Chapter 254: The Future

Sienna glanced at Ava before smiling again.

"We decided that we will join forces and open both a restaurant and a café."

"But," Ava quickly added with a laugh, "nothing is finalized yet."

"Yes, that’s true. We’re still discussing the details of this venture," Sienna explained. "The concept, the location, the budget, and we even get down to nitty-gritty... so pretty much everything to make it happen."

Riley looked genuinely interested. His earlier doubts were temporarily forgotten as he leaned forward slightly. "A restaurant and a café together? In the same building?"

Sienna nodded. "That’s the idea."

"What kind of concept are you thinking about?" he asked.

That simple question immediately sparked another lively discussion.

Sienna and Ava excitedly shared the ideas they had been collecting over the past few days. They talked about creating a warm, comfortable place where people could enjoy both good food and freshly brewed coffee. They wanted the atmosphere to feel welcoming, somewhere families, couples, and friends could spend hours without feeling rushed.

Mia quickly joined the brainstorming session.

"You should have a signature dessert," she suggested enthusiastically. "Something people will come back for."

"And seasonal menus," Riley added thoughtfully. "That gives customers something new to look forward to every few months."

Ava nodded enthusiastically. "I like that."

Sienna smiled as she listened to everyone’s suggestions. "What about having an open kitchen?" Mia continued. "People love watching chefs cook."

Riley smiled.

"And make sure the coffee is as good as the food. A lot of restaurants forget that."

Sienna laughed.

"Looks like we’ve accidentally gathered our first group of consultants."

"Free consultants," Mia corrected proudly.

"Exactly," Riley added with a grin. "Just remember us when your restaurant becomes famous."

The four of them laughed together.

The conversation flowed naturally from one idea to another. They discussed interior designs, menu themes, customer experience, and even possible names for the restaurant. Every suggestion inspired another, making the discussion more exciting with each passing minute.

None of them noticed how much time had passed.

Their dinner slowly disappeared from their plates while their conversation continued without interruption, filled with laughter, ideas, and playful debates.

For Sienna, it was the perfect ending to an unforgettable day.

She had said goodbye to the career she had built for years, reconciled with Zoey, shared one of the biggest secrets of her life with her closest friends, and now found herself talking excitedly about a future she never thought she would have.

...

Meanwhile, at the Phoenix Building...

Kevin Richardson stared sharply at Zachary with a mixture of amusement and patience. He had been convinced they would be spending the evening at an upscale restaurant or an exclusive country club. Instead, the four of them were sitting in Ethan Hall’s office at Phoenix Group, sharing pizza and cold beer simply because the building was only a few minutes away from The Corner Table Restaurant.

It had been a long time since the four of them had gathered in Ethan’s office like this. The place held plenty of memories from when they had first started building their own businesses, often working late into the night while eating cheap takeout and arguing over impossible ideas.

Compared to those days, today’s pizza felt almost nostalgic.

Kevin, however, clearly didn’t share that feeling.

"I seriously can’t believe you did this to us, Zach," he complained, shaking his head before glaring at the pizza box on the coffee table as though it had personally offended him.

Zachary slowly raised an eyebrow. He studied Kevin’s exaggerated expression for a moment before asking calmly, "Did what?"

Kevin looked at him with disbelief. "You invited us to celebrate something."

"I did."

"And I thought we’d be eating wagyu steak."

"You thought wrong."

Kevin let out a dramatic sigh.

"I even skipped lunch."

Scott burst into laughter. "That’s your own fault, Man..."

Kevin ignored him and picked up a can of cold beer. He opened it with a soft click before taking a long sip. "I’ve been emotionally betrayed."

Ethan, who was sitting beside Zachary, looked at Kevin before turning toward the others.

"Should we order him a candle so he can properly mourn this pizza?"

Scott almost choked on his drink.

Kevin rolled his eyes. "You people have no sympathy."

"We do," Ethan replied with a straight face. "Just not for someone complaining about free food."

"You are the CEO of a big company, Kev; buy delicious food yourself," Scott added teasingly.

Zachary couldn’t hide his laugh at hearing that.

After teasing Kevin, Ethan leaned back comfortably on the sofa as Scott reached for a bunch of Shine Muscat grapes from the fruit platter.

Scott casually popped one into his mouth before looking at Zachary. "By the way," he asked, "how’s my sister-in-law’s wound? Has it healed completely?"

The smile disappeared from Zachary’s face. He let out a slow breath.

"The wound has healed," he answered quietly. "But there’s still a scar."

Scott’s expression immediately became more professional. "I see."

Zachary looked directly at him. "You need to do something about it."

Although Zachary’s voice remained calm, it sounded more like an instruction than a request.

Scott didn’t seem offended. Instead, he nodded thoughtfully.

"I already expected you’d ask me about that." He crossed his hands over his chest before continuing. "The scar can definitely be improved, but it’ll take time. Skin doesn’t heal overnight, especially the kind of injury she suffered."

"How long?"

"A few months at least," Scott answered. "Maybe longer, depending on how her skin responds."

Zachary listened carefully. "What should she do?"

"I’ll prepare a treatment plan," Scott explained. "We’ll start with medical scar therapy. If necessary, we can move on to laser treatment later, but only after the skin has healed completely."

"Will the scar disappear?"

Scott smiled reassuringly. "I can’t promise it’ll disappear one hundred percent, but I can promise her skin will look so smooth to normal human eyes that no one will notice it; even to you, if you look at it in a flash."

That answer was enough for Zachary. "Good. I don’t care how much it costs," he said without hesitation. "As long as the scar is healed and invisible."

Kevin laughed quietly. "Only you could make cosmetic treatment sound like negotiating a billion-dollar contract."

Scott smiled. "Remember, we’re talking about the human body here; throwing more money at it won’t make the skin heal faster."

Everyone laughed again.

"Unfortunately," Scott continued with a grin, "medicine still listens to biology, not your bank account."

Even Zachary smiled at that. "Fine," he admitted. "Just make sure she gets the best treatment."

"You have my word, man!"

After finishing the topic, the atmosphere remained relaxed as the four friends continued joking while finishing the pizza.

Not long after, Zachary’s phone vibrated on the coffee table. He glanced at the screen. A smile immediately appeared.

Without hesitation, he answered the call. "My wife..."

"Hi, my love." Sienna’s gentle voice came through the speaker. "We’re done with dinner."

"Perfect," Zachary replied. "Stay there. I’m coming to pick you up."

"Okay. Drive safely."

"I will."

After ending the call, Zachary stood and picked up his suit jacket.

"I have to go."

Kevin looked at him knowingly. "Of course you do."

Scott laughed. "He’s officially become the first one to leave every gathering."

"I’m married," Zachary replied calmly.

The room filled with laughter once again.

Before leaving, Zachary looked at his three closest friends. "Oh, one more thing."

The others looked at him.

"In a few weeks, we’ll be celebrating Skylar’s birthday," Zachary said. A warm smile crossed his face. "Sienna and I will send you the invitations, so make sure you’re all free."

Kevin smiled. "I wouldn’t miss my favorite little guy’s birthday."

"Neither would I," Scott added.

Ethan nodded. "We’ll be there."

Satisfied, Zachary gave them a small wave.

"See you later."

Without waiting any longer, he left Ethan’s office and headed straight for The Corner Table.