Chapter 102: Should I Reply, Or Ignore It?

Zachary slipped the phone into his pocket, already deciding to ignore whatever came next.

But before he could—

His cell phone vibrated.

He paused for a split second before he slowly pulled it back out.

And there it was, her reply on the screen.

"I’m at The Virelle Lounge. My best friend is having a party with free food and drinks. How about you?"

Zachary stared at the message, his eyes lingering on each word longer than he intended.

’Virelle Lounge... So she was here too.’

He leaned back slightly, his mind running through options he didn’t want to admit he was considering.

’Should I reply or ignore...!? Wait! Why are you even confused about it?’

For a man who always made business decisions without hesitation, this felt needlessly complicated.

"...Ridiculous," he murmured.

Without giving himself more time to think, his fingers moved.

"I will drive you home. Call me when you are done."

He pushed the send without hesitation.

Zachary froze for a second after the message left his phone. Then he exhaled slowly, lowering the device.

"...Unbelievable," he muttered.

Across the room, Kevin noticed the subtle shift and smirked. "Zach, who are you texting?" he asked casually.

Scott glanced over as well, his sharp eyes catching more than Kevin’s playful curiosity.

Zachary didn’t look at them. "No one," he replied randomly.

Ethan laughed immediately. "That’s never true."

Kevin leaned forward, clearly interested. "Let me guess," he said. "A woman?"

Zachary picked up his wine again. "No."

Scott raised a brow. "...That means yes."

Zachary continued to ignore them. But the faintest tension in his expression gave him away more than words ever could.

The room settled back into a comfortable silence as no one spoke. Only the soft sounds of jazz drifted from the hidden speakers above them, blending with the low clink of wine glasses and the faint scent of expensive whiskey in the air.

Yet despite the peaceful atmosphere, Zachary could still feel the unmistakable weight of three very judgmental stares fixed directly on him.

He leaned back against the couch and looked at them one by one, already knowing none of them would let him escape easily. Kevin was grinning like a menace, Ethan looked seconds away from laughing, and Scott wore the calm expression of someone preparing emotional blackmail.

Zachary let out a tired breath through his nose before finally surrendering.

"It’s Sky," he admitted casually, swirling the wine in his glass. "He asked me to go home."

Scott immediately nodded. "Ah..." he said with exaggerated wisdom, "little Sky... He’s always so protective of his daddy."

Kevin snorted into his drink before pointing at Zachary with complete seriousness, a look that fooled absolutely nobody. "You know, Zach, you need to invite us over. We need to meet our little Big Boss."

Ethan nearly choked on his wine at that. "Kevin," he said between laughs, "don’t call little Sky that. If the kid hears you once, he’s going to cling to the title forever. Then none of us will survive."

"Too late. The boy already likes me." Kevin said while placing a hand over his chest. "This Uncle Kevin even made a solemn vow to take care of him if his daddy ever—" He stopped abruptly.

Zachary’s sharp glare cut across the table like a thrown knife.

Kevin raised both hands immediately in surrender. "Alright, alright. I’m joking. Look at you. One mention of tragedy and suddenly I’m fighting for my life."

"You should be," Zachary muttered flatly.

Scott chuckled lightly as he leaned back comfortably. "Still, Kevin’s technically not wrong." He gestured lazily between himself, Ethan, and Kevin. "The three of us are basically Sky’s godfathers at this point."

"Unfortunately," Ethan added dryly.

Scott completely ignored Zachary’s sharp gaze. "So naturally, if anything ever happens to you, we’ll step in."

Kevin nodded with absurd confidence. "I’d teach him how to charm people properly."

"And get him banned from five countries before middle school," Ethan replied.

"I would teach him survival skills," Scott declared. "And how to treat life-threatening injuries and pain."

Ethan looked horrified. "Scott, seriously, survival skills? I remember you once burned instant noodles."

"That was just one time," Scott corrected him.

"It was impressive, honestly," Kevin added thoughtfully. "The microwave was smoking like a car in a drag race."

Scott looked offended. "You people never let anything go."

"That’s because your failures are entertaining," Ethan answered without hesitation.

For the first time that evening, Zachary found himself laughing quietly under his breath. It wasn’t loud, but it was enough for the others to notice immediately.

Kevin pointed at him dramatically, as if he’d spotted a rare magical creature in the wild. "Oh my God," he gasped. "He smiled. Write this date down."

"Quick," Ethan added, equally serious. "Someone check if hell froze over."

Zachary rolled his eyes, though a faint amusement still lingered on his face. "You guys are too much!"

"And yet here you are, still hanging out with us..." Scott replied before laughing.

Kevin cleared his throat again and no longer felt like teasing Zachary. He leaned forward slightly before finally asking, "So, are you heading home now?"

The question softened the atmosphere a little. Zachary sighed quietly and glanced at his phone resting beside his glass.

In truth, he did not particularly want to leave yet. Nights like this have become rare lately, especially with everyone’s schedules constantly colliding.

But he has already promised to drive Sienna home, and he doesn’t want his friend to see her. Not now, or the three of them will make her cry with their over-the-top antics.

The thought alone was enough to pull him away from the comfort of the lounge.

"I’ll arrange another gathering soon," Zachary said as he stood from his seat and reached for his suit.

Ethan waved a dismissive hand. "No worries, man. We understand."

"Yeah," Scott added with a grin. "Go home already. Don’t make my little nephew wait."

Kevin lifted his wine glass toward him, smiling playfully. "Tell our tiny Big Boss his favorite uncle misses him."

"Kev, you are absolutely not his favorite uncle."

"That sounds like jealousy."

Ignoring the immediate argument that followed, Zachary shook his head with quiet amusement before turning toward the door.

By the time he stepped out of the lounge, his phone was already pressed against his ear as he made a call.