Act as instructed

The restaurant wasn’t one of those glittering, high- profile places that screamed wealth and power. Instead, it was tucked away at the corner of an old street, half hidden by overgrown bougainvillea that spilled red blossoms across its cracked signboard. The world outside bustled with traffic and hurried footsteps, but inside, the lights were dim, the tables were sparsely occupied, and the air smelled faintly of roasted garlic and warm bread.

Tessa sat in the farthest ...