A Journey from Bitterness to Truth

Matilda didn, know that Yvan had been ke

eping a watchful eye on her for quite some time. She was tob preoccupied with Chloe and Logan, who were playing a game of tag through the sales of the busting mat, causing her to call out, “Hey, slow down don’t bump into anyonel Enough playing around, come back?

Logan, with a cheeky grin, ducked behind Matilds and proclawed, “No more games, time for a feast

Chloe, playfully chasing after the little rascal, guaded Matilda and the others toward a restaurant, which was quite the local hotspot. By the time they arrived, a line had formed outside

Orson clicked his tongue in apparent dislike for waiting

With a smirk of triumph, Chloe announced, “No worries, I’ve got this covered. I know the manager here, I’ve already snagged us a spot”

And with that, she led the group past the onlookers and straight into the restaurant, ignoring the queue and heading to a private booth.

“Well, well, if it isrit Chloe, you little troublemaker Finally decided to grace us with your presence? greeted a dashing young man in a waiter’s attire, flashing a charming smile at Chloe, “Been avoiding me for too long. eh?”

“Cut the flattery,” Chloe shot back with a wave of her hand. “Anyway, this is my good friend, Matilda, and

that’s her son.”

“Nice to meet you,” said the man, winking at Logan. “Your mom’s a knockout

Logan immediately stood protectively in front of Matilda, declaring, “Back off! No one’s hitting on my mom!” The little guy was as stubborn as ever about keeping men away from Matilda.

Chloe chuckled and introduced him to Matilda and the rest. This guy’s a good friend of mine, the manager of this place and head chef. He’s the genius behind several of the restaurant’s signature dishes”

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve said about me in ages, the man quipped, then turned to Orson. “And who’s this gentleman?”

“He’s my Uncle!” Logan quickly answered for Orson, who simply gave a nonchalant nod in agreement.

“Alright, take a look at the menu, and I’ll make sure your order gets priority, the man said to Matilda. “Any dietary restrictions for your son?”

“I can eat anything!” Logan puffed out his chest, eager to prove he was grown up. “Nothing’s off the table for

me!”

Chloe laughed softly. “Let’s start with a round of oysters, two each. The restaurant’s got amazing creamed and truffle oysters, but personally, I love them raw. If you’re not used to it, Matilda, you might want to try the ones with the cheese and cream.*

“Sounds good,” Matilda agreed, picking out a lobster with a creamy mushroom sauce for Logan, then handed the menu to Orson.

Orson ordered a roasted foie gras and a warm glass of red wine, followed by a steak, medium–rare, with a side of fruit compote.

“Coming right up,” said the man with a smile, taking the menus back. He was then called to attend to another VIP table, excusing himself with, “I’ll be back to catch up with you all in a bit.”

“Go for it, the place is hopping.” Chloe waved him off. They casually chatted among themselves until a shrill

complaint cut Inough from outside. From NôvelDrama.Org.

“Do you have any idea who I ani to Mr. Yeager? And you serve us this trast? Does this restaurant want to stay in business of 0017

The volen belonged to a petulant young woman causing a scene. “Don’t think you’re something special just because your restaurant’s popular. Watch out or we’ll make sure you’re blacklisted”

Chlon stood up abruptly, banging her hand on the table

Matilda followed her out of curiosity and saw the handsome man from before being slapped by a woman, all the while he was apologizing profusely for any offense caused by the food not being to her taste.

Chloe’s temper flared as she stepped in front of her friend, dending the irate customer, “This establishment has sourced its ingredients internationally since day one, and our chef holds Michelin three–star credentials! You can watch the entire cooking process through that window. Why don’t you take a long, hard look at yourself? Lack of taste and making a scene—honestly, you’re better off sticking to instant noodles at homet”

Chapt

an seemed taken aback by the sudden appearance of someone defending the restaurant. Her gaze Up to Chlow, and upon recognizing her, she burst into laughter.

Well, look who we have here! If it isn’t our very own Chloe! Her tone shifted to one of mocking superiority. Oh wait, that’s right, Chloe’s been booted out by the company. A stray dog now, aren’t we?”

Chloe’s face drained of color, a sickly pale giving way to a deep flush of embarrassment.

Matilda, standing at her side, asked who the woman was.

“That’s Reese, Chloe said, her voice low. “An influencer. She’s the one who smashed Declan Yeager’s coffee machine last time”

Reese clearly hadn’t expected to run into Chloe here, and with the backup of Declan, her confidence was soaring. Snide and merciless, she taunted, “Oh, what’s this? Spot a good–looking chef and can’t help but try to catch his eye, Chloe? Haha, how pathetic. Without Mr. Yeager’s support, you actually think you matter?”

Chloe bit back a response, swallowing the humiliation as she steadied her friend. “Godfrey, are you okay?”

Reese mocked their interaction with an exaggerated smirk. “Oh, listen to that tone. It reeks of desperation from a mile away, Chloe, surely you’re not so starved for attention.*

Godfrey, his voice laced with anger, snapped back, “Miss, you can insult me all you want, and critique my cooking, but I won’t stand for you disrespecting my friend!”

“Friend? Since when are men and women just friends without something more?”

Two men approached from behind Reese. Chloe and Matilda tensed at the sight.

Declan and… Yvan.

Damn, it was like a convention of jerks.

Matilda softly urged, “Chloe, let’s get Godfrey out of here. Is your face still hurting?”

“I’m fine,” Godfrey said with a forced smile, though half his face was swollen from the confrontation. It was the first time his restaurant had dealt with such blatantly unreasonable customers.

“Tsk, tsk. What a scene. Like moths to a flame, each one of you,” Reese snickered, admiring her manicured nails, acting as if Chloe and her friends were beneath her notice.

Yvan was the first to break the silence, “What’s going on here?”

“The lobster here is not fresh at all,” Reese complained, sidling up to Declan and hooking her arm through his with an air of entitlement. “Just the right time to put these chefs in their place, and these two nobodies decided to jump in.”

Matilda’s face paled, then she scoffed, “Clinging to Declan so eagerly, and you have the nerve to criticize others? Did you get those beauty injections into your brain or something?”

The sharp retort froze Reese’s smug expression. As she lunged at Matilda, the latter deftly avoided her and pinned Reese against a wall.

Matilda’s commanding presence made Reese feel as though she was staring down a furious Yvan.

“What…what are you going to do? Everyone’s watching, you want to start a fight in public?”

“If you continue with your slander, I won’t hesitate to shut that mouth of yours for good!”

Matilda released her with a shove and moved to stand by Chloe, who was visibly shaken. “Let’s go. Why

11.53

waste time on such people? They’ve never tested quality lobster and there they can tarnish the reputation of this place with their words. I heard fleese has her own new restaurand opening soon. Trying to sabotage The campet on so everyone fleeks to your place?”

The surrounding crowd, who had been enjoying the drams, now understood the situation. They looked at Rease with disdain, whispering among themselves

“Can’t believe she’d stoop so low

“What kind of person becomes an influencer these days?”

“She was my brother’s classmate’s girlfriend in high school. Talk about a scandalous past

“Are those guys blind or what?”

“Shh, keep it down. Maybe the rich like that kind of thing, two guys and a girl…