Chapter 8 - The Crimson Banquet
Two months passed. Sterling’s Bistro had evolved from a struggling local eatery into one of the most respected culinary institutions in Chicago, not because of high-priced marketing, but because of Clara’s unwavering dedication to fair wages, exceptional food, and a community-first philosophy.
To celebrate the bistro’s official reopening under new management, Clara decided to host a massive charity banquet, feeding hundreds of low-income families and displaced workers free of charge.
The grand dining room was adorned with white linens, fresh flowers, and warm fairy lights.
At the center table sat Vincent Kane, wearing his signature dark suit, conversing quietly with city officials, local activists, and community leaders who had once been ignored by the city's political elite.
Rory, dressed in a brand-new purple party dress with matching ribbons in her hair, bounced happily from table to table, handing out homemade sugar cookies to elderly guests and laughing with the kitchen staff.
From the balcony overlooking the main dining room, a figure stood in the shadows, watching the celebration with eyes burning with bitter envy.
David Sterling.
He had lost his restaurant, his Porsche, his social standing, and his freedom was hanging by a thread as federal prosecutors combed through his remaining assets. He blamed everything on one person: Vincent Kane. And, more specifically, the little girl who had started it all.
David reached into his coat pocket, his fingers wrapping around the cold steel handle of a heavy folding knife he had managed to smuggle past the side service entrance.
If he couldn't have his empire back, he would make sure Vincent Kane felt the exact same hollow, burning agony of loss.
David slipped down the service stairs, moving silently toward the back corridor where Rory was currently alone, collecting empty cookie trays near the pantry.
He stepped out from the shadows, grabbing Rory by the arm before she could scream, pressing his hand roughly over her mouth.
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"Don't make a sound, you little brat," David hissed into her ear, his face twisted in a manic grin. "You and your mother ruined my life. Now we're going to teach your precious Mr. Kane a lesson about consequences."
Rory’s eyes widened in sheer terror, her small body trembling as David dragged her backward toward the rear fire exit.
