. He was cut in surprise when Catherine put a tiny piece of chicken on top of his delicious-looking fried rice.

"What is this," he asked pointing to the miserable meat on his plate.

"I am sorry sir if you don't like it then I will bring another one." She said and tried to take the plate of food away. However, his hand held hers before she could touch the plate.

Catherine's eyes were instantly buried in his. The man stared deep into her eyes while a great sensation swept through his system, his stomach rumbled and the sound made him let go of her hand.

"I am sorry, but you don't need to take the food away. Just get me all the chicken you have here." He said.

Catherine was no longer herself. The last time she had this type of feeling she landed into trouble and that was three ago.

She hurried into the kitchen and brought out the meat. She served the food went inside her little corner and sat down. She refused to look at the man who kept stealing a glance at her.

The food was indeed delicious so Felix consumed the food in a hurry without even looking at Catherine again. He paid her handsomely before driving his car out of the place.

"I think I have seen that face before. She looked so familiar. That blonde hair and that large jade-green eyes, I think I have seen it before." He whispered as he continued to drive towards his site.

Mark was a site engineer in the Northern part of the slum. His company was constructing a new hospital which Mr. President commissioned a few months back. The president wanted the hospital to be completed within six months. His company has appointed him to head the team of engineers that were working on the project.

This was his first time coming to this place. He has heard so many terrible bad things about the slums, but he never imagined it to be this bad. He felt sorry for the people living in this area, especially that beautiful girl who owned that fast food joint.

Catherine had odd feelings about the stranger who came to her restaurant. At first, she felt attracted to him, but there was something that seemed odd about him. She suddenly realized that what she felt at that time was fear. Fear of falling into trouble like she did years back. Fear of being abused, or being punished.

Catherine was depleted she closed her shop went to Mrs. Brown, and took her son home. Once at home, she locked herself up and hugged her son tight. He has been her source of Comfort.

Tears filled her eyes as the memory of the past came flooding into her mind.

**

"I have found your woman," Mark, said through the phone.

"What!" James who was coming out of the shopping mall exclaimed

"Yes, I saw her in Northland. In very pitiful conditions. She was......."

James cut the phone immediately without allowing Mark to finish his sentence.

"Prepare the jet immediately we are going back to Topland," James told his assistant Toby after he hung up on the phone.

He is not prepared to come back home so soon because he is still hurt by the way Catherine abandoned him. However, after receiving such information from Mark he has the urge to see her and ask her why she left him as she did.

He thought he could move on with his life, but that girl was irresistible. Her image kept coming back to his memory and made him lose control of his emotions. Fortunately when he least expected he received such news.

"The jet is ready boss" Toby announced and instantly James and his men headed to Top Land.

Catherine saw the fleet of cars that were approaching the bus she was in and admired them.

"One day I will ride in a car like this," she thought in her mind as the bus drove past the vehicles.

Catherine had received an urgent call from one of the companies she applied for work in Topland. She was invited for an interview the next day and so she decided to leave Northland that evening hoping to spend the night in Mira's place to meet up with her interview.

However, James and his men went to Northland at the same time. James and his entourage stopped their car before Catherine's restaurant and went closer to Mrs. Brown's shop to enquire about her.

"She just left for the City this evening. Am sure your vehicle must have passed her on the way" Mrs. Brown answered

"When Is she coming back?" Toby asked.

"She did not say and I have no address of her way about" Mrs. Brown replied.