The maître d’, caught between maintaining the restaurant’s image and dealing with an unruly customer, hesitated. The staff watched, unsure of how the evening would unfold. Then, slowly, a few more guests began to show their support, clapping softly, their gestures spreading like wildfire.

Charles, seeing the tide turning against him, realized that further confrontation would only embolden Amara’s stance and his own notoriety. He scowled, muttering under his breath about the state of the service industry, and abruptly signaled for the check.