CHAPTER FIVE HUNDRED – MISHANDLING THE BAKERY’S FUNDS

As the kitchen staff slowly returned to their stations, an uncomfortable silence settled over the room. The incident left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, far worse than any culinary mishap could have produced. In the days that followed, the atmosphere at La Dulce Vida remained tense. Camila's book never materialized, and while she had calmed somewhat, her suspicious glares toward Rafael spoke volumes. For his part, Rafael maintained his innocence, but there was a new edge to his interactions with the rest of the staff. It was into this powder keg of emotions that Sofia dropped another match. Calling Jasmine and Lola into the office one afternoon, her face was grave as she closed the door behind them. "We have another problem," she said without preamble. "There's money missing from the register. A lot of money." Jasmine sank into a chair, rubbing her temples. "How much are we talking about?" "Five thousand dollars," Sofia replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "At least." Lol