Chapter 14

Total, unmitigated chaos descended upon the studio.

The sound of the audience's outrage was a physical force, a tidal wave of shouting and jeering directed squarely at the stage. The judges stood frozen, staring at the looping security footage of Sienna’s burning hands.

"You left her

Chapter 15

Six months later.

The air inside the kitchen of *Phoenix* was thick with the scent of roasted garlic, seared scallops, and the rich, complex depth of reducing veal stock. It wasn't a sterile, stainless-steel laboratory designed for television cameras. It was a living, breathing ecosyst