Chapter 46 – On the Record

  The younger inspector did not hesitate.

  While the room was still buzzing with low voices and stunned looks, he lowered his gaze briefly and activated his wristlink. His fingers moved quickly, precise and controlled, as he compiled a concise report. What had begun as a routine inspection had clearly moved beyond his authority, and he knew better than to pretend otherwise or to delay the inevitable.

  This was no longer something he could manage on his own.

  He sent the report to his department chief, attaching a live summary and flagged recordings. Less than a moment later, his wristlink chimed sharply, cutting through the lingering noise in the café.

  A holo-call expanded into the air.

  The face that appeared was unmistakably furious, its presence commanding the space around it.

  The chief did not bother with pleasantries.

  “Is this true?” he demanded immediately, eyes hard as they fixed on the younger inspector. “Tell me right now. Is what I’m hearing accurate?”

  The younger inspector straightened instinctively, reflexively squaring his shoulders. “Yes, sir,” he replied firmly.

  “Based on what we have observed here,” he continued, his voice steady and clear, “there are multiple witnesses who can attest to what transpired. There have been direct and explicit accusations of bribery made in a public setting, accompanied by behavior and statements that support those claims rather than contradict them.”

  He glanced briefly around the café, acknowledging the gathered customers without addressing them directly.

  “The incident unfolded in full view of patrons, staff, and inspection personnel. The exposure was not private, nor was it ambiguous. While the accusation itself originated from a single individual, it is supported by observable conduct and procedural irregularities witnessed on-site. Based on these observations, I can confirm that everything reported thus far aligns with what has been witnessed firsthand.”

  He straightened slightly.

  “There is sufficient basis to proceed without delay.”

  The chief’s jaw tightened as the confirmation settled in.

  His gaze shifted past the projection for a brief second, as though he were looking directly at the lead inspector through the feed. When he spoke again, his voice carried a sharp edge of controlled anger.

  “This is a disgrace,” he said coldly. “A stain on the department and an embarrassment to our credibility.”

  The lead inspector stiffened visibly, tension rippling through his posture.

  The chief continued without pause. “You will apologize to everyone present. Make it clear that this failure lies with us, not with the establishment, and you will assure them that this matter will be fully investigated.”

  His eyes returned to the younger inspector.

  “As for him,” the chief added, voice hardening further, “take him into custody immediately and bring him back to the department. I want a full internal inquiry opened today, without delay and without discretion.”

  The lead inspector’s face drained of color.

  “Understood, sir,” the younger inspector said.

  The holo-call cut off.

  For a moment, the café was silent again.

  Then the younger inspector turned toward Lucien and the gathered customers. His posture was upright, his expression firm but sincere.

  “Everyone,” he said clearly, projecting his voice so it carried through the room, “I have notified my department chief about what occurred here today, including the allegations of bribery against the lead inspector.”

  A murmur rippled through the café, measured and attentive, edged with expectation.

  “Our department will conduct a full and thorough investigation,” he continued. “Nothing will be overlooked, and no one involved will be protected. Appropriate charges will be filed if the evidence confirms what has been stated.”

  He bowed his head slightly.

  “On behalf of the inspection department, I sincerely apologize for this incident. What occurred here today should never have happened, and we take full responsibility for addressing it properly.”

  He lifted his gaze again, steady and resolute.

  “You have my assurance that this matter will be handled transparently and decisively.”

  Only then did he turn back toward the lead inspector, keeping a careful watch on him and remaining mindful of the risk that desperation might drive the man to attempt an escape.

  Instead, what he saw was a man already weighed down by the inevitability of what was coming. The lead inspector’s shoulders sagged slightly as he stood motionless, his earlier defiance gone, replaced by a dull, hollow resignation that suggested the blow had landed too hard for resistance, his expression slack and unfocused, as if the consequences had struck with such force that there was nothing left in him to fight.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  The woman heard it and knew instantly that there was nothing left for her there.

  She cursed under her breath, not just at the situation, but at everything connected to it. The café, the inspector, the man beside her, and the managers who had pushed this plan forward. Even herself, for allowing it to reach this point.

  This was finished.

  If she stayed any longer, she did not know what might happen next.

  She turned sharply and stormed toward the exit without another word. The man beside her barely had time to register the movement before she shoved him aside with sudden force. He stumbled, lost his footing, and fell hard to the floor, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs.

  She did not even look back.

  The door slammed open and then shut behind her as she bolted out of Café Ashborne, disappearing into the street as though the place itself had rejected her.

  For a brief moment, the room was stunned into stillness.

  Kaelen surged to his feet. “She’s getting away.”

  He took a step forward, intent clear in his eyes, but Dorian caught his arm and stopped him.

  Kaelen turned sharply. “Why did you stop me?”

  Dorian did not raise his voice. “What exactly were you planning to do?”

  Kaelen frowned. “Question her. At least get answers. Maybe even push for a case if Lucien wants to take this further.”

  Dorian shook his head slowly. “You saw her demeanor. She is not the type to admit anything. She would deny it until the end.”

  He glanced toward the door she had fled through. “And even if we tried to pursue this legally, it would not go far. This would likely be treated as a minor incident. At best, we would be told to settle it quietly.”

  Kaelen clenched his jaw. “So we just let it go?”

  “No,” Dorian replied calmly. “We do not waste time chasing someone who will not crack.”

  He tilted his head slightly, indicating the floor behind them. “We already have what matters.”

  Kaelen followed his gaze.

  The man she had pushed aside was still on the ground, hunched over with his shoulders shaking. He had not moved since he fell. His face was buried in his hands, quiet sobs slipping through his fingers as the weight of everything finally crushed him.

  Lucien was already beside him.

  He knelt without hesitation and gently placed a glass of water in the man’s trembling hands. The man looked up in surprise, eyes red and unfocused, then accepted it instinctively and drank as if it were the first thing grounding him back in reality.

  Lucien waited until the glass was empty before speaking.

  “Take your time,” he said quietly. “No one’s rushing you.”

  The man swallowed hard, nodded, and wiped his face with the back of his sleeve. His voice came out hoarse when he finally spoke.

  “Thank you,” he muttered. “For the water.”

  Lucien inclined his head slightly. “Tell me what happened.”

  The words spilled out after that, uneven and rushed at first, then faster as the dam broke.

  He spoke of the manager who had summoned him. There had been no negotiation and no pretense of a choice. The ultimatum was delivered plainly and without hesitation: do this, or lose your job.

  Refusal was not framed as an option. It was treated as defiance. And defiance, the manager made clear, would be met with immediate dismissal.

  For him, dismissal was not just inconvenience or embarrassment. It was catastrophe.

  “My family depends on me,” he said, his voice breaking despite his effort to keep it steady. “My parents rely on my income. My sister is still studying. If I lost this job… there wouldn’t be time to recover.”

  He swallowed hard, eyes fixed on the floor. “I didn’t agree because I wanted to. I agreed because I didn’t see a way to refuse.”

  He explained how the managers of Hearth & Hollow Café and The Gilded Cup had coordinated everything. How the woman had trained him carefully, drilled lines into him, told him exactly when to speak and when to stay quiet. How he was never meant to improvise.

  “I just had to follow her lead,” he said weakly, his shoulders slumping. “That’s all I was supposed to do.”

  The café listened in silence.

  Anger spread through the room, slow and heavy.

  Most people were not sympathetic to him, but they were outraged by what had been revealed. This was no misunderstanding. No petty argument between customers. It was deliberate sabotage, planned and executed with intent.

  Cerys’s hands clenched at her sides. Darius’s expression darkened further, his jaw set hard.

  Riven exhaled sharply. “So they really tried to ruin you.”

  Seliora’s eyes were cold now. “And they would have kept doing it if this had worked.”

  Lucien remained still, listening until the man finished speaking. When there were no more words left to give, Lucien rose to his feet.

  “That’s enough,” he said quietly. “You’ve told us everything we needed to know.”

  He reached for the pitcher on the counter and poured another glass of water, setting it carefully within the man’s reach.

  Lucien no longer felt the anger toward the man that he had before. He still believed the choice had been wrong, but he understood now what had pushed him to make it.

  The man nodded thankfully, shoulders sagging as though the confession had stripped him of what little strength remained.

  The truth had surfaced completely now, and there was no denying it.

  Dorian watched the young inspector for a moment longer, then spoke in a tone so casual it almost sounded like an afterthought.

  “If I may make a suggestion,” he said evenly, “you might want to inspect the other two cafés as well, particularly the ones their employees came from.”

  The young inspector froze for half a second.

  Then understanding clicked into place.

  His eyes sharpened and he straightened instinctively, already seeing the implications. This was no longer an isolated incident. If there had been coordination, pressure, and bribery here, there was a strong chance the rot extended elsewhere.

  “That’s… a valid point,” he said slowly.

  Without wasting another second, he lifted his wristlink and sent a concise report, including names, affiliations, and the confession that had just been given. He did not embellish or speculate, choosing instead to lay out the facts clearly and precisely.

  The reply came far faster than anyone expected.

  The young inspector’s expression shifted as he read it. Relief flickered briefly, followed by something closer to grim resolve.

  “The chief has approved it,” he said, looking up. “He’s dispatching additional personnel immediately.”

  A wave of quiet satisfaction moved through the café.

  “They’ll conduct surprise inspections at both Hearth & Hollow Café and The Gilded Cup,” he continued. “The inspections will be comprehensive, conducted without any advance notice, and applied uniformly, without exceptions.”

  He paused, then added firmly, “If they fail inspection, it will be documented. If violations are found, they will be held accountable. No one involved in this incident will be let off the hook.”

  Several customers nodded. Someone muttered, “About time.”

  Lucien exhaled slowly, not in relief, but in acceptance. This was no longer something he needed to push or defend. The process had taken on a life of its own.

  Dorian simply inclined his head slightly, satisfied.

  The truth, once exposed, had a way of pulling everything else into the light with it.

  “Please come with me,” the young inspector said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

  The lead inspector did not resist.

  As he was escorted away, the balance of the room shifted completely. What remained was not outrage, but relief, certainty, and the quiet knowledge that the truth had not only surfaced, but had been acknowledged by authority itself.

  Café Ashborne stood unblemished, and everyone present knew it.