Chapter 3 - The Cruel Manager
The cinematic realism of the suffocating, life-or-death tension slowly dissipated as Tessa boldly turned her back on the most dangerous man in Chicago. She carried the heavy silver tray of crystal glasses straight through the swinging double doors and into the bustling, brightly lit industrial kitchen. The moment the doors swung shut, her heart began hammering violently against her bruised ribs. She had just drawn massive attention to herself. She had just broken her meticulously crafted cover.
Before Tessa could even set the heavy silver tray down on the stainless steel prep counter, she was violently, aggressively grabbed by the upper arm.
It was Victor, the fifty-year-old general manager of the luxury restaurant. Wearing a cheap, flashy gray suit that reeked of cheap cologne and stale liquor, Victor’s face was twisted into a horrific mask of pure, unfiltered rage.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Victor hissed aggressively, his fingernails digging painfully into Tessa's arm as he dragged her violently away from the line cooks and the dishwasher station. "That is Roman Thorne! He owns half this city! You do not speak to the VIPs! You do not look at them! You are a pathetic, minimum-wage maid!"
Tessa ripped her arm out of his abusive grasp with a sharp, violent jerk. Her natural micro-expressions projected a quiet, incredibly calculated restraint. She didn't look at Victor like a boss; she looked at him like a dead man walking.
"He grabbed me," Tessa stated clinically, her voice completely devoid of any submission or fear.
Victor let out a loud, cruel, mocking laugh, entirely unsympathetic to her physical boundaries. He pointed a stubby, aggressive finger directly at her face, invading her personal space.
"You should be on your knees grateful a man like that even noticed you!" Victor sneered, his voice dripping with toxic, arrogant entitlement. "You are an absolute embarrassment to this elite establishment. Take off that apron right now. You are officially fired. Get your trash out of my restaurant before I have my private security team throw you headfirst onto the street."
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From the dark shadows of the kitchen doorway, unseen by the arrogant manager, Roman stood silently watching the entire interaction. He took a slow drag of his cigar, his pale eyes narrowing as he observed the manager humiliating the brave woman.
👉 Tessa didn't beg for her job, completely unaware that she had just stolen something worth millions from the manager's office.
