All Chapters of Whisked Away : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The next morning, the kitchen buzzed with its usual chaos pans clanging, knives chopping, orders being called out—but Amara felt every sound sharpen against her nerves. She scanned each face, searching for signs of guilt, betrayal, or fear.Luca strode in, crisp white chef’s jacket on, expression carved from stone. “Everyone,” he called, voice cutting through the noise, “we had a shipment issue this week. There’s a discrepancy in our supplier records. Until further notice, no one leaves early, no one signs off on deliveries without me or Amara. Understood?”A ripple of unease passed through the staff. One of the sous chefs exchanged a quick, nervous glance with a line cook.Amara caught it. There. It was fleeting, but the way the younger cook’s eyes darted toward the storage room said more than words. She leaned closer to Luca. “Did you see that?”He didn’t answer, but his jaw tightened. “Keep an eye on him.”Amara entered quietly, holding a clipboard. “I ran through last month’s invoi

The room was so quiet you could almost hear the click of the camera shutters outside the tall glass windows as reporters tried to capture the commotion through the reflections.Amara’s chest rose and fell sharply, the sting of humiliation searing her skin as if she’d been thrown into the flames of Luca’s wood-fired oven. Around them, guests whispered in tight clusters—some scandalized, others leaning in like hungry spectators at a coliseum fight. Isabella, still standing in the center of the chaos, looked like she had just won a championship she’d been training for her entire life.“Oh, don’t look so shocked,” she drawled, her voice carrying. “Everyone always wondered why Luca, of all people, would suddenly bring in a struggling single mother to run his restaurant’s kitchen. Now we know—it was never just about her talent.”The crowd let out a collective gasp. Someone dropped a champagne glass, the sharp shatter making Amara flinch.Luca stepped forward, his jaw tight enough to crack

The aftermath of the scandal felt like a storm had ripped through La Stella. The once-bustling restaurant was shrouded in tension. Reporters camped outside the entrance, camera flashes waiting to catch any glimpse of Amara or Luca. Customers whispered behind menus, their eyes darting between their plates and the gossip floating through the air.Inside Luca’s office, the air was heavier than ever. Amara stood near the window, arms crossed, her reflection blurred by the glass. Her mind was a whirl of exhaustion, fear, and something sharper determination.“They’re making me look like I only got here because of you,” she said quietly, not looking at him. “Like my work, my talent… it means nothing.”Luca, sitting behind his desk, leaned forward, his dark eyes searching hers. “Amara, I don’t care what they say. The truth—”“It’s not about what you care about, Luca!” she snapped, finally turning to him. “It’s about what I care about. My son will grow up hearing these things. My name is being

By midafternoon, the article wasn’t just circulating in the gossip blogs—it had hit mainstream news outlets. Headlines with Amara’s name and Luca’s photograph were plastered across social media.Luca tried to shield Amara from the worst of it, but the damage was spreading faster than either of them could contain.That evening, there was a knock at Amara’s apartment door. She opened it, expecting Luca. or Arianna Instead, two people stood there—a woman in a navy blazer with a clipboard, and a man in a grey sweater who kept glancing at her living room.“Ms. Amara?” the woman asked, flashing a badge. “We’re from the Department of Child Welfare. We’ve received a report concerning your son.”Amara’s knees nearly buckled. “A report? From who?”“I’m not at liberty to disclose that,” the woman said smoothly, “but there are concerns regarding your work hours and the care arrangements for your child.”Her son, still in his school T-shirt, peeked from the hallway. “Mama, who’s that?”Amara quick

Luca’s PR team moved fast.By noon, a carefully worded press release hit every major news outlet:Recent allegations against Ms. Amara Blake are false. Surveillance footage and witness testimony confirm that Isabella Marino, former acquaintance of Mr. Luca Bianchi, impersonated Ms. Amara in an attempt to damage her reputation and distress her child.Alongside the statement, Luca’s team released two key still images—the one of Isabella’s bangles in the school hallway and the street cam photo showing her ushering Noah into the SUV.Within minutes, hashtags like #JusticeForAmara and #ProtectNoah began trending.For a brief moment, Amara allowed herself to breathe.She sat with Noah in their living room, holding him close while Luca’s arm rested protectively around them both.Then Luca’s phone buzzed.It was a live stream link.And the name on it made his jaw tighten—Isabella .She was standing in front of a row of microphones, dressed in soft beige and pearls, the very image of calm eleg