Chapter 213: Cuisine
The reason Davey chose to bring so many people into the fold was simple. Once the bootleg liquor business officially took root in Saint Denis, the established distillery owners would stop at nothing to crush him.
Davey was wealthy now, but compared to those who had already expanded their liquor brands across the entire United States—and even overseas—his resources were still insignificant.
That was why he needed to win over as many allies as possible, to safeguard his own interests. At the very least, within Saint Denis, he had to be capable of withstanding their inevitable counterattacks.
Fortunately, while those distillery owners were rich, their power wasn’t concentrated in the hands of a single individual. They had countless shareholders and, unlike Davey, couldn’t openly command large numbers of gang enforcers. Their businesses were legitimate.
They enjoyed the protection of the law—but were also constrained by it.
“If they find out Bronte holds a thirty percent share, a lot of people are going to be unhappy,”
Stella reminded him when she saw Davey smiling without responding.
Davey exhaled a cloud of smoke.
“Exactly. They’ll definitely be unhappy. And what does that have to do with me? That’s precisely what I want.”
“In the old world, there’s a saying about killing someone with praise. When a person gains more than their position justifies, envy follows—and that envy turns friends into enemies.”
“Sympathy for the weak is human nature. I gave up eighty percent of the profits, so in many people’s eyes, I’m the weaker one. But Bronte ended up with thirty percent—more than me. How do you think others will look at him?”
“Stella, sometimes you shouldn’t always aim to earn more. Earning less can also be a form of protection.”
“In business—especially illegal business—it’s not about who makes the most money, but who survives the longest. Saint Denis is huge. If you try to swallow everything at once, you’ll just turn into a bloated mess—indigestion, sickness, the whole lot.”
Hearing this, Stella’s eyes shone brightly.
For someone like her—an outstanding graduate from a prestigious university—this kind of insight was devastatingly attractive.
Stella herself was exceptional. She looked down on many of her peers, even male classmates who had graduated from similarly renowned institutions. That was precisely why she was still single—outstanding people always wanted partners who were even more outstanding.
And without question, Davey was someone even more remarkable than herself.
With no family background or backing, he had risen to this point from nothing—formerly just a wanted fugitive drifting through the West.
When Stella’s legal career had been at its lowest point, it was Davey’s employment that gave her a chance to turn things around. And now, time and again, she found herself completely captivated by his intellect.
Looking at Davey’s profile, Stella lowered her head slightly and thought to herself:
Sorry, Catherine. I truly am. But if I let a man this exceptional slip away, I may never meet someone like him again in my life.
He’s far too captivating—I don’t have the strength to resist him.
Back when she had gone to Valentine to meet Davey and boarded the train, Stella had given him a passionate farewell kiss. Later, after learning that Catherine was Davey’s girlfriend, she felt a deep sense of loss. During this meeting, although Davey gave subtle hints, Stella didn’t respond. Even after moving into the same mansion, she kept a deliberate distance.
Simply put, they were more than friends—but not quite lovers.
But now, Stella no longer wanted to remain at that stage.
As Davey turned and walked back toward the mansion, he noticed the change in her. The two of them were walking almost shoulder to shoulder now—clearly closer than ordinary friends.
“I’m getting tired of always eating at home,” Stella said. “Davey, I heard there’s a newly opened restaurant you might like. It serves food from far away, something different from the usual. Maybe we should try it together. What do you think?”
She made the invitation just as they reached the entrance of the mansion.
“Of course,” Davey replied with a smile. “I’d be happy to try something new with you.”
“I once had the chance to taste food like that before. Even now, the flavor still lingers on my tongue. Oh, Stella, you’ve reminded me—we really should hire more cooks.”
“Eating the same food every day is starting to wear on me. I should have thought of this sooner.”
Davey had nearly forgotten that Saint Denis, as a major city, already had access to all kinds of unfamiliar flavors and styles of cooking.
While it wasn’t exactly his favorite, it was still far better than what he’d been eating lately.
Of course, Davey was absolutely going for the food itself, not for any other reason.
Stella smiled brightly when she heard his agreement.
Even so, Davey still brought twenty employees with him when they went out. After all, even Saint Denis wasn’t entirely safe.
Davey never put himself in unnecessary danger.
Author's Note
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