Marco ordered his chief security guard to lock down every exit door in the entire mansion immediately.
No guest or staff member was allowed to leave the building until the police officers arrived.
Marco walked quickly down the long corridor that led directly toward the main commercial kitchen.
The cold storage room stood open at the far end of the stainless steel food prep area.
Lily held her mother’s hand tightly as she walked beside Marco to show him the exact location.
She pointed her finger toward a silver rack where the cakes had been kept before the party.
Marco: Did you see the man’s face clearly, Lily?
Lily: He wore a tall white hat, but he had a dark mark near his left eye.
Marco remembered seeing a new assistant pastry chef who matched that description earlier that afternoon.
The head chef walked out from the pantry with a look of pure panic on his face.
Head Chef: Mr. Moretti, I swear I had no idea anyone touched the birthday dessert!
Marco: Where is the new assistant you hired last week?
Head Chef: He said he felt sick and went to the basement storage room ten minutes ago.
Marco signaled his security guards to follow him down the narrow stairs leading below the kitchen.
The basement air was cool and smelled strongly of old cardboard boxes and cleaning supplies.
They found a white chef coat tossed carelessly on top of a plastic trash bin near the door.
Marco picked up the coat and found an empty glass vial tucked deep inside the front pocket.
The label on the small bottle showed clear signs of chemical warnings and danger symbols.
It was obvious the suspect had discarded his uniform so he could blend in with the guests.
Marco’s heart hammered against his chest as he realized how close his son came to disaster.
He knew the suspect had to still be inside the estate because the gates were fully locked.
He turned to his lead guard and gave strict instructions to search every single storage room upstairs.
Marco: Check the employee locker rooms and check every vehicle parked in the driveway!
The guards moved quickly while Marco walked back to the grand banquet hall to inspect the guests.
He needed to find out who hired the fake chef to attack his wealthy family.