Chapter 3 – The Holloways Strike First
At exactly nine o'clock the next morning, the attacks began.
Evelyn's produce supplier canceled.
Then her dairy distributor.
Within two hours, three separate vendors suddenly claimed they could no longer do business with Carter's Table.
By noon, anonymous one-star reviews flooded every online platform.
The accusations were absurd.
"Food poisoning."
"Dirty kitchen."
"Rude owner."
People who had never stepped inside the diner described meals they had never eaten.
Maria slammed her phone onto the counter.
"They're trying to bury us."
Evelyn simply nodded.
"I expected this."
What she hadn't expected was the black SUV parked across the street.
Inside sat two men wearing expensive suits.
Watching.
Waiting.
Hannah noticed them too.
"They've been there since breakfast."
James arrived shortly afterward.
"They're private investigators."
"For what?"
"Intimidation."
He placed several printed pages on the table.
"I've spent all morning researching Holloway Select Markets."
"What did you find?"
"They're not nearly as clean as they pretend."
He pointed to a series of financial reports.
"Three subsidiaries."
"Offshore transfers."
"Questionable supplier contracts."
"Several labor complaints that disappeared."
Evelyn looked at him.
"Illegal?"
"Maybe."
"But there's something much bigger."
He slid one final folder across the table.
Printed across the front was a federal agency's seal.
James spoke quietly.
"I have a friend at the U.S. Attorney's Office."
"He couldn't tell me much..."
"...except that Grant Holloway's company has been attracting attention for months."
Hannah looked up.
"You mean they're already investigating him?"
James smiled for the first time.
May you like
"Let's just say..."
"...your husband picked the worst possible week to threaten your mother."
