“Pick that up from the floor right now!” — the manager shouted to the waitress, but the entire restaurant stopped when the woman took her apron off and said: “you’re fired.”…..

Mr. Gozon’s expression darkened. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Mia said nothing. She slowly untied the apron from her waist—no anger, no rush—and laid it gently over the broken plate.

A ripple of whispers spread across the dining room.

“What is this?” Gozon hissed. “Have you lost your mind?”

Mia met his eyes. For the first time since stepping into Le Ciel, she did not bow. She did not flinch.