Love Unspoken

Quinn slipped her finger into her mouth, the metallic tang of iron and salt quickly permeating her senses. "Hey, no slacking! If you can work, then work. If not, leave early and spare us all the wasted time," Linda's voice cut through the air like a whip. Linda had an uncanny knack for catching Quinn in every moment of pause, her gaze ever watchful, akin to a hawk circling its prey.

Quinn found herself rooted to the spot, her finger still in her mouth. She was acutely aware that Linda's harsh commands were spurred on by Alexander.

Yet, when she remained frozen, Linda would bluster and bark, but never truly intervene. Linda wouldn't dare.

Quinn thought, 'Who knew what these rich folks were up to? One wrong move in their games, and if things smooth over, I'll be the one to pay the price.""Did you hear me? Get up and wash!" Linda's voice snapped her back to reality. Quinn's lips tightened into a thin line as she raised her ghostly pale face to meet the woman's gaze.The woman paused, "You..." Her eyes widened as she took in Quinn's pallid complexion, momentarily forgetting her reprimand. Taking a moment to collect herself, Quinn rose slowly and returned to the sink, resuming her dishwashing duties.She felt lightheaded and weak, her head spinning as the sting of chili and grease from the water seeped into her cut, causing her to grimace in sharp pain.Linda remained silent, perhaps fearing that Quinn might collapse right there.

Quinn's complexion had indeed taken on a deathly pallor.Somehow, Quinn managed to gather enough strength to last until past three in the afternoon. The diner was finally empty, granting her a much-needed respite. Linda gave her arm a gentle pat. "All right, go grab some food. You can get back to the dishes once you're done."

With a nod, Quinn made her way to the staff break area, finding only leftovers on the table.She picked up a piece of cold pizza and began to nibble on it, sinking into a chair.A television mounted on the nearby wall was tuned to an entertainment news channel. Getty appeared on the screen, hosting an event for the VX Games.

Quinn was surprised that Getty could shoulder such a massive responsibility.Every time the camera swept over the audience, Quinn's eyes instinctively sought out Alexander. There he was, sitting upright and focused on the stage. Occasionally, his gaze would meet Getty's, and a subtle smile would play on his lips, radiating a quiet charisma.Alexander was given ample screen time. The organizers understood that his presence on camera was worth more than ten others combined. The stage was for the fans, but those stolen glances towards Alexander were for the investors.

"Did you guys see that hottie in the front row?" one of the diner staff pointed excitedly at the screen."Yeah, he's so dreamy!" another cooed."Which star is he? Does anyone know him?" a third chimed in. The restaurant crew was clearly taken by Alexander's good looks."I have no clue, never seen him before," someone responded."Hey, what if he's the hostess's boyfriend?""Wait, who's the host? Did I miss something?"

"If you're not into 'Dragon Vein Street,' you wouldn't know," an employee chimed in. "Just check Twitter, you'll see Getty's posts.

She's shared tons of photos with her boyfriend but never shows his face."On cue, someone whipped out their phone and scrolled through Getty's posts, finding her romantic snapshots."You know what... now that you mention it...""Yeah, if you cover the face, the build matches perfectly!""Oh my gosh, yes! It's a match!"

Meanwhile, Quinn sat quietly in the corner, listening to their speculations about Getty's romance, how perfectly matched they seemed, and how much they envied the couple. With each bite of the stale pizza and sips from the leftover soup, she contemplated returning to the sink full of dishes.After finishing her last bite, Quinn stood up and returned to the kitchen to finish cleaning the remaining wares.A few of the girls glanced over at her and whispered, "The new girl seems so out of place. She's probably a dummy."Property © of NôvelDrama.Org.