Chapter 21
The waiter’s hand pressed against his reddened cheek, the sting of the slap still pulsing as he stammered in disbelief, his voice a quivering thread. “Sir, this has to be a mistake! These two—how could he possibly be someone from the company’s upper ranks?” His eyes darted wildly, searching for an anchor in the chaos that had upended his certainty.
The manager’s frame stiffened, his head snapping toward the waiter with a glare that could have shattered glass. “Shut your mouth!” he barked, his tone a whip-crack of fury. “You fool—do you even grasp the mess you’ve made? Offending the vice president? Are you begging to be sacked on the spot?” Without missing a beat, he pivoted to Diego, his stern features melting into a sycophantic smile that bordered on reverence. “Mr. Navarro, I deeply apologize for this idiot’s behavior. He’s new—green as they come—and clearly too dense to learn quickly. Please, overlook his blunder.”
The weight of the manager’s words settled over the room like a heavy fog, seeping into the minds of even the slowest staff. Whispers rustled among the onlookers as realization dawned, a ripple of shock threading through the air. The waiter trembled, his face ashen, and he bowed low before Diego, his voice a frantic plea. “I—I’m so sorry, Mr. Navarro! I didn’t recognize you—I’ve made a terrible mistake. Please, forgive me!” His frame shook, a leaf caught in a gale, awaiting judgment.
Diego towered above him, his presence a pillar of quiet authority as he gazed down with eyes like frost-kissed steel. The silence stretched, taut and unyielding, until a cold snort broke it—a sound laced with disdain. “That’s all?” he said, his voice low and deliberate. “Just an apology to me?”
The waiter’s body jolted as if struck, the implication crashing over him like a thunderbolt. He whirled to Valeria, bowing even deeper, his forehead nearly grazing the polished floor. “Miss, I’m terribly sorry!” he gasped, his words tumbling over each other in a rush of contrition. “I didn’t realize you were with the vice president. Please forgive my rudeness—I beg you!” His desperation hung in the air, a palpable weight that thickened the tension.
Valeria’s expression remained an enigma, her calm gaze unreadable as she let the moment linger, her silence a mirror reflecting the room’s unease. Dominic and Adriana exchanged a wary glance, their eyes flickering with a shared disquiet they dared not voice. Could Diego truly wield such power within the Starbright Group? The thought gnawed at them, a shadow creeping across their certainty.
No. It couldn’t be. Adriana squared her shoulders, banishing the doubt with a flick of her chin, and stepped forward with a confidence that masked the tremor beneath. “Manager,” she said, her voice sharp and pointed, cutting through the murmurs like a blade. “You run this restaurant under Starbright’s banner, but surely you’ve never rubbed elbows with the top brass, have you?” She gestured toward Diego with a disdainful flick of her hand, her lips curling into a sneer. “Do you honestly believe someone like him is the vice president of Starbright Group? Look at him—he doesn’t even fit the mold. Let’s not leap to absurd conclusions. You’re clearly mistaken.”
Her tone dipped into condescension, a venomous edge glinting beneath her words. “Don’t let them bamboozle you into thinking they’re somebodies. They’re just playing a part—scamming for a free meal!” She tilted her head, her smile a mockery of sympathy, as if pitying the manager’s gullibility.
The manager didn’t deign to acknowledge her, his focus locked on Valeria and Diego with a steadfast respect that rendered her invisible. “Mr. Navarro,” he said, his voice warm yet firm, “allow me to personally escort you to your private room.” His gesture was an invitation wrapped in deference, a silent rebuff to Adriana’s tirade.
Valeria and Diego shared a fleeting look, a wordless agreement passing between them. With a nod, they turned toward the hall, their steps measured and unhurried, as if the confrontation were a mere ripple on the surface of their evening. But Adriana, unwilling to let her defeat solidify, lunged forward, her desperation clawing at her composure. Before she could close the distance, the manager stepped into her path, his stern visage a wall of unyielding resolve. “What exactly are you trying to do, ma’am?” he demanded, his tone a blade honed with authority. “Disturbing our esteemed guests like this is intolerable. If you’re not here to dine with decorum, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”
His words sliced through Adriana’s dignity, leaving her raw and exposed. Her face flushed a deep, humiliated crimson, resentment simmering beneath her skin as she swallowed the bitter lump of her pride. She turned to Dominic, her fingers clutching his arm with a grip that trembled on the edge of tears. “Dominic,” she whispered, her voice quaking with a fragile plea, “I was only trying to help—to keep them from embarrassing themselves. But they don’t even appreciate it…”
Dominic’s frustration, already a smoldering ember from being sidelined, flared into a blaze at her pitiful tone. His patience snapped like a taut wire, his voice rising in a sharp, indignant roar. “Do you know who I am?” he bellowed, his chest heaving with affronted pride. “I’m the vice president of the Barnett Group! And you dare ask us to leave?”
On any other night, the manager might have bowed to Dominic’s title, the Barnett Group’s shadow looming large enough to command deference. But now, having witnessed Dominic’s reckless disregard, the manager’s respect withered to ash. His expression darkened, his voice dropping to a cold, unyielding timbre. “Starbright Group doesn’t cower before the Barnett Group,” he said, each word a stone laid with quiet menace. “If you push the vice president and his companion too far, you’ll face consequences far graver than a simple exit.”
With that, he turned sharply, his dismissal absolute, and hastened to catch up with Valeria and Diego, leaving no space for rebuttal. Dominic stood frozen, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened, his gaze locked on the trio as they vanished down the hall. Anger and disbelief twisted his features, a storm raging within him. The manager of Star Whisper was no gambler—he catered only to the city’s elite, his instincts honed by years of discretion. A wild thought seized Dominic, absurd yet insistent: Could Diego truly be the vice president of Starbright Group? Why else would a man of such caliber risk offending him—and the Barnett Group—without a flicker of hesitation?
