Chapter 4: The Clean Sweep
The dining room descended into hushed chaos as Julian’s lead auditor, a sharp-featured woman named Sarah, took custody of the ledgers from Elena’s bag.
“Mr. Sterling,” Sarah said, opening a tablet. “We just locked the back-office terminals remotely. Preliminary checks confirm what these timecards show. The restaurant’s reported payroll does not match the actual bank disbursements. Over two hundred thousand dollars has been diverted into an offshore LLC over the past fiscal year.”
Richard backed toward the kitchen swinging doors, but two officers immediately stepped into his path.
“Richard Vance, you are under arrest for grand larceny, wage theft, and fraudulent accounting,” one officer stated, clicking a pair of handcuffs around Richard’s wrists.
“You can’t do this!” Richard yelled, his face turning beet red as diners pulled out their phones to record the spectacle. “I made this restaurant famous! You’re taking the word of a filthy dishwasher over mine!”
Julian didn’t even look at him as the police led him toward the exit. Instead, he signaled the head waiter, an older gentleman who had been watching from the shadows with quiet approval.
“Close the dining room for the evening,” Julian instructed smoothly. “Comp every table’s bill. Apologize for the disruption, and ask everyone to leave immediately.”
The room cleared out within fifteen minutes. Soon, only the warm chandelier light illuminated the empty tables, the quiet hum of the refrigeration units filling the void.
Julian pulled a velvet-lined chair out from a corner table and gestured toward it. “Sit down, Elena. You look exhausted.”
Elena sat down gingerly, her jacket hanging heavy on her slender frame. “Mr. Sterling… I don’t know how to thank you. I just wanted my back pay. I never meant to cause such a scene.”
“You didn’t cause this scene. Greed did,” Julian replied, sitting across from her. “Where is your daughter right now?”
“With Mrs. Gable, my elderly neighbor,” Elena whispered, looking down at her rough, calloused hands. “She watched her so I could come here. But Mia has a fever. I have to get to the pharmacy before it closes at nine.”
Julian checked his watch. It was 8:15 PM.
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“Then we have no time to lose,” Julian said, standing up. “My driver is waiting outside.”
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