The dinner table was filled with the sound of clinking cutlery and occasional chatter, a comfortable atmosphere settling over the family. Evan, still basking in the luxurious memories of their trip, felt a faint sense of satisfaction at how well things had gone. But he wasn’t prepared for what came next.

  As Eleanor dabbed her lips with a napkin, Sienna set her fork down and leaned back slightly, her tone casual but her words loaded with intent.

  “By the way,” she began, her gaze sweeping across the table until it settled on Eleanor, “I wanted to tell you all about Evan’s contributions during our business trip.”

  Evan’s hand froze mid-reach for his water gss, and he blinked at her in surprise. Sienna’s sharp eyes flicked to him, a small, almost imperceptible smirk tugging at her lips as she continued.

  “Not only did he impress our partners during several meetings, but his insights and suggestions actually helped close some key deals. He was calm, observant, and contributed ideas when we were at an impasse. I was genuinely impressed.”

  Eleanor, who had been slicing into a piece of roast, paused and looked up, her expression softening in rare approval. “Is that so? That’s wonderful to hear, Evan.”

  Evan felt warmth spread through his chest at her words. He wasn’t used to praise, especially from Eleanor, whose standards were sky-high. “It wasn’t much,” he said quickly, his cheeks heating as he tried to downpy it. “I just… helped here and there.”

  “You’re being modest,” Sienna said with a teasing glint in her eyes. “You saved us during a particurly tricky negotiation with Solstice Power. It proved just how thoroughly you had done your prep.”

  Eleanor turned to him fully, her brow slightly raised. “I see. That’s impressive, Evan. I remember you asking me about this before this trip. I had my doubts at the time, but perhaps I underestimated you.”

  Before Evan could respond, Charles, his father, chimed in with a warm smile. “Evan, you’ve always had it in you. I knew you’d shine if you were given the right opportunity. I’m so proud of you, son.”

  The gentleness in Charles’s tone made Evan’s chest tighten. Charles had a way of making him feel genuinely supported, no matter the situation.

  “Thanks, Dad,” Evan murmured, his voice a bit unsteady.

  Before he could say more, Sienna stepped in smoothly. “I was thinking about that too, Mom. Evan’s shown a lot of potential, and I believe it’s time we give him a chance to develop it further. I’d like him to intern directly under me at Lancaster Energy.”

  Evan turned to her, startled. “Under you?”

  Sienna’s smile widened. “Yes, under me. It makes the most sense. As President, I oversee a lot of the company’s operations, and with my schedule, I can ensure you’re exposed to the most critical aspects of our work. Plus, I can personally guide you. You’d gain valuable experience.”

  Eleanor tilted her head thoughtfully. “Hmm. That’s a fair proposal, but wouldn’t this affect his studies?”

  Sienna had clearly anticipated the question. “I’ve already thought about that. He can start after his second semester ends. That way, it won’t interfere with his current coursework. Once his third semester begins, most students can apply for part-time internships anyway. This arrangement would align with his academic schedule.”

  Evan sat back, his mind spinning. On the surface, it sounded reasonable, even ideal. It was a great opportunity. But the idea of working directly under Sienna was… complicated. Would she be able to separate their personal life from work? Would he?

  Eleanor’s voice broke through his thoughts. “Well, Evan, how do you feel about this? It’s your decision.”

  Before Evan could answer, Charles interjected gently, his voice soothing. “Take your time, Evan. Don’t feel pressured. It’s important that you’re comfortable with this arrangement.”

  Evan looked at his father, appreciating the reassurance. He gnced down at his pte, his appetite suddenly gone. After a long pause, he sighed. “It… makes sense. The timing works, and it would give me hands-on experience. I’ll do it.”

  Charles beamed. “That’s my boy. You’ll do great, Evan. And remember, we’re all here to support you.”

  Sienna’s smile turned radiant, her excitement barely contained. “Perfect. I’m looking forward to having you on the team.”

  Eleanor nodded, her expression unreadable. “Good. If you’re sure about this, Evan, I trust you’ll take this opportunity seriously.”

  “I will,” he promised, though he couldn’t shake the faint apprehension brewing in his chest.

  Sienna reached under the table and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, her thumb brushing over his knuckles. “You’ll do great, just keep giving it your all,” she said softly, her voice just for him.

  "Actually, that reminds me..." She leaned slightly toward him, a trace of curiosity in her voice. "What about your robotics project? I know you’ve been spending a lot of time on it. Will you be able to juggle both?"

  Evan blinked at her, caught off guard for a second. Then, he exhaled through his nose, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Don’t worry about it. I’ve got everything pnned out."

  Sienna didn’t look entirely convinced, but after a beat, she gave a small nod. "Alright. Just making sure."

  Evan gave her a small smile, deciding that, despite his reservations, he’d give it his best shot. After all, this was a chance to prove himself—to his family, to Sienna, and to himself.

  ***

  The next day, in the club room,

  The hum of machinery and the faint smell of soldering irons filled the robotics club as Evan stepped inside. Finn was hunched over a workbench, a magnifying gss hovering above a circuit board he was working on. His soft brown hair flopped over his forehead as he fiddled with a soldering iron.

  Evan barely had time to drop his bag before Finn gnced up, a rare mischievous glint in his usually timid eyes. “Well, well, look who’s back from his week-long romantic getaway,” Finn said, drawing out the word with exaggerated emphasis.

  Evan groaned, knowing exactly where this was going. It felt strange hearing it phrased that way, like he was the one pying the role of the romantic partner. “I was gone for work, Finn. Work.”

  “Uh-huh,” Finn replied, setting his soldering iron aside and leaning back in his chair. “Sure, work. Because every business trip involves revenge pnning with your bestie.”

  Evan rolled his eyes but smirked despite himself. “You know what? I regret telling you anything. And for the record, your advice? Worst decision of my life.”

  Finn’s eyebrows shot up in mock surprise. “Wait, what?” he said, leaning forward, a sheepish grin creeping across his face. “Okay, hold on—how’s that my fault? You must’ve done it wrong.”

  Evan shook his head, biting back a ugh. “You told me to py hard to get, remember? ‘Make her work for it,’ you said. And like an idiot, I listened.”

  “And?” Finn prompted, his curiosity practically lighting up his face.

  “And let’s just say… the apple dangled in front of me, but I didn’t take a bite.” Evan sighed dramatically, flopping into a nearby chair. “Biggest regret ever. You’re officially banned from giving me advice.”

  Finn burst out ughing, the sound light and unrestrained, a stark contrast to his usually reserved demeanor. “Oh man. Pying hard to get wasn’t your style, huh? So… what happened after? Did she give you the cold shoulder or something?”

  Evan smirked. “Not exactly. She made up for it with a yacht date before we left. Private chef, spa, the whole nine yards.”

  Finn blinked, visibly impressed. “Okay, wow. That’s… a lot. I gotta admit, though, sounds like my advice kind of worked after all. Maybe you should trust me more.”

  “Not happening,” Evan shot back, shaking his head. “Your advice cost me dearly. Never again.”

  Finn chuckled, but his teasing tone softened. “I’m honestly surprised, though. I always thought Sienna was, like, all work, no py. I didn’t think she’d be the romantic yacht type.”

  Evan frowned slightly, a flicker of defensiveness sparking in his chest. He could feel the slight sting of embarrassment as he talked about Sienna. It wasn’t exactly “manly” to gush about her like this, but still... “She’s not just a workaholic, you know. Sure, she’s focused, but that’s one of the things I admire about her. She doesn’t half-ass anything. When she sets her mind to something, she goes all in. It’s… inspiring.”

  Finn raised his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, I get it. You’re smitten.” He hesitated, then added with a sheepish grin, “Honestly, I’m kind of jealous. Maybe I need to find myself a girlfriend like Sienna.”

  Evan chuckled, his smirk widening. “Good luck with that. She’s one of a kind, and I’m not sharing.”

  Finn ughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, I figured. Still, it must be nice having someone like that.”

  Evan nodded, a small smile pying on his lips. “It is. I mean, she’s intense, but she cares in her own way.”

  Finn smiled knowingly. “You’ve got it bad, man. But honestly, it’s kind of nice seeing you like this. You’re always defending her, and you actually light up when you talk about her. It’s almost a little… cute?”

  Evan hesitated for a second, suddenly feeling overly aware of how soft he must sound. His ears burned slightly. “Yeah, well… she’s special.”

  Finn gave him a knowing smile but didn’t push further. Instead, he shifted the conversation. “So, what else happened out there?”

  Evan leaned forward, recounting the highlights of the business trip—the meetings, the negotiations, and most importantly, Eleanor’s rare praise. Finn listened intently, his eyes wide with admiration.

  “Your mom, huh?” Finn said once Evan finished. “She sounds like a tough one. I bet she runs a tight ship at home too.”

  Evan chuckled. “I know, right? I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

  “Well, good for you,” Finn said sincerely, giving him a thumbs up. “Sounds like you’re killing it both at work and in your love life.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Evan muttered, brushing off the compliment but feeling a swell of pride.

  Finn gestured toward the workbench. “Speaking of killing it, we should get back to our little project. We’re running out of time.”

  Evan nodded, standing and moving over to the prototype they’d been working on. It was a sleek, minimalist design—something they hoped would appeal to investors as much as it did to potential customers. The robot was about knee-height, with a ft ptform on top for carrying items. Its sensors were neatly embedded into its body, and the natural nguage processing software had finally started responding consistently.

  “We’re setting a date to test the first usable version,” Finn said, pulling out a small notebook. “We’ve got a month and a half before the pitch. I’m thinking we test it a week from now?”

  Evan nodded, excitement bubbling in his chest. “Sounds good. We need to make sure it can handle real-world conditions, though. If it screws up even once during the pitch…”

  “I know,” Finn interrupted, his usual timidity repced by determination. “We’ll run it through every scenario we can think of. It’ll be perfect.”

  Evan grinned. “Perfect. Let’s do it.”

  The two of them exchanged a look, equal parts nervous and excited, before diving back into the work that y ahead.