Kane looked at Claire, his expression firm and unreadable. "Everything you took from him, you're going to return it." He said with a calm voice that was punctuated with finality. "even something as small as a pen as long as it belongs to him." Claire looked him up and down, a sharp mocking smirk still tugged at the corner of her lips. "And Who are you? His new benefactor?" She tilted her head slightly. "Or a Co-beggar?" The receptionist, seeing that the situation was steering on, chipped in with her usual professional voice. "Please, gentlemen and ladies, this restaurant has certain policies that require strict compliance and you're breaking one of them. Verbal assaults and attempts to physical exchange are highly prohibited in this premise." Alexander spun to her, his eyes darkening with fury. "Are you asking my woman to shut up?" He barked, glaring at the receptionist. "Have you forgotten who i am? My father is the general Manager of this entire building. You know what that

3RD FLOOR OF THE IMPERIAL KITCHEN The interior was Luxury and performance through silence, the kind of occupied silence meant for people who knew the value of it. Uniformed staff workers gilded between private booths, balancing silver trays on their palm as they deliver the job they were paid for. The air inside smelled the mix of aroma of expensive cuisines and cologne from high end clientele. Conversations happened in hushed tones. Alexander crossed the room along with Claire. They took the booth at the centre of the room and sat down. Alexander was still fuming from the earlier scene at the lobby that got him embarrassed. "You looked worked up, Alexander," Claire said, setting down her bag on the table. "You already called the security to deal with them. We don't need to bother about those riffraff. They'll ruin our date." Alexander exhaled sharply, forcing him anger away, deciding to await the video of Kane and Fred beaten and pleading on their knees for mercy. "Waiter!" H

Kane and Fred sat across from each other, making their order. The young innocent female staff member walked with a professional smile. "Have you placed your orders yet, Sirs?" She asked politely. Kane nodded at Fred to go ahead with the order. "Let's see what they have here." He picked up the tab with a light smile. He hadn't scrolled more than a two seconds when the smile on his face dropped, replaced with a look of absolute shock, something on the screen had terrified him. "Damn!" He gasped, his eyes wide. Kane narrowed his eyes to him, his brow knitted. "Is there a problem?" Fred swallowed hard and leaned over the table, his voice dropping quiet to a hush. "Dude, there is no fucking way we're going to eat in this place! A single plate of rice and chicken is fucking $1000!! It cost more than my entire world! Let's get the hell out of here!" He whispered. In the past, Kane won't even dare to come into places like the imperial kitchen, he would have even been shaking at th

The order arrived in a silver tray. Expensive dishes lidded beneath a wicked intention, plotted by Alexander that Fred and Kane were not aware about. The young staff employee set down the tray to the table, forcing herself to remain calm. She was aware that across the room at the centre, Alexander was watching her every move, his earlier threat looping in her head. She just got this job. Losing it quickly will make everything fall apart for her. She has a mother in the hospital she's working to pay for her surgery. Refusing to obey means she'll lose her job and losing her job means the hope of saving her mother deplete to Zero. She walked away and returned with two more trays, filling the table with the arrangement. Kane frowned slightly seeing that the amount of food the waitress brought was more than what they ordered earlier. "This food is more than what we ordered. Is this perhaps a mistake?" Fred who had noticed the size but didn't care to ask because his stomach was alre

The male staff employee hesitated, but he knew Alexander, the son of the General Manager of Imperial kitchen. Even though he's not among the management of the Restaurant, he still respected him because of his father's influence. "Sir, this does not follow the.." "Get the fucking Securities you dumbass or I'll call my father on you. He manages this place!" The staff tensed, grabbing the service telephone. "Securities. Come into the hall now!" Kane didn't speak. He understood everything now. The unnerved female staff, the way she tried to stay professional under whatever heat she was, it was all Alexander's plan all along. "We didn't sneak in!" Fred snapped back, anger simmering inside. "How could you just conclude on things just like that?!" Alexander leaned forward slightly, a mocking smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Then pay the bills. $15k! Pay it. Oh, you cant..you see why people like you don't belong here." His finger snapped to Fred's chest. "You both belong to the