Chapter 0173
Abby
Karl and I burst into the restaurant, a gust of fresh air sweeping in with us as the door swings shut
behind.
Our clothes are still wet, covered in mud, and clinging ufortably to our skin, but the euphoria
coursing through my veins easily ovees any difort that I might be feeling. The kitchen,
already in full swing for the day, is a cacophony of noise.
John looks up from behind the line, his knife poised mid-air over a bunch of fresh herbs. His brows knit
together as he takes in our disheveled state.
“Where the hell have you both been?”
Without uttering a word, I slide my satchel off my shoulder and set it onto the counter with a triumphant
grin. My heart pounds in my chest as I untie the p, feeling a surge of triumph course through my
veins.
Turning the bag upside-down, I silently let the truffles tumble out in a glorious cascade.
John’s eyes go wide, giving him aical look. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this shocked, except for
the one time that one of the waitresses dropped his prized braisedmb all over the floor before the
te even made it out of the kitchen.
He rushes around the counter, hands trembling slightly as he picks one of the mushrooms up, bringing
it closer to inspect it carefully. “Is this... a ck truffle?”
Tears spring into my eyes as I nod. “Yes, John. ck truffles.”
He’s still holding the truffle, but now he''s also holding his breath and staring at us, clearly waiting for an
exnation.
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“We, uh… had to go off the beaten path,” Karl starts, a tremor in his voice from the lingering adrenaline
of our escape. I can tell he’s reliving it all, just like me. “Through poacher territory, believe it or not.”
“We found a waterfall, and behind it... a cave,” I continue, feeling a chill run up my spine as I recount
the experience. I’ll probably be reliving it for a long time toe. “A cave full of these bad boys.
Artificial lights, the whole setup.”
John’s eyes grow wider with each passing second that I tell the fragments of our story.
“So you… stole from poachers?” he asks once we’ve finished.
I nod, maybe a little more excitedly than I mean to. “Look, I know it’s bad,” I begin, “but—”
“Bad?” John interrupts, his voice incredulous. “You guys could’ve been caught! Or worse!”
Karl nods with a grave expression on his face. “And we almost were. They had guards. With guns. And
dogs. We had to run like our lives depended on it.”
“Because our lives did depend on it,” I add, the words heavy but true. “We ran up the ravine, through
the woods, across clearings, through thickets. We were followed, we heard the dogs. I thought we were
gonna die, honestly. But we made it. We got to the car and drove away.”
Silence envelops the kitchen for a few moments as John absorbs the gravity of what we’ve just told
him. Then, finally, he exhales. His voice is shaky.
“I can’t believe you two idiots did that. But I’m just d you’re okay,” he says, setting the truffle down
like it’s a rare artifact, and I guess it sort of is.
I feel a warm sensation spreading through me, mingling with lingering feelings of adrenaline. I nce at
Karl. His eyes meet mine, and through the exhaustion and the dirt coating his face, I can see
something else there. Something softer, something that makes me soften a little, too.
“I… I couldn’t have done it without Karl,” I find myself murmuring.
Karl stares at me for a moment in shock, but then, a soft smile tugs at the corners of his lips. He
doesn’t need to utter the words, because I already know what he’s saying.
We did it. Together.
…
We’re in the kitchen after hours again. It’s been a long and exhausting day, but I’m far too wired to go
home and sleep right now, and it seems that neither are Karl or John.
I look at over John, his eyes locked in concentration as heys out the ingredients on the counter. Karl
is perched on a stool off to the side, arms crossed, watching us intently.