Chapter 2 - Eat It Yourself.
Serena Knox recovered quickly, but not quickly enough to fool Ethan.
People who managed expensive rooms for expensive people learned how to control their faces.
Serena was better at it than most.
That was why the brief flash of panic in her eyes mattered.
“What acquisition meeting?” Mara asked before she could stop herself.
Serena turned on her.
“This no longer concerns you.”
“It concerned me when I stopped him from taking that bite.”
“You assaulted a guest.”
Ethan raised one eyebrow.
“She prevented me from doing something I now have several reasons to be grateful I didn’t do.”
Serena’s voice softened instantly.
“Mr. Cole, this can be handled discreetly.”
“I’m not interested in discreet.”
Ethan picked up the white tasting plate without touching the fork.
“I’m interested in why your chef won’t taste his own food.”
Victor’s eyes followed the plate.
“You’re making an accusation without evidence.”
“I haven’t accused anyone yet.”
Ethan placed the plate back down.
“But you’re doing a remarkable job of making me want to.”
Mara looked toward the dining room.
Guests were being quietly redirected away from the open kitchen by two floor managers.
Someone had lowered the music.
The restaurant no longer felt elegant.
It felt staged.
Serena stepped closer to Mara.
“Go to the employee office.”
“No.”
“That was not a request.”
Ethan spoke without looking at Serena.
“She stays.”
Serena’s expression tightened.
“She works for me.”
“For the next ten minutes, she works for the truth.”
Mara almost looked at him in surprise.
Victor gave a humorless laugh.
“This is absurd.”
“Then eat it.”
The chef stared at Ethan.
Ethan did not blink.
The silence stretched until Serena broke it.
“There are liability rules.”
Mara turned toward her.
“What liability rule says a chef can serve a dish but can’t taste it?”
Serena ignored her.
“Mr. Cole, allow us to remove the plate and prepare something new.”
“No one removes anything.”
Ethan took out his phone and photographed the plate from several angles.
Victor’s face darkened.
“You can’t take evidence from a private kitchen.”
Ethan looked up.
“Interesting word.”
Victor hesitated.
“What?”
“Evidence.”
Victor’s mouth closed.
Mara felt a strange mix of relief and fear.
Ethan had heard it too.
Serena stepped between them.
“Enough.”
She pointed at Mara.
“You’re terminated, effective immediately.”
Mara’s chest tightened even though she had expected it.
She needed this job.
Rent was due in six days.
Her car had started making a sound she could not afford to understand.
None of that changed what she had seen.
“Fine.”
Serena’s eyes hardened.
“Hand over your apron and employee badge.”
Mara untied the forest-green apron.
A folded square of paper slipped from the front pocket and landed near her shoe.
She froze.
She had not put it there.
Victor noticed.
Serena noticed faster.
Serena bent down.
Mara reached for it at the same time.
Ethan’s shoe came down gently over the paper.
Both women stopped.
“I’ll take that.”
Serena straightened.
“It’s restaurant property.”
“It fell out of her apron.”
“Our uniforms are restaurant property.”
Ethan looked at Mara.
“Did you put it there?”
“No.”
He removed his shoe and picked up the paper.
The note had been folded twice.
There were only seven words written inside.
TABLE 12.
BLUE SUIT.
DON’T LET HIM FINISH.
Mara felt cold all the way down her arms.
Ethan was wearing a steel-blue suit.
His table number was twelve.
Serena’s face went blank.
Victor stared at the floor.
Ethan read the note twice.
“Who knew where I was sitting?”
Serena answered carefully.
“Many people.”
“Who knew what I was wearing?”
“No one before you arrived.”
“Then this note was written after I walked in.”
Mara looked at the handwriting.
The letters were blocky and uneven, deliberately anonymous.
She had seen that style before.
Not the exact handwriting.
The way it had been disguised.
Two years earlier, an envelope had been pushed under the door of her apartment.
Inside had been a photocopy of an Aurelia invoice and one sentence.
YOUR SISTER WAS RIGHT TO ASK QUESTIONS.
Mara had never found out who sent it.
She had taken a job at Aurelia three months later.
She had told nobody the real reason.
Ethan noticed her reaction.
“You recognize something.”
Mara folded her arms.
“Maybe.”
Serena’s voice sharpened.
“She’s lying.”
Mara stared at her.
“You don’t even know what I was going to say.”
“I know enough.”
Ethan looked at Serena.
“That’s the second interesting thing someone in your kitchen has said tonight.”
Serena inhaled slowly.
“I’m calling restaurant security.”
“Please do.”
Ethan slipped the note into his inner jacket pocket.
“Tell them to preserve every camera recording from six o’clock onward.”
Serena did not move.
Ethan’s tone changed.
“Now.”
She pulled out her phone.
Mara saw her thumb hesitate above the screen.
Then Serena stepped away to make the call.
Victor leaned toward Mara while Ethan was looking at the plate.
His voice was barely audible.
“You should have stayed out of this.”
Mara turned to him.
“Was that a warning?”
Victor’s face stayed rigid.
“It was advice.”
“From the man who won’t take one bite?”
He glanced toward Serena.
Then he said something Mara had not expected.
“I didn’t make that plate.”
Before Mara could answer, Serena returned.
“Security is checking the cameras.”
Ethan looked at Victor.
“Good.”
Victor stepped back.
May you like
For the first time, Mara understood that his fear might not be fear of being caught.
It might be fear of someone else being exposed.
