Chapter 6: The Price of a Stolen Dream
Marcus turned the tablet so Rochelle could see the screen.
The document was titled:
*FINALIST DEVELOPMENT AND SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT.*
Beneath the heading were two names.
Patrice Williams.
Simone Carter.
And a third name appeared in smaller print.
Amara Johnson.
Amara leaned forward.
"What is that?""
Marcus scrolled down.
"It appears to be a sponsorship arrangement connected to the competition's prize package.""
Rochelle examined the document.
"Read the relevant section.""
Marcus hesitated.
"According to this agreement, Simone would receive the full cash prize and the featured professional bakery placement. In exchange, Patrice's culinary company would receive a percentage of the future licensing revenue from the winning design.""
Amara looked at Simone.
"Licensing revenue?""
Simone didn't answer.
Rochelle continued reading.
"And Amara?""
Marcus scrolled farther.
"She's listed as a design consultant.""
Amara stared.
"A consultant?""
Marcus nodded.
"The document assigns her a fixed payment of five hundred dollars for the original design.""
Jordan let out a disbelieving laugh.
"Five hundred dollars?""
Amara looked at the wedding cake.
She had spent thousands of dollars on ingredients, equipment, and months of work.
They had assigned her five hundred dollars.
And they had planned to sell her design.
Patrice stepped forward.
"This is a preliminary business proposal. It isn't unusual for sponsors to discuss future arrangements.""
Rochelle raised an eyebrow.
"Using the name of a contestant who never agreed to participate?""
"I didn't prepare the entire document.""
"Did you approve it?""
Patrice paused.
"I reviewed it.""
"Did you sign it?""
Patrice's silence answered the question.
Amara looked at the screen.
"Who was supposed to receive the licensing money?""
Marcus scrolled down.
A company name appeared.
*WILLIAMS CULINARY GROUP.*
Patrice's company.
Amara slowly turned toward her.
"So you were going to sell my design.""
Patrice sighed.
"That's an oversimplification.""
"Then explain it.""
"Your cake had commercial potential. I recognized that.""
"And you decided to take it?""
"I decided to create an opportunity.""
"For Simone.""
"For both of you.""
Amara stared at her.
"You were paying me five hundred dollars for a cake that you intended to sell for years.""
Patrice raised her voice.
"You have no idea how expensive distribution, licensing, and professional representation can be!""
"Then you should have offered me a contract.""
"You weren't ready.""
Amara shook her head.
"That was my decision to make.""
For a moment, Patrice appeared genuinely angry.
Not embarrassed.
Not sorry.
Angry that Amara was challenging her.
"You think you can run a business because you know how to temper chocolate?""
Amara didn't respond.
Patrice stepped closer.
"I've spent thirty years building this industry. I know which people deserve opportunities. I know who can handle success and who will collapse the moment things become difficult.""
Amara looked at her.
"And you decided I wasn't worth the trouble.""
Patrice lifted her chin.
"I decided Simone was a better investment.""
Simone suddenly turned.
"Patrice, stop.""
Patrice ignored her.
"You should be grateful that anyone considered your work valuable enough to commercialize.""
Amara's eyes filled with tears.
But she didn't let them fall.
She thought about her mother sitting at their kitchen table, helping her count coins to buy her first professional mixer.
She remembered the night her mother had sold an old bracelet to help her pay for culinary school.
She remembered promising that one day she would build a bakery with her own name above the door.
And now someone was standing in front of her, explaining that her dream had become a business opportunity for someone else.
Amara took a breath.
"My mother used to tell me that nobody can steal the work I put into becoming who I am.""
Patrice rolled her eyes.
"Sentimental speeches won't change anything.""
"No," Amara said.
"But evidence might.""
Rochelle turned toward Marcus.
"Is there a way to verify whether this agreement was accepted electronically?""
Marcus checked.
"Yes. There are two approval records.""
"By whom?""
He scrolled.
"Patrice Williams and Simone Carter.""
Simone's face drained of color.
Rochelle looked at her.
"You signed this?""
Simone shook her head.
"I didn't understand what it was.""
Patrice snapped.
"Simone!""
Simone turned toward her mentor.
"You told me it was a standard sponsorship agreement.""
"It was.""
"You said Amara had agreed.""
"She had.""
"Then why did you tell me not to discuss it with her?""
Patrice went still.
The ballroom became painfully quiet.
Amara looked at Simone.
For the first time that evening, she saw something other than arrogance in the other woman's face.
Fear.
Simone looked at Rochelle.
"I thought the agreement was approved. Patrice told me Amara had accepted the payment.""
Amara shook her head.
"She never offered me five hundred dollars.""
Simone's voice cracked.
"She said you were happy to let me present the cake because you wanted to focus on your chocolate sculpture.""
Amara stared at her.
"That is a lie.""
Simone lowered her eyes.
Patrice moved between them.
"This is getting out of control.""
Rochelle looked at Marcus.
"Preserve those documents. I want the complete submission history sent to the competition's independent review committee.""
Marcus nodded.
"Understood.""
Then Rochelle addressed both women.
"Until this matter is reviewed, neither cake will be declared the winner tonight.""
A wave of shocked whispers moved through the audience.
Simone grabbed the edge of the table.
"What?""
Rochelle continued.
"This competition has rules concerning originality, authorship, and contestant consent. We cannot simply ignore documentation that raises questions about ownership.""
Patrice stepped forward.
"You cannot suspend an award based on allegations.""
"I'm not suspending an award based on allegations. I'm requesting an investigation based on documents submitted through the official competition system.""
Patrice's face turned red.
"You know what this will do to our reputations?""
Rochelle met her eyes.
"That depends on what the investigation finds.""
Amara looked at her chocolate sculpture.
She had entered the competition hoping to win.
Now the prize seemed almost irrelevant.
She wanted her name back.
She wanted the truth.
And she wanted the right to decide what happened to the work she had created.
Jordan approached her.
"You okay?""
Amara nodded.
"Almost.""
He glanced toward Simone.
"She's finally scared.""
Amara watched Simone whisper frantically to Patrice.
"She should be.""
Then Amara noticed something strange.
A woman in a gray suit had entered the ballroom through the side doors.
She carried a leather document case and spoke briefly with the event director.
The director immediately pointed toward Patrice.
The woman walked across the room.
"Ms. Williams?""
Patrice turned.
"Yes?""
The woman opened her case and removed a document.
"My name is Denise Walker. I'm representing the competition's principal sponsor.""
Patrice forced a smile.
"Of course. What can I do for you?""
Denise looked toward the two cakes.
Then she placed the document on the judging table.
"We received an anonymous complaint this afternoon regarding the removal of a contestant's original work.""
Patrice's smile disappeared.
Denise continued.
"Our sponsor has requested an immediate review of the security footage and the storage access records.""
Amara looked at the woman.
"Do you know who submitted the complaint?""
Denise nodded.
"We received it with a collection of photographs and a short video.""
She opened her case again.
"There is something else you should know.""
Rochelle leaned forward.
"What is it?""
Denise looked directly at Patrice.
"The footage appears to show that the cake wasn't the only thing removed from Amara's storage cabinet.""
Amara's heart began beating faster.
"What else was taken?""
Denise pulled out a printed inventory sheet.
"Your original design portfolio. Your production notebook. And a small envelope containing your preliminary competition samples.""
Amara went cold.
The samples had contained her experimental sugar-flower formulas.
Her handwritten recipes.
The exact measurements she had spent months perfecting.
Patrice looked away.
Simone whispered, "Oh, my God.""
Denise closed the document case.
"We need to speak with everyone who had access to that storage area.""
Then she turned toward Simone.
"Especially you.""
Simone looked at Patrice.
Patrice didn't look back.
And for the first time that night, Simone realized her mentor might not be able to protect her.
But before Denise could ask another question, the ballroom's large display screen suddenly changed.
A security video appeared.
The image was grainy.
The timestamp read October 28.
A figure entered the storage corridor pushing a metal trolley.
The figure stopped outside Amara's cabinet.
Then looked directly toward the security camera.
Rochelle leaned closer to the screen.
Amara stopped breathing.
Because the person in the footage wasn't Simone.
It wasn't Patrice.
May you like
It was someone Amara had trusted.
*And that person was carrying a key to her bakery.*
