CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE – TAKING CHARGE OF THE SITUATION

Over the next hour, the rest of the staff arrived, each reacting with shock and dismay at the state of the restaurant. Marco took charge, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the chaos around them. "Listen up, everyone," he said, gathering the staff in the center of the dining room. "I know this looks bad, but we're going to get through this. We're family here, and we stick together. Now, let's start cleaning up. We'll have this place back in shape in no time." His words seemed to have a calming effect on the staff. Soon, the sound of scrubbing, sweeping, and righting furniture filled the air. Jasmine worked alongside them, her heart swelling with pride at their resilience. As they worked, Marco pulled Jasmine aside. "We need to be careful," he said in a low voice. "Ricci's escalating. He's trying to scare us off." Jasmine nodded, her expression determined. "We can't let him win, Marco. We have to fight back." Little did they know, the fight was about to come to them in a much mo