Chapter 5 - The Stolen Ledgers
“I don't just have proof, Marcus,” Adrien said smoothly, tossing the flash drive onto the pass counter. “I have the original digital ledgers your IT specialist tried to wipe from Rosa’s hard drive the night she passed away.”
Maya gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “The missing ledgers... you found them?”
“My team intercepted your IT guy at the airport six weeks ago, Marcus,” Adrien explained, his voice dripping with icy contempt. “He was more than happy to explain how you forged Rosa’s signature on the foreclosure papers while she was in a coma at St. Jude’s Hospital.”
The line cooks and prep staff began whispering angrily amongst themselves. The dishwasher, an old man who had worked with Rosa for twenty years, spat on the tile floor in disgust toward Marcus.
Marcus backed himself into the corner near the walk-in freezer, his face completely drained of color. “You... you can't use that! It’s not admissible!”
“This isn't a courtroom, Marcus,” Adrien replied, his voice deadly quiet. “This is Rosa’s kitchen.”
Adrien turned to Maya, his demeanor instantly softening back into respectful warmth.
“When I tasted that gnocchi five minutes ago in the dining room, I knew instantly,” Adrien said gently. “No one else in the world rolls the dough with nutmeg and braises the beef shoulder for twelve hours in red wine like Rosa did. You carry her soul in your hands, Maya.”
Maya looked down at her flour-smudged hands, a tear slipping down her cheek and landing on her white chef's coat. For three months, she had been humiliated, demoted to prep work, and told she was worthless by Marcus.
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“Thank you, Mr. Moretti,” Maya whispered softly.
👉 “Now,” Adrien said, turning back to the corner, “let’s talk about what happens to people who steal from the woman who fed me.”
