Chapter 157: Well-deserved Break

Ethan drove steadily through the streets of Quincy District, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror.

Evelyn and Nora were seated in the back, but neither seemed particularly interested in their surroundings. Nora leaned against her mother’s side, staring out the window with a quiet expression, while Evelyn sat with her hands folded on her lap. The trial was over, and Cassie had received her punishment, yet the experience had clearly left an unpleasant feeling in their hearts.

Ethan understood. Even though they had won, it wasn’t exactly something worth celebrating.

He glanced at them again before speaking. "Evelyn, why don’t you search for some restaurants around here? Pick one you like. We’ll have lunch there."

Evelyn looked up in surprise. "A restaurant? Aren’t we going back to the shop?"

"Not today." Ethan kept his eyes on the road. "We’re taking the day off."

"But the shop—"

"Our three employees can manage it for one day." He interrupted gently. "Besides, you’ve been working almost every day. You deserve a break."

Evelyn hesitated. "But I still need to oversee the sales. There are things I usually take care of personally, and—"

"Evelyn." Ethan glanced at her through the mirror. "Take the day off."

She opened her mouth to argue again, only to find him giving her a calm but unmistakably firm look. After a few seconds, she sighed and leaned back in her seat.

"Fine. I’ll choose somewhere."

A faint smile appeared on Ethan’s face. "Good."

Evelyn took out her phone and began searching for restaurants in Quincy District. She browsed through a few options, checking their menus and locations before settling on a modest restaurant that wasn’t too far away.

"How about this one?" She asked, turning her phone slightly so Ethan could see the screen.

He took a quick glance at it when they stopped at a traffic light. "Looks good. Set the navigation."

Evelyn did as instructed, and Ethan followed the directions. They arrived a few minutes later, pulling up in front of a modest restaurant with a clean exterior and a simple sign above its entrance.

After parking, the three of them stepped out and entered the establishment.

It wasn’t particularly luxurious, but the interior was neat and comfortable. Several customers were already seated at the tables, enjoying their meals, while the smell of freshly prepared food filled the air.

Ethan found an empty table for his family and helped them settle down before heading to the counter to place their order.

A few minutes later, he returned and took the empty seat beside Evelyn. They didn’t have to wait long before a waiter arrived with their food, placing the dishes neatly on the table.

Nora immediately picked up her cutlery and took a bite.

Her eyes brightened. "Mmm! This is really delicious!"

Ethan raised an eyebrow, looking at his daughter with feigned displeasure. "Really? So you like their cooking that much?"

Nora paused, looking at him.

"Tell me something, Nora. Between my cooking and theirs, which one is better?"

She stared at him as though he’d just presented her with an impossible question. Her gaze shifted from her father’s face to the food in front of her, then back again.

Ethan folded his arms, waiting for an answer.

Nora narrowed her eyes at him before taking another bite. She chewed slowly, seemingly giving the matter some serious consideration.

After a few seconds, she finally answered, "Your cooking is better."

Ethan’s expression immediately brightened. "That’s more like it."

He reached over and gently patted her head, clearly satisfied with her answer.

Nora rolled her eyes, but she didn’t move away. Evelyn, who had been watching their exchange, couldn’t help smiling.

The sight of them gradually eased the heaviness she’d been carrying since the courtroom. For the first time that morning, she found herself relaxing without constantly thinking about what had happened.

Their meal continued with a much lighter atmosphere. Ethan occasionally reached over and stole a piece of food from Evelyn’s plate, something she initially tolerated with nothing more than a wry smile.

However, after the third or fourth time, she finally turned to him.

"Do you not have enough food on your plate?" She asked, looking at the growing number of missing pieces.

Ethan glanced at his own meal. "I do."

"Then why are you eating mine?"

He shrugged innocently. "Yours looks better."

Evelyn stared at him for a moment before quietly reaching over and taking a sizeable portion from his plate.

Ethan looked down at the missing food, then turned toward her.

"Hey."

"What?" Evelyn asked, looking perfectly innocent as she continued eating. "Yours looks better."

Nora burst into a fit of giggles.

Ethan shook his head, pretending to be offended, while Evelyn’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. Before long, the two of them were stealing food from each other’s plates, much to Nora’s amusement.

By the time they finished eating, the atmosphere around their table had changed considerably. The courtroom was no longer the only thing occupying their minds, and Evelyn looked noticeably more relaxed.

Ethan paid the bill before returning to the car with his family.

They drove toward their district, and the journey passed quietly. This time, however, the silence wasn’t nearly as gloomy as before. Nora occasionally chatted with her parents, while Evelyn leaned comfortably against the seat.

About twenty minutes later, they arrived home.

Ethan drove into the compound and parked the car before the three of them got out. They made their way upstairs toward their apartment, with Nora walking slightly ahead of her parents.

As they climbed the stairs, Evelyn suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, Ethan. What are you planning to do with the other two apartments?"

He blinked. "The other two apartments?"

"Yes. Are you going to put them up for rent, or do you have something else in mind?"

Ethan stopped for a moment before bringing a hand to his forehead.

’Right. Those apartments.’

He had completely forgotten about them.

After everything that had happened recently, the matter had slipped his mind. He had purchased the property, but hadn’t actually decided what to do with the remaining apartments.

"You’re right. I almost forgot about them." He chuckled at himself. "I’ll probably put them up for rent. There’s no reason to leave them empty."

Evelyn nodded. "That’s what I thought."

"We’ll look into it later. There’s no rush."

They soon reached their apartment and entered.

After changing into more comfortable clothes in the bedroom, Ethan returned to the living room with Nora. Evelyn, meanwhile, headed toward the balcony with a small watering can, following her usual routine of tending to the flowers.

Ethan settled onto the sofa beside his daughter and switched on the television.

A WWE wrestling match was already underway.

Nora immediately became engrossed in the action, her eyes following the wrestlers as they exchanged blows in the ring. Whenever one of them performed an impressive move, she would lean forward excitedly, sometimes even clapping her hands.

"Look! Look at that!" She exclaimed when one wrestler lifted his opponent and slammed him onto the mat.

Ethan glanced at the television and nodded absentmindedly.

"Impressive."

However, his attention was no longer on the match.

A translucent interface had appeared in front of him, floating quietly in his field of vision.

[You have received Serenity Palm Technique. Claim?]