VALERIE POVSometimes you don't realize you’re feeding a snake until it turns around and bites your hand.Julian was that snake.For five years, he had been my entire world. We fell in love in culinary school, sharing everything while dreaming of opening our own restaurant. Three years ago, we took a leap of faith, pooling every single cent we had to build L’Étoile. We were partners in life, in love, and in the kitchen.Or at least, that’s what I thought.“Val, hand me the micro-greens!” Julian’s voice cut through the loud hum of the dinner rush.I grabbed the small container of fresh greens and set it beside his station. The kitchen was scorching hot, filled with the rich smell of seared garlic and pan-roasted duck. Order tickets kept spitting out of the printer like an endless ribbon.“Looks perfect,” I said softly, leaning over his shoulder to adjust a ceramic plate. “Just hold back on the butter for table four. The guest mentioned a severe dairy sensitivity.”Julian threw his spoo

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VALERIE POVMy trembling hands failed three times before I managed to unlock the door. It was violently shoved inward, forcing me backward onto my hands and knees. Two uniformed police officers stepped into my small apartment, followed by an official in a charcoal suit holding a silver briefcase and a badge stamped with the seal of the Department of Public Health.“Valerie Montgomery?” the lead officer barked, looking down at me on the floor.“I didn't do it,” I rasped, my voice barely a whisper through my raw throat. “I didn't poison anyone. Julian... Julian framed me—”“Save it for the station, Miss Montgomery,” the officer interrupted coldly, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt. “You’re under arrest for reckless endangerment, criminal negligence, and suspected intentional food tampering. You have the right to remain silent...”Within seconds, my wrists were cuffed. The health inspector didn't even look me in the eye as he slapped a bright yellow legal document onto my counter

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VALERIE POVThe car drove smoothly down the road, leaving the police station and all those flashing lights far behind us.I leaned forward in my seat, staring at the back of Victoria’s head. “Where are we going?”“To a private estate on the northern cliffs,” Victoria said, catching my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Julian tricked the reporters and sent them straight to your apartment building. You can’t go back there tonight. I’ll deal with the press, but right now, you just need a safe place to stay.”Before I could even digest that, Victoria reached into her coat, pulled out a second white envelope, and passed it back to me.“I need your signature on the forms inside,” she said, her eyes sliding back to the dark road.I frowned, taking the cold paper into my hands. “What forms?”“Transfer papers for your grandfather,” Victoria replied simply. “We’re moving him out of the community ward tonight and taking him to Grand Crest Haven.”My heart stopped dead in my chest.Grand Crest Haven.

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VALERIE POV“Open it,” Leonard said quietly.I pulled the leather folder toward me, my fingers trembling slightly as I opened the cover.The very first line at the top of the white page made my hands freeze completely:STERLING HOSPITALITY GROUP: EXECUTIVE CONTRACT Party of the First Part: Leonard Black SterlingSterling.My mind went blank. I stared at the name, my lips barely moving as I whispered it aloud.“Sterling... Leonard Black Sterling...” I raised my head slowly, looking at his sharp, breathtaking face. The dark hair with silvery temples, the cold grey eyes, the unyielding posture. “You’re... Delilah’s brother?”“Father,” Leonard corrected smoothly.“Father?!”The word burst out of my mouth before I could stop it, echoing loudly across the high-ceilinged room. I instantly snapped my mouth shut, my cheeks burning with heat as I caught myself. I swallowed hard, forcing my voice down to a whisper, but my eyes remained wide with shock.“The media says Delilah is twenty-four year

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VALERIE POVI kept staring at The silver pen that lay beside the folder for what felt like hours, nothing prepared me for this such plot twists my life just takesTwenty-four hours.That was all the time Leonard Black Sterling had given me to decide whether I wanted to remain a victim or become his puppet.Mrs. Evelyn stepped quietly into the dining room, her soft footsteps breaking my trance. She cleared away the half-empty coffee cups with crisp efficiency, setting down a fresh glass of iced water beside the leather folder."He doesn't bite, Miss Montgomery," she said softly, without looking up. "Though I understand why you might think otherwise.""He wants me to sell my body to him under the guise of a corporate takeover," I said, my voice hoarse. "That's not just biting, Mrs. Evelyn. That's swallowing me whole."Mrs. Evelyn paused, holding a tray against her hip. Her sharp eyes softened just a second as she looked down at me. "Sir Leonard built this empire with his bare hands. He

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Semua Bab THE CHEF WHO MADE REVENGE HER RECIPE: Bab 1 - Bab 5

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