And Rex Chen?
Rex Chen didn’t just sniff. He planted a flag.
And Leo, sweet, stupid, earnest Leo, handed him the map.
I stare at the tablet on the counter, its screen still glowing faintly, and something settles deep in my bones.
This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.
And if Leo Ashford thinks he just signed a deal…
He has no idea what kind of war he just started.
The bell over the front door jingles.
I don’t jump. I don’t turn immediately. I already know it’s her. I’d know the sound of Tess Bennett’s footsteps anywhere.
She stops just inside the doorway. I can feel her taking in the room, the tablet on the counter, Leo’s jacket draped over the chair, my posture coiled tight and ready to strike.
“How bad?” she asks. Her voice is steady. That scares me more than if she were yelling.
I turn slowly. “He signed an LOI. With Rex Chen. Franchising. Exclusivity. The whole nightmare package.”
She closes the door behind her with careful precision. The lock clicks. Final.
She walks to the counter and looks at the tablet. She doesn’t touch it. She just stares at the screen, as if it personally betrayed her.
For a long second, she doesn’t say anything.
Then she lets out a breath. Slow. Controlled. Measured.
“Ok,” she says.
That’s it. Just ok.
I step closer instinctively, like I might need to catch her. “Tess…”
“I said ok,” she repeats, sharper now. Not angry yet. Focused. “I’m processing.”
She presses her palms flat on the stainless steel. I recognize the posture. It’s the same one she uses when a batch goes wrong, and she has to decide whether to salvage it or throw it out.
“What exactly does it say?” she asks.
“Enough,” I say. “Enough that Rex thinks he owns a future version of this place.”
Her jaw tightens. I watch the muscle jump. “And Leo?”
I hesitate. That tells her everything.
“He signed it,” I say quietly. “I don’t know if he understands what Rex actually is. Or maybe he does… and thought he could control it.”
She laughs once. Short. Humorless. “Control,” she repeats.
She straightens and finally looks at me. Really looks.
“Thank you,” she says.
I blink. “For what?”
