In the morning, Lord Whitmore arrived at Hell's Kitchen just before the lunch service, his imposing, rotund figure casting a shadow in the doorway. Lucien, as the maitre'd, immediately approached him with a polite smile.
"Lord Whitmore, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Lucien asked, his voice smooth and practiced.
"I have a special request," Lord Whitmore said, his tone discreet. "I'd like to book the entire restaurant for an exclusive VIP dinner tonight. And I want the 'special' courses."
Victor, who had been observing the interaction from a distance, joined them. "Of course, Lord Whitmore. We can make that arrangement."
"Excellent. I'll expect the best," Lord Whitmore replied with a nod, before turning to leave. "I'll be seeing you tonight." he added cheerfully.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Victor turned and called over the rest of the staff, who had gathered in the main dining area. "Alright everyone, listen up. We've just received a special request from Lord Whitmore. The entire restaurant is booked for an exclusive VIP dinner tonight. Special menu." he said, looking at Nyssa and Lyra meaningfully - something that Evelyn, now aware of what's going on, did not miss.
Victor cleared his throat. "Nyssa, you'll prepare the menu with me. Lucien, keep things running smoothly with the regular customers and reschedule any reservations we had for tonight; get persuasive if you have to. Lyra will handle the VIP section as usual. Evelyn," he paused, turning to her, "since you don't work in the VIP area, you can take the night off."
Evelyn shook her head firmly. "No, I'd like to stay and help. It's a big night, and I want to be here."
Victor raised an eyebrow, his mind racing with thoughts of her potential motives. "Are you sure? It's going to be a demanding evening."
"I'm sure," Evelyn replied, her voice resolute. "I want to help."
Lyra, standing nearby, chimed in. "I can use an extra set of hands. It's going to be crazy in the hall."
Lucien rolled his eyes. "As long as she doesn't get in the way."
Evelyn shot him a glare. "I can handle myself, thank you very much."
Victor exchanged a quick glance with Lucien, who gave a slight nod. "Alright then," Victor said. "Let's get to work."
As the staff began to prepare for the exclusive dinner, Victor couldn't shake the feeling that tonight was going to be more complicated than usual. The air was thick with tension, and he knew one thing for sure: with everyone on edge and Evelyn's suspicious presence, it was bound to be an interesting night at Hell's Kitchen.
Later, Victor leaned against the counter, deep in thought as he surveyed the ingredients for tonight's VIP menu. Nyssa stood nearby, nervously fidgeting with a knife, her eyes flicking between Victor and the array of "exotic" ingredients spread out before them.
"We need to make this memorable," Victor said, half to himself and half to Nyssa. "Lord Whitmore expects the best."
Nyssa nodded, her unease evident. "Victor, some of these, ugh, ingredients are...I don't know if I can do this." she said.
Victor turned to her, his expression serious but calm. "I know it's not easy, Nyssa. But remember, catpeople are essentially predators. They've only assimilated into human society in recent years. A few centuries ago, they were eating whatever they wanted."
Nyssa bit her lip, clearly uneasy. "But still, it's... I don't know, it feels wrong."
Before Victor could respond, Lucien sauntered into the kitchen, having overheard their conversation from the doorway. "Nyssa, you should listen to Victor," he said, a mischievous grin on his face. "I've seen it firsthand. Catpeople are not as different from us as you might think."
Nyssa looked at Lucien skeptically. "Really? You've seen it?"
Lucien nodded, leaning casually against the counter. "Oh yes. During my travels over the centuries, I've come across tribes of catpeople living in the wild. They were fierce hunters. It's only in recent generations that they've started to imitate human society. And let me tell you, they were not picky eaters."
"What do you mean by that?!" Nyssa exclaimed.
Lucien didn't reply, deciding to grin at her instead. Victor gave Lucien an eyeroll. "Thanks for the history lesson, Lucien. Now, let's get down to business. We need a three-course menu that will impress Lord Whitmore and his guests."
Nyssa sighed, resigning herself to the task at hand. "Alright, what's the plan?"
Victor started to pace, thinking out loud. "The main problem is that he caught us unprepared; we haven't had time to procure a lot of special ingredients. We'll have to rely on what's at hand." he said, contemplating.
"Alright. For the entrée, we'll use the rest griffin eggs. A delicate omelet with a hint of truffle oil should set the right tone. For the main course, we'll prepare a ground elf bolognese. Rich and hearty, served over freshly made pasta."
"A ground what? Nyssa replied in disbelief.
"Can you just get with the program already? This is getting exhausting." Lucien sighed.
"You're in this now so you better start playing along or there'll be four items on the menu tonight." Victor said dryly.
Nyssa nodded, immediately focusing; she even started taking notes. "And for dessert?" she asked innocently.
Victor's eyes gleamed with inspiration. "For dessert, we'll make a red velvet cake with the rest of the cowgirl butter. It's rich, decadent, and perfect for ending the meal on a high note."
Nyssa hesitated, but then nodded. "Okay, I can do this."
Lucien clapped his hands together. "Sounds like a plan. Now, let's get to work."
As they began to prepare, Victor couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. Tonight's dinner was going to be a true test of their skills and their ability to work together as a team. With a deep breath, he dove into the preparations, his mind focused on creating a culinary experience that Lord Whitmore and his guests would never forget.
Meanwhile, under the pretense of going to change for dinner service, Evelyn snuck in the marketplace to meet Liam in their predetermined spot, having sent him a discreet message earlier. He appeared within a couple of minutes after she arrived. With a sense of urgency, Evelyn leaned in close to Liam, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Liam, there's something you need to know; Lord Whitmore is planning an exclusive VIP dinner at Hell's Kitchen," she began, her eyes darting around cautiously.
Liam raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her tone. "And what about it?" he asked nonchalantly. His tone, and everything he'd known from his personality, gave Evelyn a very disturbing notion.
"It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who orchestrated this whole thing with Lord Whitmore," Evelyn whispered, her voice accusatory.
Liam hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yes, it was me. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to gather evidence against Delacroix and expose him for what he truly is."
Evelyn's eyes widened in realization. "You mean... you want to expose the truth about what goes on in that kitchen?"
"Exactly," Liam confirmed, his expression grave. "We need to gather proof of the "ingredients" Victor uses and take it to the authorities. It's the only way to stop him without getting our hands dirty." he said.
Evelyn's heart raced with anxiety. "Dirty? What do you mean by that, Liam?" she asked nervously.
Liam's gaze hardened, determination shining in his eyes. "If this doesn't work, we'll have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to bring him down. Even if it means... taking drastic measures."
Evelyn's stomach churned at the thought. "I... I don't know if I can do that. I can't just... kill someone, even if they're a monster like Victor."
Liam's expression softened, understanding dawning in his eyes. "I understand, Evelyn. I, too, would rather avoid this. But we have to act tonight no matter what. We can't let this opportunity slip away."
With a heavy heart, Evelyn nodded in agreement. Tonight would be a night of reckoning, a chance to finally confront her past and get justice for Sasha. She couldn't afford to fail.