The email doesn’t feel real at first.
I stare at the screen as if the words might rearrange themselves into something less final, less sharp.
Notice of Lease Review — Immediate Action Required.
My name.
My store.
My livelihood.
“This is intimidation,” I say, my voice too steady for how hard my heart is pounding.
“Yes,” Adrian replies beside me. “And it’s deliberate.”
I close my eyes for a second, breathing through the pressure building behind my ribs. The restaurant door closes behind us, muting the city noise, but it doesn’t quiet the panic rising in my chest.
“She didn’t just want to scare me,” I say. “She wanted leverage.”
Adrian nods once. “She wants you destabilized.”
I turn to him sharply. “And before you say anything—no. You’re not fixing this for me.”
His jaw tightens.
