She Was Just a Beautiful Food Vendor… Until a Rich Businessman Set His Eyes on Her—And This Happened
Chapter 5
Victor Hale returned to the city without warning.
Alexander learned about it through a business associate.
Victor was meeting with investors.
He was planning to purchase several properties around Willow Street.
Including the building where Bennett’s Kitchen had once stood.
Alexander confronted him.
“You knew.”
Victor smiled.
“Knew what?”
“Thomas Bennett.”
Victor’s expression remained calm.
“That was a long time ago.”
“You forced him out.”
“You can’t prove that.”
“I don’t need to prove it to you.”
Victor laughed.
“You always had a weakness, Alexander.”
“What?”
“You cared too much about being a good man.”
Alexander stepped closer.
“And you cared too little.”
Victor’s smile disappeared.
“You think your little food vendor can change anything?”
Alexander’s eyes hardened.
“Don’t call her that.”
Victor noticed.
“Ah.”
He smiled.
“So that’s what this is.”
“It isn’t about me.”
“Of course it isn’t.”
Victor walked away.
But before leaving, he said:
“Be careful.”
That night, Maya’s food cart was vandalized.
The windows were broken.
Her equipment was destroyed.
Her grandmother’s recipe book was missing.
Maya stood in the middle of the damage, speechless.
Alexander arrived minutes later.
He saw her face.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“My father’s recipes.”
“What?”
“The book.”
He understood immediately.
“I’m sorry.”
Maya’s eyes filled with tears.
“It was the only thing I had left.”
Alexander wanted to hug her.
This time, he did.
Maya didn’t resist.
She cried against his shoulder.
For the first time since her father’s death, she allowed herself to stop being strong.
Alexander held her.
“I’ll find it.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can.”
“Why?”
“Because I won’t stop.”
Maya looked at him.
Their faces were inches apart.
Neither moved.
Then Maya kissed him.
It was brief.
Unexpected.
And immediately terrifying.
She stepped back.
“I’m sorry.”
Alexander smiled.
“Don’t be.”
But the next morning, the recipe book appeared.
It had been left on the food cart.
Nothing was missing.
Except one page.
The page containing Maya’s father’s signature recipe.
Alexander immediately suspected Victor.
But Maya noticed something else.
The missing page wasn’t a recipe.
It contained handwritten notes beside the recipe.
Numbers.
Dates.
Names.
Her father had used the page to record something.
Something important.
Alexander took a photograph.
“This may be the key.”
Maya looked at him.
“To what?”
“Everything.”
They began examining the numbers.
They discovered dates matching payments made by Reed Properties.
Payments to the inspector.
Payments to a city official.
Payments to a shell company.
And finally, one payment to Victor Hale.
The amount was enormous.
Maya stared.
“He paid them.”
Alexander nodded.
“And your father found out.”
Maya looked toward the window.
“So that’s why they wanted him gone.”
“Maybe.”
She looked at Alexander.
“And you?”
“What about me?”
“Why are you helping me?”
He hesitated.
“Because I care about you.”
Maya’s heart stopped for a moment.
But before she could respond, Alexander’s phone rang.
It was Daniel.
“Alexander, you need to come to the office.”
“Why?”
“Victor just bought controlling interest in Reed Properties.”
Alexander froze.
“How?”
“Through your board.”
Alexander looked at Maya.
Victor wasn’t trying to recover the past.
He was trying to take control of the present.
