Chapter 4

The scene at Olivia' s Table was one of pure chaos. A stern-faced health inspector was placing violation stickers on half the equipment in the kitchen, focusing on the walk-in cooler and prep stations that were Mark' s direct responsibility. Spoiled produce, improper storage, cross-contamination risks. Mark, sweating profusely, tried to argue. "This is a setup! Ethan must have done this before he left!

He' s trying to sabotage us!" Olivia, desperate, latched onto the excuse. "He's right!" she told the inspector. "Our former chef was disgruntled. This is his fault!" The inspector just continued to write on his clipboard, unmoved. In the middle of their frantic finger-pointing, another man walked in. He was tall, impeccably dressed in a dark suit, and radiated an aura of calm, lethal competence.

"Ms. Thorne? Mr. Davies?" the man said, his voice cutting through their panicked chatter. "My name is Arthur Vance. I am the legal counsel for the investment group that holds the controlling interest in this establishment."

Olivia and Mark stared at him, confused. Their investor was a silent, faceless entity they'd never met. "Due to a material breach of the investment agreement," Vance continued, "specifically the clause tying our financial support to the continued leadership and involvement of Mr. Ethan Hayes, we are exercising our right to withdraw all funding and call in all outstanding loans, effective immediately." Olivia's jaw dropped. "Ethan Hayes? What does Ethan have to do with our investor?" Vance allowed a small, cold smile. "Ms. Thorne, the investor has always been the Hayes Hospitality Group. Our support was conditional. With Mr. Hayes's departure, that condition is no longer met."

The world seemed to stop for Olivia. Hayes. The name echoed in her mind. The easy loans, the glowing press, Ethan' s talk of a "trust fund." It all clicked into place with horrifying clarity. She had not just discarded a talented chef, she had thrown away the golden goose.

She fumbled for her phone, her hands shaking so badly she could barely dial. "Ethan," she sobbed when he answered. "Your family... it's your family? Please, you have to tell them to stop. We can fix this! I was wrong, okay? I love you. We can get back together, we can make this work!" Her pleas were a desperate, hollow stream of words.

Ethan agreed to meet her at the restaurant. He arrived with Vance at his side. The place was a tomb, the few remaining staff members standing around looking lost and scared. Olivia ran to him, ready to embrace him, but he held up a hand to stop her.

In front of everyone, he spoke, his voice clear and unwavering. "Olivia, we are not getting back together." He slid a thick envelope from Vance's briefcase and handed it to her. "These are divorce papers. We were married in a private ceremony at the courthouse six months ago. As of today, that marriage is over." A collective gasp went through the room. They had kept their marriage a secret, wanting to announce it when the restaurant was a certified success. Now, he was unmasking their biggest secret in the midst of its ruin.

He turned to leave, his business finished. He felt a strange sense of release, of a great weight being lifted from his shoulders. Olivia's voice, raw and shrill, clawed at his back. "You'll regret this, Ethan Hayes! You'll never be happy without me! I curse you! You'll die alone!"

He didn't look back. He walked out the door and got into a sleek black town car that was waiting at the curb. His father was sitting in the back seat. Arthur Hayes didn't say "I told you so." He just looked at his son's weary face and put a firm, supportive hand on his shoulder. "Welcome home, son," he said quietly. "It's over now."