Inside the coffee shop.

Madeline and Esther sat face-to-face.

Esther picked up the hot coffee that was just served, took a sip, and spoke first.

“Mrs. Whitman, you have three children, right? I heard that your only daughter was tortured to the point where she couldn’t speak by a woman in a gang. She's still mute now. I wonder if it’s true.”

The sudden mention of Lily, who got so frightened by Lana that she lost her courage to speak, made Madeline feel a little uncomfortable.

However, she still calmly raised her eyes and parted her lips lightly. “Mrs. Mendez, you can just say what you want to. We’ve already reached this point, and some things are already tacitly understood. There’s no need to beat about the bush.”

Esther pulled the corners of her red lips into a half-smile. “I really don't understand what you mean when you say those words. I'm just curious if your daughter was ever scared into a mute.”

Madeline could hear that Esther was hiding something in her sentence. She main