#Chapter 16 - Crisis


    Abby


    “I just wanted to say hello to your current date,” Karl says, smirking at Adam over my shoulder.


    I can feel the tension radiating from Adam’s ce behind me. I nce over my shoulder at him, but he


    looks alright. Tense and annoyed, but no bruises to speak of. At least I managed to get here before an


    actual fight broke out.


    Great, just what I need tonight, an embarrassing disy of male posturing. If Karl thinks he’s going to


    win me back this way, then he’s sorely mistaken. Actually, if he thinks he can win me back at all, then


    he has no idea how I truly feel about everything. He can’t just decide one day that the divorce was a


    mistake and then expect that I’ll jump right back into his arms.


    Karl looks at me, and his expression softens. “Also, there’s a piece of restaurant news I thought you’d


    be interested in. I found out about it in passing when I helped you with theint. Have you read


    these messages?”’


    He hands me his phone, and I look down at the screen. It’s a series of reviews on social media about


    my restaurant. I read them, my brows pulling together. They’re bad. Some of them are even pretty


    detailed. One is even a directint about me. Overbearing and unprofessional, it says. Looks like


    I’ve now got something else to cry aboutter.


    I hand Karl his phone. “I’ve seen some of them before,” I say, struggling to keep my voice even. “I just


    Text property ? N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    didn’t expect them to get worse.”


    There’s a sinking feeling in my stomach, and it takes some effort to keep my expression neutral. Karl


    gives me a careful look, and I force myself to meet his gaze. Unfortunately, he knows me too well.


    “If you want–”


    “I trust that Abby can fix these problems herself,” Adam says, cutting Karl off. I turn to look at him, but


    he’s ring at Karl. I wonder what they said to each other before I got here. Something tells me that


    their conversation wasn’t very friendly, on either of their parts.


    “Yeah, I believe she can too,” Karl says.


    I turn back to him. He doesn’t seem fazed by Adam’s interruption, but I know he’s just trying to


    antagonize him. The less he reacts, the more he can act like anything Adam says or does is


    unimportant. That it would be beneath him to be bothered.


    He gives Adam a pointed look. “But wouldn’t it be nice if someone could help her identify and fix these


    problems ahead of time?”


    Adam doesn’t reply.


    “Your biggest worry right now is restaurant capacity,” Karl says, turning his attention back to me. “Your


    store is very popr, but it’s too small.”


    I cross my arms. A part of me knows he’s right, but another part is resistant to the idea. I never wanted


    a huge store, just something simple. And since when does he care about my restaurant? It’s not like


    he’s ever taken much interest in my cooking. Thest thing I need right now is Karl butting his nose into


    my business. First my rtionship, and now this?


    “We reserve a lot of seats for familiar customers,” I say. “I don’t want to go upscale. What I want is to


    share my food with more people. That’s what I’ve always wanted.”


    Adam takes a step closer to me, but I don’t look away from Karl. “It’s her restaurant. She knows what


    she’s doing.”


    Karl ignores him. “I have plenty of business experience as an Alpha,” he says. “I could help you as a


    business consultant.”


    “I don’t know…” I start.


    “And my first piece of advice would be for you to expand your store.”


    “That’s unnecessary,” I say. “I don’t want you involved in my business. We’re divorced. I don’t need a


    leader to tell me what to do with my restaurant.”


    Karl shifts, his face turning red. I can tell he’s weighing what he should say next. I don’t bother turning


    to look at Adam. There’s no part of me that wants to see the smug look on his face. Thest thing I


    need right now is two men fighting over me.


    My phone rings, saving Karl from having to reply. I cross the room and pick it up. “Hello?”


    “Abby, hey. It’s Ethan.” Ethan’s one of my employees. He’s working thest shift with a few others.


    They should be cleaning up now for the night.


    “Ethan, what’s up?”


    “You need toe down here. Now.”


    I bite my lip. He sounds pretty worried. “Is everything okay?”


    “Just get here.”


    He hangs up, and I stare at the phone for a moment. Unease pools in my gut. When I look up, both


    Karl and Adam are staring at me.


    “What was that?” Adam asks.


    “I need to go,” I say. I walk back across the apartment and throw my purse over my shoulder. Karl and


    Adam both follow, but I don’t pay them much mind.


    “Go where?” Adam asks, reaching for my arm.


    I shake him off. “The restaurant. Something’s happening.”


    They both follow me out of the apartment and wait for me to lock it. “I can get you there fast,” Karl says,


    reaching out a hand to me.


    I frown. Teleporting isn’t exactly my favorite way to travel, and thest thing I want to do right now is


    allow him to help me. But Ethan made it sound like I needed to get there immediately. I don’t have time


    to sit through traffic.


    “Fine,” I say. “Just this once.”


    “What?” Adams asks, looking between us.


    “I’ll be back,” I say to him.


    He shakes his head. “I’ming with you.”


    Karl rolls his eyes but reaches out a hand to him. “Hold on,” he says. We both grab his hands, and then


    we’re teleporting. One moment we’re outside my door, and then next we’re standing on the street


    outside my restaurant. I drop Karl’s hand.


    “Just don’t say anything,” I say, my gaze lingering on Karl for a moment. He puts his hands up in mock


    surrender. Adam just nods.


    I push my way through the double doors, and they both follow close on my heels, Adam making a point


    to walk directly behind me. Karl hovers behind us in the shadows, taking my words to heart for once.


    Olivia is standing near the desk when I walk in, her coat on and her bag thrown over her shoulder. The


    rest of my employees stand around her, dressed and ready to leave. I spot Ethan near the back of the


    group, still in his uniform, with a worried expression on his face.


    They all look up when I walk in. “Abby, what are you doing here?” Olivia says. She nces around at


    the group and narrows her eyes at Ethan.


    “What’s going on?” I say, looking around. The chairs aren’t even stacked on the tables yet, and all the


    lights are on. It doesn’t sound like the dishwasher is running, either.


    Olivia steps forward. “We’re quitting?”


    I frown. “What do you mean?”


    “We’re all quitting.”