Chapter 3 - Escaping the Elite Dining Hall
Panic flickered across the restaurant manager’s face as he hurried over, sensing the dangerous shift in the atmosphere.
“Mr. Valari, please, if there is a disturbance with the staff, we can handle it privately in the back,” the manager stammered nervously.
Dante raised a single tattooed hand, silencing the manager instantly with a look that promised swift violence.
“No one is touching her,” Dante said, his voice dropping an octave into a low, terrifying rumble that commanded absolute submission.
He looked back down at Clara, whose tear-filled eyes betrayed a deep, exhausting terror born from years of running.
“Get your coat, Clara; you’re leaving this restaurant with me right now,” Dante instructed, offering no room for argument.
“I can’t just walk out; my shift isn’t over, and the owner will fire me,” Clara protested, her voice shaking uncontrollably.
“Your employment here ended the second you crossed paths with a Valari,” Dante said, pulling a heavy black roll of cash from his pocket.
May you like
He slapped a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills onto the nearby table without breaking eye contact with the trembling waitress.
“That covers the spilled wine and the rest of your worthless life,” Dante muttered before gripping Clara gently by the elbow.
