A cold calm washed over me—the kind that comes right before a storm.
I stepped forward. The sound of my shoes against the marble floor echoed through the room.
Daniel froze.
When he turned and saw me, all the color drained from his face.
“M-Marcus… I— I didn’t expect you,” he stammered, forcing a weak smile.
I didn’t smile back.
I walked straight to Eleanor and placed a hand gently on her shoulder. Then I looked Daniel directly in the eyes.
What I said next wasn’t a firing.
It was a sentence.
The Silence Before the Fall
The room fell into a heavy silence. Moments ago, Daniel had been roaring like a lion. Now he looked like a trapped animal.
His eyes jumped from me to Eleanor, then to the floor, searching for an escape.
Eleanor wiped her tears with the corner of her apron. Seeing her like that—trying to disappear in her own kitchen, the same kitchen where she had once comforted me when my business was failing—broke my heart.
But it also hardened my resolve.
“Marcus, brother… let me explain,” Daniel said quickly, loosening his tie. “I was stressed. End-of-month pressure. You know how it is. This woman didn’t understand a simple instruction and—”
I raised my hand.
He stopped instantly.