Chapter 203 — Fiona Starts Drinking
It didn't take long.
The safe was completely emptied by Monica.
What remained inside were only a ledger, some restaurant paperwork, and the IOU signed by Fiona and William.
None of that interested Monica.
She shut the safe, slung the canvas bag—now stuffed with roughly ten thousand dollars—over her shoulder, and walked out.
"Mrs. Gallagher? Leaving already?" Max asked, confused. Monica had barely been inside.
"Yeah, got something to do. Bye."
Monica brushed her off and hurried out of the restaurant.
Max watched her leave, a strange feeling creeping in—but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
—
Outside, not far from the street, Frank was waiting anxiously.
The moment he saw Monica, he rushed over.
"Well? Did you get it?!"
Monica glanced around, then grinned and opened the bag, revealing stacks of cash.
"Got it. Close to ten grand! So—what now? Ice? Powder? Pills?"
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Frank didn't answer.
He stared at the money… then suddenly snatched the bag from her hands.
"Come on. First—we get booze."
For Frank, alcohol always came first. Everything else came after.
Monica didn't care. As long as there was something to get high on, she was happy.
—
Meanwhile, after finalizing a new supplier contract, Fiona returned to the restaurant with Veronica Fisher.
They had barely stepped inside when Max hurried over.
"Boss… your mom came by earlier. She was in your office for a bit, then left. Said she was looking for you."
Fiona's heart dropped.
She exchanged a look with Veronica.
"My mom? Monica?"
Max nodded.
That was enough.
Fiona rushed straight to her office.
She yanked open the cabinet, entered the code, and opened the safe—
Empty.
Completely empty.
She collapsed onto the floor.
Her mouth opened, trying to form words—anger, curses, anything—
But nothing came out.
—
Veronica rushed in behind her, with Max hovering anxiously at the door.
"What happened, Fi?"
Fiona sat there, staring blankly.
"Monica… she took all the money."
Then—
She smiled.
Not a happy smile.
A broken one.
The kind that came right before everything shattered.
"What the hell?!" Veronica exclaimed, stunned.
Behind her, Max's face went pale.
"Boss, I'm so sorry! I didn't know— I thought she—"
She tried to explain herself, but the words sounded hollow even to her own ears.
Excuses.
Nothing more.
—
But Fiona…
She looked eerily calm.
Too calm.
She slowly stood up.
Didn't even bother closing the safe.
And walked straight out.
"Where are you going, Fi?" Veronica called after her.
Fiona paused for a second.
"…I need a drink."
Her voice was flat.
Empty.
As if none of this even mattered anymore.
Then she walked out the door.
—
Veronica sighed and turned to Max.
"Lock the safe."
After saying that, Veronica Fisher quickly followed after Fiona.
Out on the street, Fiona walked like a ghost—slow, unsteady, as if her soul had already slipped somewhere else.
She headed straight into a nearby convenience store.
Veronica caught up just as she stepped inside.
"What can I get you, Fiona?" the clerk asked. He knew her well—most people working nearby had eaten at her restaurant at some point.
"Vodka. Give me a bottle of vodka."
She pointed directly at the shelf.
"Alright."
No questions asked.
The clerk grabbed a bottle and handed it over.
After paying, Fiona asked for a brown paper bag.
"Wow… drinking this early in the day?" the clerk couldn't help but comment, though he still handed her the bag.
Fiona didn't answer.
She slid the bottle into the bag, twisted the cap open—
—and started drinking.
Big gulps.
"Fuck…"
The harsh liquor burned its way down her throat, the sting biting into her nerves.
But that pain—
It helped.
Just a little.
It gave her something to focus on.
Something other than everything collapsing inside her.
"Fi… you…" Veronica hesitated, unsure how to stop her.
What could she even say?
If her own mother had just stolen everything she'd worked for… she wouldn't be handling it any better.
In the end, she just patted Fiona's back and guided her out of the store.
—
On the small balcony outside the restaurant, Fiona leaned against the wall, taking swigs from the vodka bottle every few moments.
Veronica stood nearby, phone in hand.
She was calling William.
"Yeah… it's bad. Just come over, okay? …Alright."
She hung up and looked at Fiona, helpless.
—
At the same time, over at Illinois Institute of Technology—
William sat in class.
Next to him, Amanda was scrolling through campus gossip on her phone.
"Alright, got it."
William ended the call, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
He hadn't expected things to escalate this fast.
Monica stealing Fiona's operating funds…
That was a heavy blow.
Fiona might not be able to take it.
"What's wrong, babe?" Amanda leaned into him, curious.
"Nothing serious. A friend's mom stole all the money she worked for."
He said it casually.
No hesitation.
And maybe it was exactly this kind of openness that kept Amanda from suspecting anything—despite the fact that William's relationships were anything but simple.
"Wow… her mom sounds like a total bitch."
Amanda didn't hold back.
William nodded.
"Yeah. A real one."
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