Jenna watches him leave, her heart pounding with the rhythm of an unsaid prayer. She needs him to return. For her, for the staff, for something better than the simmering unease that has become the daily special. She knows that catching the owner’s interest is a long shot, but sometimes desperation rewrites the rules.
Daniel steps into the restroom, the cool air from the vent a welcome reprieve from the stifling heat outside. He stares at his reflection, taking stock of the man he is and the responsibility he holds. The note burns a small pocket in his jacket, heavy with the weight of unspoken tales. He thinks back to when Whitmore’s Chop House was just a dream—a place where respect was as important as the menu.
The mirror offers no advice, just a reflection of a man who’s here to do more than sample the fare. The rumors, the numbers—they’re all symptoms of something deeper. Maybe this note is the key to unlocking what spreadsheets and audits couldn’t reveal.
