I withdrew all investment from that Michelin restaurant. The deputy manager and core team resigned en masse to start fresh with me.[]
Within six months, my new restaurant had established itself as an industry leader with superior service and cuisine.]
Meanwhile, Dante’s place lost its core team and funding, plus the negative publicity from the Zoey incident, and quickly went under.]
I heard Dante tried using the two hundred thousand I gave him for small business ventures, but lost everything.]
He was used to spending money like water and had no idea how to budget and live frugally.[]
Soon he’d burned through it all and couldn’t even pay rent.[]
Later, I got updates about him through Celeste.[]
She said that to make ends meet, he was working as a server at a bar, forcing smiles every day while serving drinks and clearing tables for people he used to look down on.[]
Once, one of his former “friends” recognized him and publicly humiliated him.[]
Celeste asked if I regretted being so ruthless.[]
I shook my head.[]
I never regretted it.[]
I only regretted not seeing his true nature sooner.]]
I’d spent over a decade trying to raise a wolf into a sheep.]
Facts proved that you can’t change someone’s fundamental nature]
Now I had a successful career and friends by my side.]
I no longer needed to live for anyone else or bear responsibilities that weren’t mune.]
I was finally living as myself.]
One sunny afternoon. Celeste and I were having tea in my new restaurant’s outdoor garden!!
A man in a delivery uniform stopped tus electric bike at the restaurant entrance
He removed his helmet revealing a haggard, weathered face
It was Danite ]
He saw ine, his eyes cumples–shame, resentiment but mostly a kind of resigned autobusess
Chapter 9
He didn’t approach, just looked at me from afar, then hurried into the adjacent building with his delivery bag.
I looked away, turned to Celeste, and smiled.[]
“Celeste, don’t you think the weather is beautiful today?“[]
She smiled too.
“Yes, better than ever.“[]
We both understood that the dark clouds that had overshadowed my sky for over a decade had finally cleared completely.[]
The future stretched ahead, bright and clear.[]
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