Chapter 102
Zara wiped the sweat from her brow, trying to focus on the task at hand, but her mind kept drifting.
After the strange encounter with the man, the unease that settled deep in Zara’s chest hadn’t loosened its grip. She looked down at her son, his wide eyes darting around nervously. He had noticed something strange about the man too, she could tell.
Clara glanced at Zara as they worked, her brow furrowing slightly. "You okay? You’ve looked a little off all day."
Zara stiffened, fingers pausing in the dirt. She hadn’t expected Clara to notice, but then again, the woman seemed perceptive. She was friendly, maybe even kind, but Zara had only known her for two days. That wasn’t nearly enough time to trust her with what was really on her mind.
So she deflected. "Didn’t get much rest last night," she murmured, shaking loose a clump of dirt from the plant she was replanting. "That’s all."
Clara didn’t seem convinced, but she didn’t push. Instead, her gaze flicked to Leo, who clung tightly to Zara’s side, his little hands clutching the fabric of her shirt. He was still scared from their earlier encounter, though he hadn’t said a word about it.
Zara could feel his small body trembling, and she couldn’t blame him. She herself hadn’t felt right since the encounter, the hairs on the back of her neck still prickling.
Zara exhaled slowly and glanced at Clara. "That man... what does he do here?"
"Like I said, he’s a supervisor here," Clara’s lips thinned. "Wasn’t here when I first got to the farm, but he sure as hell isn’t built for hard labor. Guess the officials figured that out too and moved him into supervisor work."
Zara’s stomach twisted. "And the favors? Do you know anyone he’s...?"
Clara fidgeted, busying herself with demonstrating how to replant the crop properly. "You don’t want answers to questions like that," she muttered. "Just do your work and keep your head down."