Ava didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, she reached out and gently held Sienna’s hand.

Her grip wasn’t tight. But it was enough to stop Sienna completely.

The moment their eyes met, Sienna immediately noticed the change in Ava’s expression.

She looked serious. Far more serious than usual. And somehow, that alone made Sienna nervous.

"Sienna..." Ava began slowly, her voice quieter now, almost hesitant. "Why do I suddenly feel like... they fired Riley because he offended the HR Manager that day?"

The words landed heavily between them.

For a moment, Sienna simply stared at her. The memory resurfaced instantly when Riley interrupted the meeting—His bold and unhesitating way of raising his voice and confronting the HR Manager publicly clearly offended the HR Department.

At that time, she had only felt relief and gratitude. Because Riley had stepped forward when she and Mia needed help.

But now, she feels fear.

’No way...’

The thought slipped into her mind before she could stop it.

’Did they really fire him because of that?’

Her heartbeat tightened painfully as if guilt had suddenly wrapped itself around her ribs.

"Ava..." she murmured softly. Her voice sounded weaker now. "Why do I suddenly feel terrible?"

She lowered her gaze, unable to look directly at Ava anymore. Her thoughts felt tangled and chaotic.

"When Mia and I finally escaped Angie’s mess..." she continued slowly, each word growing heavier than the last, "Riley... the person who helped us... He ended up losing his job."

Her vision blurred slightly. She blinked quickly, forcing the tears away before they could form properly.

Ava looked equally troubled. The calm, composed woman who usually handled everything rationally now looked visibly upset. Her brows furrowed tightly, and her lips pressed together as if she was struggling to suppress her frustration.

"Sienna," Ava said quietly, "what do we do now?"

The question felt painfully difficult.

"Can we help him somehow?" Ava added.

Sienna tried to say something, but the harder she searched for words, the more helpless she felt.

And that frustrated her deeply.

Because Riley had always been the one who stepped forward first.

The one who protected people without hesitation.

The one who joked around constantly yet somehow always noticed when others were struggling.

And now, when he needed support, she had nothing to offer him.

Sienna exhaled slowly, forcing herself to calm down before her emotions spiraled further.

After several quiet moments, her thoughts finally settled enough for her to think more clearly again.

She lifted her head toward Ava.

"I’ll call Riley later," she said, her voice steadier now. "I need to know exactly what HR sent him."

Ava nodded immediately.

"Hmm. Okay. Call him," she agreed.

"I will."

Another brief silence followed before Sienna finally sighed softly.

"Alright..." she murmured tiredly. "Let’s go inside."

At this point, all she wanted was to go home and rest.

From morning until now, too many things have happened. Her mind felt exhausted, her body even worse.

...

Lakeside Garden.

Skylar paced back and forth across the spacious living room, his small footsteps muffled by the thick carpet beneath him.

Every few seconds, he would pause near the main entrance, stretching his neck slightly to see if his father had returned.

When nothing happened, he would let out an exaggerated sigh before turning around and pacing all over again.

For a six-year-old, his expression was unusually complicated. Worry lingered in his bright eyes, mixed with curiosity and impatience.

Yet beneath all of that was something impossible to hide entirely. This bubbling excitement made sitting still feel completely unbearable.

Suddenly, he stopped in the middle of the room.

His head turned sharply toward the corner where Arthur stood quietly beside the wall with his usual composed posture.

Skylar narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Arthur noticed the stare immediately and stepped forward without hesitation. "Young master, do you need anything?"

Skylar did not answer.

He simply continued staring at him.

Arthur cleared his throat softly before trying again. "Perhaps you would like to wait upstairs? Or maybe sleep—"

He stopped mid-sentence because Skylar had just given him a sharp, cold, and oddly intimidating look.

"You said..." Skylar began slowly, his tone unusually serious for his age, "Daddy will arrive."

Arthur straightened slightly. "Yes, young master."

"Then why," Skylar continued, crossing his arms in a manner that very obviously copied Zachary, "has he not arrived yet?"

Arthur paused briefly, holding back the urge to smile. The impatience in the child’s voice sounded far too genuine.

"Young master, please relax," Arthur said gently, with a reassuring smile, glancing at his watch. "It’s only been two minutes since I mentioned it, and by now, the master’s car should already be passing through the main gate."

Skylar sighed.

Two full seconds passed before he frowned again.

"Arthur," he declared with complete seriousness, "you have no idea how long two minutes is. Hint, it’s very long."

Arthur almost laughed at that, though years of professional discipline kept his expression perfectly calm. Sometimes the young master truly resembled Zachary so much it was frightening, especially when he looked displeased. The only difference was that one of them could still be distracted by funny cartoons and delicious snacks.

"For adults, it is not very long," Arthur explained patiently.

"Well," Skylar replied quickly, lifting his chin slightly, "I’m not an adult."

Arthur nodded once as if accepting defeat in a difficult debate. "That is true, young master."

Skylar looked mildly satisfied with himself.

"Then perhaps you should sit down while waiting," Arthur continued gently. "Otherwise, you may become tired before the master arrives."

Skylar turned to look at the sofa. Then back at Arthur. Then at the sofa again.

His expression became thoughtful, as if he were trying to decide whether sitting was an extremely important life choice.

"...Alright," he finally agreed, though his tone suggested Arthur should feel honored by his cooperation.

Then, just as Arthur thought the conversation was finished, Skylar suddenly added, "But can you bring me something to eat?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Young master, you already had dinner, and you are supposed to be in bed now."

"I know," Skylar answered immediately. "But now I’m hungry again."

Arthur studied him for a brief moment before nodding. "Very well."

Without another word, he turned and headed toward the kitchen, leaving Skylar alone in the large living room.