Jack and DL sat across from each other in a small, unremarkable restaurant on the outskirts of Maris City. The place was quiet, with only a few other patrons scattered around the dimly lit space. The hum of distant conversations and the clinking of utensils created a peaceful atmosphere, but Jack's mind was far from calm.
He picked at his plate, the food in front of him barely registering as hunger gnawed at his stomach. It wasn't the kind of hunger that food could satisfy. His thoughts were tangled, racing through the possibilities of what might come next. He glanced at DL, who was eating her meal with her usual nonchalance, seemingly oblivious to the storm brewing in Jack's mind.
The Bean family.