Why is this the answer?

The answer is thief because this clever riddle uses secret clues to describe a person who takes things that do not belong to them. A thief tries to be like a shadow, moving quietly so no one knows they are there until it is too late and something is missing. Let us look at the first line of the riddle: "What can't you see, hear or feel, until its too late." When a thief is busy, they are working hard to be invisible. They do not want anyone to see them coming, hear their footsteps, or even feel them nearby. They are trying to be as silent as possible. Imagine a secret agent on a mission. A thief's main job is to go completely unnoticed. The riddle says you only realize what happened when "it is too late," which means you only understand a thief was present when you look for a favorite object or a store owner searches for a product they were selling, and it is gone forever. That is when the tricky game is over, and the thief is likely already far away with the item. The action of stealing is what you can't see, hear, or feel until the loss is discovered. The next part of the riddle is "What shadows love." A thief loves darkness, dim places, or deep shadows because these spots are the perfect places to hide. It is much harder to spot a sneaky person when the light is low, like outside on a cloudy night or in the dark corners of a shop. Shadows are a thief's favorite tool because they help them stay hidden and keep their actions completely secret. They use the dark to blend in and not be seen. Finally, the riddle says, "and shopkeepers hate." Think about the people who own stores and work hard all day, called shopkeepers. They are busy selling their products. If a thief comes into their store and takes something for free, the shopkeeper loses money. This act makes shopkeepers feel very frustrated, or they "hate" what a thief does because it is unfair and costs them their livelihood. They have to watch their stores very carefully because a thief is always looking for a chance to sneak in and take what does not belong to them. A thief is the one secret thing that causes all these problems, which is why the answer fits all the parts of the clever riddle perfectly.