Chapter 277: Skylar’s Birthday (5)

Riley also walked over and joined them, looking just as curious.

"Have Mia and Ava arrived?" he asked.

Sienna nodded as the three of them began walking toward the birthday hall.

"Hmm. They’re already there."

Riley immediately smiled, clearly excited to meet them. At the same time, Sienna felt equally happy that two of the people closest to her had finally arrived and were about to meet her son.

When they arrived at the party hall, Sienna immediately spotted Ava and Mia sitting together, enjoying tea and the snacks being served by the waiters. The sight of her friends made her smile widen as she walked toward them, and at the same time, Ava happened to glance in their direction.

Ava’s eyes lit up as soon as she recognized them. She raised her hand and waved happily. "Sienna, Riley..." Her greeting stopped halfway when her gaze shifted to Skylar.

Sienna didn’t need anyone to explain what had caught her attention. The mixture of shock and delight on Ava’s face said enough.

Not only Ava... But Mia, who was usually cheerful and quick to say something, went through the same sudden change. She stared at Skylar for a moment, looking as though she had forgotten what she had been about to say.

Neither of them seemed able to take their eyes off her son.

"Mommy..." Skylar called softly, tightening his hand around hers, and his step stopped. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

Sienna paused before reaching the seating area and leaned down to get a clearer view of his face. He appeared a little unsure, and she sensed he was aware of the attention he was drawing.

"Yes, sweetheart? Is there something bugging you?" She asked.

Skylar looked up at her. After leaning closer to her, he lowered his voice and whispered, "Yeah. A bit. Why is the aunty looking at me like that...? Like they wanted to bite me."

Sienna had to hold back a smile. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him. She knew how picky her son could be when it came to meeting new people, and the last thing she wanted was for him to feel uncomfortable around her best friends.

"Sweetheart, it’s because they’re amazed by how gorgeous you are," she explained softly. "They already wanted to meet you when they learned I had a son as smart and handsome as you."

Skylar’s eyes immediately brightened. "Really?"

"Yes." Sienna nodded before straightening. "All right, let’s go greet the aunties."

Skylar seemed satisfied with her explanation, and the three of them continued toward the seating area.

Sienna and Riley had expected Skylar to need some time to adjust to Ava and Mia. They had both been prepared for him to stay close to them or remain quiet around people he had never met before. Instead, they were pleasantly surprised when Skylar seemed to settle in almost naturally.

Mia, especially, seemed to have a way of bringing him out of his shell. Her love for photography gave them something easy to talk about, and Skylar quickly became comfortable discussing his first exhibition with her. He spoke more freely than Sienna had expected, answering Mia’s questions and even sharing some of his own thoughts about photography.

Ava had also managed to find her own way into the conversation, especially when the topic turned to food. Before long, Skylar was comfortably chatting with both women as though he had known them for a while.

Sienna and Riley could only exchange a look of complete disbelief.

Neither of them had expected this.

Instead of worrying about how Skylar was adapting, they simply let him continue talking with Ava and Mia. At the same time, they started a conversation of their own.

Riley soon brought up the business Sienna had been planning to start in the near future, a restaurant and café.

"Have you found a good place for the business yet?" he asked.

Sienna’s thoughts immediately returned to the matter. She had considered a few options, including the building and property Zachary had given her. However, she still needed to discuss the details with Ava before making any decision.

"Not yet," she answered. "I have a few options, but I still need to look into them properly."

"If you still haven’t found one, I have a few strategic places you can rent," Riley offered. "You don’t have to worry too much about the price. I can give you a friend price."

"A friend price?" Ava suddenly chimed in.

Her attention had apparently been drawn away from her conversation with Skylar, and she looked at Riley with an expression that was both curious and serious.

"Yes." Riley glanced at her.

"How much?"

"Twenty percent discount?"

Ava stared at him for a moment before chuckling. "Landlord, please. That’s not a friend price."

Riley couldn’t help laughing. He leaned slightly toward her, clearly entertained by the challenge in her expression. "My future tenant, how much do you want?"

"Free for five years."

Riley nearly choked. "What? That sounds like you are trying to rob me."

Ava grinned.

Sienna immediately shook her head, amused by Ava’s shameless demand. She had known her friend long enough to know that Ava would always take an opportunity to push her luck, especially when someone offered her a discount.

"You are so heartless, Ava," Riley said, shaking his head with a smile.

"Why? You asked me how much I wanted," Ava replied, looking completely unbothered by his reaction.

Before the negotiation could become even more ridiculous, Sienna stepped in.

"Don’t worry, Ava. I already have a building. We can use that," she said.

Ava turned toward her, while Riley also looked at Sienna with mild surprise.

"You do?" Ava asked.

Sienna nodded. "Yes. I’ll tell you about it later."

That was enough to shift their attention back to the matter at hand. They continued discussing the restaurant and café for several more minutes, talking about the location, the kind of space they needed, and the practical details of getting the business started.

Sienna listened carefully, occasionally sharing her thoughts, while Riley offered his advice based on his own experience.

They became so absorbed in their conversation that none of them noticed when Arthur entered the hall with three men.