Instead of investigating those complaints, he had instructed Gregory to protect the restaurant's reputation.
One message stood out.
A difficult employee can be replaced. A high-spending customer cannot.
Talia read it twice.
Then she closed her eyes.
She had spent three years believing that if she worked harder, arrived earlier, smiled more, and made fewer mistakes, people would eventually treat her fairly.
But some of the people above her had not wanted fairness.
They had wanted obedience.
"Who else knew?" she asked.
Elaine answered carefully.
"We are still investigating."
Talia nodded.
"Then keep investigating."
She looked around the room.
"I don't want this to become a story about one bad customer and one bad manager. I want to know whether there were people who saw this happening and decided it was good for business."
Adrien watched her with quiet admiration.
He had expected anger.
He had expected grief.
He had not expected her to approach the investigation with such clarity.
When the meeting ended, Elaine gathered her documents.
"Mrs. Kingsley, one more thing."
Talia looked up.
"We found something in your employment file."
"What?"
Elaine placed a copy of an internal evaluation on the table.
It was dated eight months earlier.
The heading read:
EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE REVIEW — TALIA BROOKS
Talia recognized the document immediately.
She had never seen it before.
The review described her as reliable, punctual, attentive, and unusually effective at handling dissatisfied customers.
But at the bottom, beneath the positive comments, someone had written:
May be overly assertive when discussing workplace fairness. Should remain focused on assigned duties rather than broader operational concerns.
Talia stared at the sentence.
"Who wrote this?"
"Gregory Mason."
She let out a quiet breath.
"So he knew."
"Yes."
"He knew I was trying to report problems."
Elaine nodded.
"That appears to be the case."
Talia folded the document carefully.
For the first time that morning, she felt something stronger than sadness.
She felt determination.
"Then we have a lot of work to do."
Two days later, Talia met Maya Ellis at a small coffee shop near the river.
Maya arrived wearing a gray sweater and carrying a canvas bag. She looked nervous when she entered.
Talia stood to greet her.
"Hi, Maya."
"Hi."
They hugged briefly.
Maya's eyes were already shining.
"I'm sorry."
Talia frowned.
"For what?"
"For not doing more."
Talia pulled out a chair.
"Sit down."
Maya sat.
"I should have said something louder. I should have walked over. I should have done something."
"You did say something."
"Not enough."
Talia looked at her.
"Neither of us should have been placed in that position. You were trying to protect your job."
Maya shook her head.
"I watched them throw that drink at you. I watched Gregory tell you to clean it up. I wanted to move, but I thought about my rent. My mother. My little brother."
Her voice broke.
"I was afraid."
Talia reached across the table.
"I understand."
Maya looked at her.
"Do you?"
"Yes. But understanding doesn't mean we pretend it was right."
Maya lowered her eyes.
"I know."
For a while, neither woman spoke.
Then Talia asked about Maya's family.
Maya explained that her mother had recently undergone surgery and that she was helping cover household expenses.
She had worked at Ridgeview Grill for eleven months.
She liked the job.
She liked the tips.
She liked that the restaurant was close enough for her to take the bus.
But after the incident, she had been afraid to return.
"What do you want now?" Talia asked.
Maya blinked.
"What do you mean?"
"Do you want to work in restaurants again? Do you want something different? Do you need time?"
Maya considered the question.
"I still like serving people. I just don't want to work somewhere I have to accept being treated badly."
Talia smiled faintly.
"Then I think we have something to discuss."
Maya looked at her with uncertainty.
"Are you really rebuilding Ridgeview?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Talia thought about the question.
"Because I don't want what happened to me to become something that happens to somebody else."
Maya nodded.
"I would like to help."
Talia reached into her bag and removed a small notebook.
She opened it to a page filled with handwritten notes.
"I need people who will tell me the truth. Even when the truth is uncomfortable."
Maya looked at the notebook.
"What would I do?"
"First, I want you to help me design the new employee-support system. I don't want a manager to be the only person employees can approach when that manager might be the problem."
Maya's eyes widened.