Stars Waited Above Empty Streets by Lorin Wren 49

Chapter 49 A Taste of Home 

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Finished 

When she flipped through the menu from start to finish without ordering anything, Mason spoke up. “Do you want me to introduce some dishes?” 

Ava shook her head. “I’m not picky about food. You guys can order.” 

The high–end private restaurant was quiet and elegant. It followed a nature theme with water and greenery. which gave the place a calm aura. Ava didn’t expect much from food in this era, and she had no strong preferences. 

She passed the menu to Mason. 

Jane said, “Ava, is your stomach not doing well? Ever since you came to the Capitol Planet, you barely eat anything. You’re already skinny, so don’t try to lose weight.” 

“Jane, I don’t have stomach problems,” Ava replied helplessly. 

She wasn’t a light eater and actually loved food. 

Back then, she mostly cooked for herself, but after joining the Morren family, she no longer prepared daily meals. 

She still hadn’t fully adjusted to the local cuisine yet. 

“I’m at a normal weight. My friends even envy me for having muscles,” she commented as she raised one arm and clenched her fist to show her upper arm. 

She was five feet eight inches tall and weighed 116 pounds. Her body fat was low, and her muscles were firm. 

That was why she looked slimmer than her actual weight would suggest. 

Jane smiled with a knowing look. “That’s true. Your build is really balanced.” 

After the dishes were served, Ava looked at the delicate plating. It made her feel hungry, but the portions were tiny. She picked up a bite of spicy beef casserole and put it in her mouth. Her eyes narrowed. The taste felt familiar. 

Seeing her reaction, Jane smiled. “This spicy beef casserole is pretty good, right? This place has been around for a long time. I heard their family used to be famous chefs back during the ancient Terran era. 

“In the entire interstellar alliance, their family is known as top tier in the food world. It’s expensive, but the quality is solid.” 

Ava thought it was just okay. 

Still, it was rare to taste something close to real Terran food. She almost felt like crying. 

The others didn’t understand what she was thinking. They only thought she had never eaten good food before and was overly excited. 

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Chapter 49 A Taste of Home 

Jane felt heartbroken. “If you like it, we can come often. Our family can afford it. It’s just that the Mitchell family’s cooking skills are passed down within the family. You can’t hire their chets. They do run a professional cooking school. Still, the graduates aren’t at the same level as this place 

She looked frustrated as she continued. “I love this kind of food, but I’ve never found a really good chef 

Ava thought of her father from her past life. 

Every time she came home from school, he cooked special meals just for her. Fle worried she was too thin and kept telling her to eat more. Sadly, her life back then was short, and their time as father and daughter 

ended too soon. 

Her eyes filled with tears. 

She lowered her head at once. “Sorry, I’m going to the restroom.” 

Jane held her utensils and watched her run off. She then looked at the two men beside her. “Did I say something wrong?” 

Mason lowered his eyes and stared at the empty seat next to him. A tear dropped onto the chair. It felt like it landed on his heart and caused a sharp ache. 

Louis said, “It’s not your fault. Don’t overthink it. Ava grew up with her great–uncle in the Underworld. She doesn’t talk about that past, but it must’ve been hard. Things will be better now. Whether it’s the Morren family or her husband, no one will let her suffer again.” 

Mason immediately looked at Cassius. “She lived in the Underworld when she was young?” 

Cassius paused for a moment, then nodded. “We didn’t mean to hide this. Her great–uncle went missing on the battlefield back then. Everyone thought he died in the hands of mutants. 

“No one expected him to end up in the Underworld. He lost his memories and was badly injured, so he stayed there. 

“Ava was an abandoned baby. Her great uncle picked her up from a trash pile. After they returned to the Morren family, Grandpa and the uncles suggested checking her background. She refused. 

“They didn’t leave the Underworld until Ava was twelve. After that, they settled on Alamut Planet. Once they registered there, the government wanted to take over Ava’s guardianship. Her great–uncle thought he couldn’t give her proper care. 

“Ava disagreed. They depended on each other for many years and were very close. She was probably reminded of the past just now.” 

Mason had never imagined she carried such a hidden past. “Abandoning a child is a serious crime. No matter the reason, are the people responsible just allowed to walk free?” 

They had thrown a baby into the infamous Underworld. That place existed outside the interstellar alliance. It had no laws and no government control. There was only poverty, bloodshed, and violence. 

The outside world barely had any contact with it. 

Even space pirates avoided it. People called it a forsaken place. Anyone who lived there was believed to be doomed. Even nearby planets treated it as nothing more than a dumping ground for trash. 

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11:15 Wed Jan 7 

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