The President’s Mistake A Tale of Love and Regret

Luna knew that if any clues were uncovered, even if Frey were killed, her fate wouldn't be much better.

She drove into an old church, and soon the car emerged from the church's backyard, blending back into the traffic.

It was Sunday, and many people were attending services at the church.

Various cars were leaving, including an inconspicuous gray one that looked like it belonged to the pastor.

It merged seamlessly into the evening traffic, heading toward the gradually darkening night.

Inside a room behind the confessional in the church, Luna had gagged the boy and tied him up, throwing him onto an old sofa.

The boy, pale with fear, couldn't understand why so many people were after him.

As he lay there, terrified of angering this fierce woman, her face triggered a vague memory-he felt he had seen her before but couldn't pinpoint where.

His mind was a blur. He couldn't remember who he was or how he ended up in Pontenero.

All he knew was that a man had brought him there. People referred to that man as Viper.

He remembered being locked in a basement with many other children. Those who misbehaved were beaten severely.

They were often hungry, and the girls had it even worse. Attractive boys were selected and sent away to unknown places.

Children disappeared daily, and new ones were brought in regularly.

He had grown numb to it all. One day, he and another boy was chosen and a young woman took him out, dressed him in a brand-new suit, gave him a small white shirt, and cut his hair.

He and another boy were taken to a car. As a patrol car passed by, the boy with him broke free and crashed into the police car.

Chaos erupted. The young woman barely managed to drag him into the car and drive away.

The police car chased them, but he and the boy escaped in the confusion.

The boy, a Lamian, warned him not to trust the police and claimed to have a place to stay.

From then on, they roamed the dim

streets of Pontenero. The boy

explained that without identity documents or money, even if the police took them in, they'd end up in an orphanage-potentially a even worse fate.

Life in a gang of thieves wasn't any better. If they failed to steal money, they were beaten and starved.noveldrama

Older children often went astray. This group was like the dregs of society abandoned and forgotten.

Despite everything, he found himself feeling a strange affection for the woman— perhaps because of their shared Truenian heritage.

Luna called Michael. After receiving his reply, she grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him up from the sofa.

The boy struggled weakly but obediently followed her out of the church.

He had learned to assess situations quickly-resistance often led to beatings. Compliance, at least, minimized physical pain.

Luna led the boy out through the back of the church. After a few steps, she spotted a black Maserati on the side of the road.

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