Chapter 15

Kobe

I WAS ANGRY BEYOND reason. That my father would stoop so low as to vandalize Lee’s restaurant had me gripping my steering wheel as I drove back to the Academy. Yes, my father was actually in town, at the Academy because of the Academy’s annual competition to find the best student chef on campus. Axel just so happened to be competing, although he’d won every single year. This year, however, rumor had it that Kat’s roommate, Layla, was a real threat to his winning streak. As the officiant of the competition, Dad was in town instead of traveling all over the world with Mom, visiting his restaurants.

I had to see him. I had to come face to face with him and hear it from his own mouth. I had to hear how he justified such an act. He was in town, conveniently, and he did see The Lees’ empire as a major rival. Even enough to keep me away from Kat. Perhaps he really wanted me to stay away from Kat enough to sabotage her restaurant.

She had every reason to not trust me. If she only knew what my father would do, she’d keep away from me too.

But Vandalism. Damn it.

I parked near the administration building and rushed into the building.

“Is my dad in?” I asked his secretary.

“Good morning, Kobe,” she said. “Yes, but he’s on a conference call. Maybe you could come back in twenty minutes or so.”

“No,” I said. “It can’t wait. I have to talk to him.”

“Let me see if...” She picked up the receiver of the phone on her desk, but I rushed by before she could warn my dad.

Pushing the double doors open, I barged into his office.

“... I told you. It doesn’t matter. I want only the best. My customers expect the best.” He glanced up at me and waved me to one of the red leather chairs facing his desk.

Instead of sitting down, I crossed my arms over my chest and stood directly in front of him. He smiled at me and once again gestured to the chair, but I stared him down without a hint of amusement.

After a moment, he let out a frustrated sigh. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but it appears that I have a family emergency to tend to. I’ll contact you all shortly.” He ended the call. “What’s going on, son?”

“Are you still feuding with them? Are you so insecure that you would actually sabotage one of their restaurants? Come on Dad. That’s so low... even for you.”

He leaned back in his leather chair and looked at me with a stern yet confused glare. “Do you want to tell me what you’re talking about?”

I pulled out my phone and showed him the photo of the wall with our name all over it. “This. This is what I’m talking about. Our name... your name, spray painted all over the office of Mr. Lee’s newest restaurant. Man, I knew you hated the Lee family, but this is ridiculous.”

He steepled his hands and looked at me... that annoyingly arrogant look.

“Are you going to try to tell me that you didn’t know Mr. Lee was opening a new restaurant not far from here; Ginger.”

He nodded. “Yes. I’d heard about that.” He chuckled deep in his throat.

“I fail to see what’s so funny.”

“It simply amuses me to see how low Lee can go. To accuse me of vandalizing his restaurant. How pathetic.”

“You simply can’t stand the competition, can you? So you have to keep him from opening. What are you really afraid of, Dad?”

“I’m not afraid of Lee.”

“Then what? What could possibly push you to do this?”

Errol King pounded his fist on the desktop and stood, his face red as he stared at me. “It would suit me fine to see all his restaurants destroyed. As a matter of fact, destroying the Lee family would be a pleasure as well.”

“How can you say that?”

He looked at me with hard eyes, his face even redder with anger. “Have you ever known them to be kind to their competition? No. They don’t mind at all. They don’t mind coming into a neighborhood and destroying their rivals. Don’t forget, Kobe.” He waved a stern finger at me. “Lee destroyed our dear friend’s Oyster House in Hong Kong.”

“Hong Kong?” I shot back. “Dad, the Oyster House had to close when China took over Hong Kong. They were unable to survive under the new government regulations. You just find it more convenient to blame Lee, just like you always do.”

He grunted.

“If a restaurant fails, you point to Lee. If a restaurant falters, it’s Lee. And if a restaurant is not the most successful of them all, you blame Lee.”

Another grunt.

“Dad, admit it. Lee had to close his Hong Kong restaurants as well when China took over. It affected all businesses.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Dad finally said. “Even before that, Lee was already getting all the business. If China hadn’t stepped in, Lee would have taken over Hong Kong.”

“Dad, do you hear yourself? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe it’s because he’s offering customers what they want? Have you ever considered that his restaurants might serve better food? Or that they are managed more efficiently? Have you ever thought of that... dear old Dad?”

“Don’t take that tone with me, young man. The only reason you go to this school and wear your fancy clothes and eat gourmet food is because I fought to make my restaurants a success.”

“Fine,” I said, raising my hands only to let them fall back and slap my thighs. “So, you worked hard. That still doesn’t excuse your...”

“Lee is an unscrupulous, underhanded, conniving lowlife,” Dad cut in. “I know him. He’ll do anything to win, to succeed and to demolish the competition.” He came around his desk to look me straight in the eye. “Lee is a worm who’ll befriend you only to stab you in the back. A relationship with him or his family will ruin a man.”

“But Katrina comes to this school; your school. Doesn’t that say something about the respect he has for the Errol King name? Why would he send his only child, the heir to his empire, to a school he didn’t respect? He wants the best for his daughter, and he knows that the best is here... right here at the Academy.”

Grunting, he turned away.

“Dad, be reasonable,” I said bringing my tone down to a calmer level.

“Keep away from that girl,” he said with a dismissive wave. “That Katrina Lee is trouble. Mark my words. She’ll only bring you misery.”

“I have kept away from her, Dad... and you know what? I’ve been miserable.”

He turned to me with a sardonic grin. “You don’t know misery, Kobe. My young boy, you don’t know what it is to have your heart trampled on, to learn that a girl is sweet on you just to get information for her dear old father. You stay away from her. Don’t associate with her. Don’t talk to her. Hell, don’t even look at her. Her family is out to destroy us, and I trust that you will do your part to keep that from happening.”

“But, Dad...”

“That’s all, Kobe.” He returned to his chair, sat down and punched a button on his phone to resume his call.