After work, Sienna didn’t go straight home.

For once, she allowed herself to follow something simple, something normal. Dinner with friends. No reports. No meetings. No Angie. No problems she needed to solve.

Just... eat her comfort food with friends.

And maybe, if luck was on her side, a little peace.

The Corner Table Restaurant welcomed them with its usual warm lights and familiar atmosphere.

It felt almost comforting, like stepping into a place where nothing bad could happen, even if reality insisted otherwise.

They sat at their usual table, tucked near the window.

Mia sat beside Sienna, unusually quiet, while Riley took the seat across from them, already leaning forward like he was about to deliver a speech no one asked for.

Ava Parker, the head chef at Imperial Hotel and their unofficial emotional support system, joined them last, setting her bag down with a soft sigh.

"Mia darling, please, don’t stress yourself... Everything will be okay. The investigation won’t cause you any trouble. You need to cheer up, dear..." Ava said gently, her tone warm and steady, like someone who had seen enough chaos in the kitchen to know that panic never helped.

Riley nodded immediately, as if he had been waiting for his cue to enter the chat.

"True. True. What Ava said is true. No need to worry... I will help you and Sienna with this matter," he added confidently, puffing his chest slightly.

Mia slowly turned her head toward him. Instead of comfort, a sigh escaped her lips.

"Riley, can you stop saying that?" she said flatly. "Your words only give me false hope."

Riley gasped, clearly offended. "Hey, I’m not trying to give you false hope. Well, you just need to wait," he continued stubbornly, pointing at her as if making a promise. "Trust me! I will give you justice!"

"Justice...?" Mia repeated, her voice tired. "Even Angie said Benjamin can’t help Sienna. So, exactly how are you going to help us? With your witching charm?"

Riley placed a hand over his chest. "Sure. My charm is powerful, thank you very much."

Sienna rolled her eyes.

Ava smiles.

Mia narrowed hers. "And how will you help us? Tell me."

Riley opened his mouth. Paused. Then waved his hand dismissively. "Forget it. I won’t tell you. But trust me... You and Sienna won’t be fired!"

Mia stared at him for a long second. Then sighed again, clearly unconvinced.

"Alright, you both stop your cat fight and eat," Sienna finally cut in, her voice sharp enough to silence them instantly.

She shot them a look that clearly said: "I am one second away from leaving this table."

"I agreed to dine with you guys, not to get stressed again," Sienna added, her tone softer now, though still firm. "I just want to relax."

"What Sienna said is true," Ava chimed in, raising her glass with a small smile. "Let’s forget about work tonight. Eat, drink, and pretend we are normal people."

"That sounds fake," Riley muttered.

"Then pretend harder," Ava replied calmly.

That earned a small laugh, even from Mia.

And just like that, the tension eased... a little.

They talked about lighter things after that. A short trip out of town next weekend. Who would plan it? Who would probably cancel at the last minute, and everyone looked at Riley when that topic came up.

"Hey! Hey! I’m reliable," he protested.

"You once canceled a trip because your Grandma asked you to come to her house," Mia reminded him.

"That was important," he defended.

Sienna couldn’t help but smile.

For a moment, everything felt normal again.

By the time they finished, the restaurant was nearly empty. Once again, they were the last customers to leave.

Outside, the night air felt cooler, calmer.

"Riley, drive Mia straight home. Don’t go to the bar again! And don’t bring her to your apartment!" Ava warned.

Riley laughed. "Nice try, Ava. You made me laugh... No worries, I won’t—"

"Ava, I’m still sober now. I won’t drag him to the bar," Mia added with a small smile.

But that smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Sienna noticed.

Ava noticed.

Still, they didn’t say anything.

They simply waved as Riley’s car pulled away, the headlights fading into the distance.

"Let’s go," Sienna said quietly.

She and Ava walked side by side toward their apartment building. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable, just thoughtful.

They didn’t get to spend time like this often. Different departments. Different schedules. Life had a way of pulling them apart even when they lived under the same building.

After a few steps, Ava glanced at her. "Are you seriously alright?"

Sienna let out a small breath. "If I say I’m fine, it would sound like a lie, right?"

Ava smiled faintly and patted her back. "I’m sorry, my friend... for what happened to you and Mia."

"Thank you..."

"Everything will be fine. Just trust the HR investigation."

Sienna nodded slowly.

"I trust them. But I don’t trust Angie." She let out a dry laugh before continuing. "That woman already declared she wants to kick me out of the hotel. So she targeted me from the beginning. And Mia? Sadly, she got caught up in her malicious plan."

Ava’s expression hardened slightly. "She’ll get her karma."

"Yeah..." Sienna murmured. "I hope it arrives by express delivery."

That earned a soft laugh from Ava.

Soon, they reached the tenth floor.

"Bye, Ava... Good night..." Sienna stepped out of the elevator and walked lazily to her apartment.

She entered her apartment.

The door fully closed behind her with a soft click.

Silence greeted her.

She didn’t turn on the lights.

Instead, she kicked off her shoes, dropped her bag onto the sofa, and walked straight to the fridge.

She opened it and stared inside.

"...Where is my beer?"

But she found nothing.

"Wow, I can’t believe it! I really need to go grocery shopping soon."

Her eyes slowly shifted... landing on a lonely wine bottle sitting in the corner like it had been waiting for its moment.

Sienna narrowed her eyes on the wine bottle.

"Ugh! Not that wine again. Boring. Come on, there must be something else to drink," she muttered.

Five minutes later, she found herself sitting on the sofa by the window, a glass of wine in her hand, gazing at the city lights as if she were a character in a dramatic movie.

One glass led to another, then another, and before she knew it, she had lost count. The bottle was nearly empty. Her head felt heavy, yet her thoughts felt lighter.