Can I eat with you, the homeless girl asked the millionaire. His response left everyone in tears. The clink of fine silverware and soft murmur of conversations floated through the elegant courtyard of Le Jardin, the city’s most exclusive restaurant.
Crystal glasses sparkled in the evening light, and the air was heavy with the aroma of roasted lamb and truffle butter. At one corner table, Thomas Reed sat alone. A man in his early 30s, Thomas wore a crisp tailored suit and the distant look of someone bored with luxury.
Plates of gourmet food sat untouched in front of him. Perfectly seared scallops, freshly baked rolls, and a glass of Chardonnay that reflected the golden glow of the candles. He had everything, wealth, power, influence.
But tonight, as he scrolled through an endless stream of emails, he felt nothing. Outside the wrought iron gates of Le Jardin, Layla stood shivering. The little black girl couldn’t have been more than seven years old.
Her oversized tattered dress clung to her thin body, and her tiny bare feet were streaked with dirt. Her stomach growled painfully, but she ignored it. She had been watching diners for over an hour, hoping someone might hand her leftovers as they left.
But no one even looked her way. A waiter carrying out a tray of half-eaten food paused to toss it into a bin near the alley. Layla crept forward.
Stop right there, girl, the waiter barked, shooing her away like a stray animal. Don’t you dare touch that. Filthy street kids don’t belong here.
Layla flinched and darted back behind a column, tears welling up in her tired eyes, but her hunger was stronger than her fear. Through the open patio doors, she spotted a man in a navy suit, sitting alone at a corner table. In front of him were plates of untouched food, bread rolls, roasted chicken, and even a small chocolate tart…