Chapter 243: Don’t Doubt Yourself!

After another sip of juice, Sienna asked, "Ava, what are your plans after you get married? Are you continuing to work at Imperial, or helping your husband’s business?"

Ava gently shook her head. "No, his business isn’t related to my skill. But I’ve actually been thinking about opening my own restaurant. I’m tired of being that new chef teacher."

Sienna looked surprised. She didn’t expect Ava to also plan to resign from the Imperial Hotel and build a new restaurant. "Really?"

"Yeah. It’s always been my dream," Ava said, her eyes brightening.

"So what’s stopping you?"

Ava didn’t answer right away; she seemed to be thinking of the right words. After she sipped her wine, she finally said, "I’m still looking for the right business partner."

Before Sienna could say something, Mia suddenly smiled. "Why don’t you ask Sienna? I believe she now has so much money for investing...right, Sienna?"

Both women turned toward her.

Sienna blinked in surprise. "Me...?"

They both nodded.

"Well, I do have some money to invest, you know," Sienna said, smiling slightly as she remembered Zachary’s generous wedding gift. "But I honestly don’t think I can see myself as a businesswoman..."

"What? Don’t doubt yourself! You must try it," Mia continued. "You have an excellent understanding of hotel operations, Ava knows a lot about food, and both of you work well together."

Sienna had never seriously thought about starting a business before. Yet hearing Mia say it aloud unexpectedly planted the idea in her mind.

If she truly resigned from Imperial Hotel, would opening her own business be possible?

She looked at Ava before smiling. "That’s actually a good idea..."

Ava’s eyes lit up immediately. "Sienna, are you seriously wanting to become my partner?"

Sienna couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. She had not yet decided, but Ava’s reaction suggested she accepted the idea.

Now, she was tangled. How could she ignore Ava’s hopeful gaze?

"Ugh, Ava, we can talk about it later," Sienna smiled.

"I’d love that."

Sienna nodded. "So would I."

The conversation continued naturally as dessert arrived. They shared a chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, fresh fruit, and tiramisu. Ava and Mia finished the bottle of red wine while Sienna stayed with fruit juice, laughing as they continued chatting about old memories and future plans.

Before any of them realized it, the clock on the wall had reached eight o’clock.

Just then, Sienna’s cell phone vibrated inside her handbag.

She took it out and smiled when Zachary’s name appeared on the screen.

"Hello, honey."

"I’m downstairs," Zachary said warmly. "I’m already in the parking lot."

"You came yourself?" She asked, thinking he was still in his dinner meeting.

"Of course."

She couldn’t help smiling. "I’ll be right there."

After ending the call, she looked apologetically at her two friends.

"Mia, Ava... I’m sorry, I have to go now." Sienna smiled apologetically at them, then playfully added, "My chauffeur has arrived."

Mia laughed. "Sienna, your chauffeur has the surname Sterling." She teased.

"And he drives a Rolls-Royce," Ava added teasingly.

Sienna laughed, shaking her head. "I’ll see you both tomorrow. Bye, bye..."

The three women hugged before saying goodbye.

Sienna hurried through the restaurant and took the elevator to the parking area.

Waiting near the entrance was a familiar black Rolls-Royce. Logan stood beside the open rear door, already waiting for her arrival.

"Good evening, Ma’am," Logan greeted politely.

"Good evening, Logan."

She thanked him before quickly slipping into the back seat beside Zachary.

The moment she settled into her seat, Zachary reached for her hand without hesitation, gently intertwining his fingers with hers. His eyes searched hers for a moment.

"Did you enjoy your dinner with your friends?" he asked with a warm smile.

Sienna returned the smile and squeezed his hand lightly.

"Hmm, I did. We talked about work, laughed a lot, and even started discussing wedding plans."

"Oh?" Zachary responded, his eyebrow slightly raised.

"Ava’s getting married at the end of the year. Well, November, to be exact."

"That’s wonderful."

"I also promised to give her a honeymoon trip as my wedding gift."

Zachary smiled. "That sounds like something you’d do."

"Thanks to the money you gave me."

Zachary said nothing. Instead, he leaned in and kissed her.

And then—

They continued talking as Logan quietly drove away from the restaurant.

For a while, Sienna looked genuinely relaxed as she leaned her back against the seat.

But as the city lights passed outside the window, the warmth on her face slowly faded. Her smile disappeared, and her eyes became distant.

Zachary noticed the change immediately. His thumb gently brushed across the back of her hand.

"What happened?" He asked in concern.

Sienna lowered her gaze for a few seconds before looking back at him.

There was hesitation in her eyes, but she knew she couldn’t keep the conversation with Zoey to herself any longer.

She took a quiet breath before asking softly, "Zach... do you think I should resign from the Imperial Hotel?"

Sienna’s question caught Zachary completely off guard.

He turned toward her and leaned a little closer, trying to see her expression more clearly in the dim light inside the Rolls-Royce. The city lights outside flashed through the windows every few seconds, briefly illuminating her face before fading again. Even in the shifting light, he could see the emotions she was trying so hard to hide.

There was worry in her eyes.

There was hesitation.

And beneath both of them was a sadness that immediately unsettled him.

He knew his wife well enough to recognize that this wasn’t a decision she had reached on her own. Sienna loved her work. She had always taken pride in it, and she never complained about the long hours or the responsibility. If she was suddenly talking about resigning, someone had planted the idea in her mind.

For Zachary, it wasn’t difficult to guess who that person was.

’Did Zoey ask her to resign?’

The thought crossed his mind, and his expression grew colder. He silently pushed down the irritation rising inside him. No matter how upset he felt, he didn’t want his anger to frighten Sienna. Right now, his priority was understanding what had happened.

Still holding her hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze before speaking in a calm voice.

"My wife," he said softly, "why do you want to resign?"

Sienna looked at him and forced a small smile.

"Because I want to spend more time with our son."