The first spoonful made the bride’s father slam his fist against the table. “What is this?” Richard Whitmore roared, his face turning crimson. “Are you trying to poison my family?”

The sabotage had expanded into public defamation.

By 7:00 AM, Celeste’s viral video had racked up over fifty thousand views on local Charleston social media pages.

In the video, Celeste stood in front of a sleek white backdrop, looking polished and deeply concerned. She claimed that she had stepped down from Reed House because the owner was forcing her to serve compromised, low-grade food to cut costs, specifically targeting the high-profile Whitmore wedding.

Local news blogs were already running headlines: "REED HOUSE IN CHAOS: EXECUTIVE CHEF RESIGNS OVER SAFETY CONCERNS BEFORE WHITMORE WEDDING."

Inside the private office at Reed House, Lucas sat behind his heavy desk, his face set like carved stone as his corporate legal team yelled through the speakerphone.

"We can file an emergency injunction for defamation, Lucas," his lawyer stated firmly. "But the legal process takes days. The story is breaking right now."

A knock came at the door, and Richard Whitmore walked in, accompanied by his daughter Caroline. Richard looked furious, holding a printout of the news article in his hand.

"Lucas!" Richard demanded, slamming the paper onto the desk. "What the hell is this?! My phone has been ringing off the hook with guests asking if they are going to get food poisoning at my daughter's reception!"

Maya stepped into the office from the side door, wearing her pristine white executive chef coat, carrying a tray with two steaming porcelain cups of fresh ginger-lemon tea.

"Mr. Whitmore, Miss Caroline," Maya said gently, setting the tea down on the coffee table. "Please drink this. It helps with stress."

Richard glared at her. "Young woman, I respect that you can cook a good stew, but your former boss is publicly claiming this kitchen is a health hazard!"

"Chef Celeste lied because she was fired for sabotaging your food, Mr. Whitmore," Maya said, her voice remaining steady and calm. "And as for our ingredients..."

She gestured toward the open office window, which overlooked the service driveway below.

Richard and Caroline walked over to the window and looked down.

Parked in the alley were three local farm trucks and Lucas’s SUV. Kitchen staff members were busy unloading glistening wooden crates packed with crushed ice, bright wild red snapper, vibrant red tomatoes, fresh herbs, and crisp sweet corn—all stamped with local Charleston farm seals dated today.

"Every single ingredient being cooked today was harvested or caught less than four hours ago," Maya explained proudly. "It is the freshest, cleanest food in this entire city. Chef Celeste is trying to destroy Reed House because she lost her power. Don't let her take away your daughter's special day."

Caroline turned to her father, taking his hand. "Dad, look at the food. Look at Maya. She’s been up since four in the morning fighting for our wedding. I trust her far more than a disgraced chef posting bitter videos on the internet."

Richard looked down at the bustling crates of fresh fish, then looked at Maya’s resolute eyes. The harshness in his face melted away.

"All right," Richard said quietly. "If you guarantee me that every bite served today matches the quality of that stew, I will ignore the media."

"I give you my word," Maya promised.

Richard nodded, turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "Oh, and Mr. Reed? If this video harms your reputation after today, let me know. The Whitmore family owns three media stations in the state. We know how to set the record straight."

Once they left, Lucas let out a long breath, standing up from his desk. He walked over to Maya, looking at her with a mix of wonder and admiration.

"You handled him better than my legal team," Lucas said softly.

"I just told the truth," Maya replied, offering a tired smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, executive chef... I have three hundred red snappers to sear."

As she turned to head back to the kitchen, Lucas caught her hand gently.

"When this night is over, Maya... I want to take you out. Not as boss and employee. Just you and me."