Chapter 6 - The Corporate Serpent
Three weeks passed.
Under Nora's leadership, Harbor & Ash transformed dramatically. Morale among the staff skyrocketed, service quality reached an all-time high, and customer satisfaction scores rose by forty percent.
The upstairs executive suite had been converted into a bright, safe nursery where a certified nanny took care of Lily and two other staff members' toddlers during evening shifts.
However, storm clouds were gathering on the horizon.
On a rainy Thursday afternoon, a sleek black town car pulled up to the front entrance of the restaurant. A woman in a sharp red designer suit stepped out, her high heels clicking loudly against the hardwood floor as she walked inside.
It was Victoria Calloway—Everett’s elder sister and the majority shareholder of the Calloway Hospitality Board.
Nora walked out from the host station, holding a leather clipboard. "Good afternoon. Welcome to Harbor & Ash. Do you have a reservation?"
Victoria looked down her nose at Nora with sneering condescension. "I don't need a reservation for my family's restaurant. Where is Everett?"
"Mr. Calloway is in a regional board meeting upstairs," Nora answered politely. "I'm Nora Bennett, the General Manager. How can I help you?"
Victoria chuckled coldly, folding her arms. "Ah, yes. The former line waitress my brother promoted on a whim because of some absurd baby story."
Nora kept her expression neutral, refusing to be baited. "I was appointed by the owner based on my performance and operational record."
"You were appointed because my brother is emotionally compromised," Victoria snapped viciously. "Everett has gone soft since Clara died, and now he's wasting company assets on on-site daycares and promoting floor staff to executive positions."
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Victoria leaned over the hostess counter, her dark eyes flashing with warning.
"I called an emergency board meeting for tomorrow morning," Victoria revealed with a cruel smirk. "By noon tomorrow, I am invoking a corporate clause to strip Everett of his executive voting power. And the very first thing I am going to do as chairwoman is throw you and your bastard child back out onto the street."
