2026-07-31 07:01:25Sophia stared at Ethan.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out.
She slowly turned to Manager Lewis.
Then back to Ethan.
Finally, she pointed at him.
“You…”
“…own this restaurant?”
Ethan smiled awkwardly.
“I was planning to tell you.”
She blinked.
“When?”
He scratched the back of his head.
“Eventually.”
Sophia couldn’t help laughing.
“I asked if you wanted to have lunch, and you didn’t think that was an important detail?”
“I didn’t think it mattered.”
“It doesn’t matter?”
She folded her arms and pretended to be upset.
“I’ve been talking to the owner of Golden Spoon this whole time without knowing it.”
Manager Lewis chuckled quietly.
He had never seen Ethan look this relaxed.
Most businessmen who came here acted proud and arrogant.
Ethan was different.
He spoke to everyone the same way.
Whether they were customers, waiters, or managers.
Sophia looked around the luxurious restaurant again.
“So…”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Are you… really rich?”
Ethan paused for a second.
Technically…
He was.
But only because of the system.
“I’m doing alright.”
Sophia laughed.
“‘Doing alright’ doesn’t usually include owning a restaurant.”
Before Ethan could answer, Lewis stepped forward.
“Mr. Cole, your private dining room is ready.”
Ethan nodded.
“Thank you.”
Lewis turned toward Sophia with a polite smile.
“Please follow me, Miss Bennett.”
“I…”
Sophia hesitated.
“I don’t think I belong in a private dining room.”
“Why not?”
She looked down at her simple dress.
“I’ve never been in one before.”
Ethan smiled.
“There’s a first time for everything.”
She looked into his eyes.
There wasn’t even the slightest trace of arrogance in them.
He wasn’t trying to show off.
He was simply inviting her to lunch.
After a few seconds, she nodded.
“Okay.”
“I’ll join you.”
…
The private dining room was spacious and elegant.
A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.
The large windows overlooked the city.
Fresh flowers decorated the center of the table.
Sophia carefully pulled out her chair.
She looked around in amazement.
“This room is beautiful.”
Ethan smiled.
“It’s my first time here too.”
She laughed.
“Really?”
“I only became the owner today.”
Her eyes widened again.
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“So everything that’s happened today…”
“…is new to you?”
“Pretty much.”
She shook her head.
“What a crazy day.”
A waiter entered with two menus.
“Mr. Cole.”
“Our executive chef would like to prepare today’s special for you.”
Ethan looked at Sophia.
“What do you think?”
She smiled.
“I trust your chef.”
The waiter bowed slightly.
“I’ll let the kitchen know.”
A few minutes later, drinks were served.
Sophia picked up the glass of orange juice.
“I still can’t believe this.”
“What?”
“You saved me this morning.”
“Now you’re buying me lunch.”
“And I just found out you own one of the best restaurants in the city.”
She smiled.
“It feels like I’m in a movie.”
Ethan laughed.
“My life has felt like a movie today too.”
If only she knew how true that was.
…
Meanwhile…
Inside Barnes’ office…
Barnes slammed another folder onto his desk.
His face was full of frustration.
“Damn it!”
He couldn’t understand it.
Everything had gone according to plan.
He had challenged Ethan.
He had expected him to fail.
Instead…
Ethan had won over the customers.
The staff.
Even Mr. Harrison.
His office door opened.
A young supervisor walked in.
“Mr. Barnes.”
“The staff are talking.”
Barnes frowned.
“About what?”
“They’re saying Mr. Cole might become the best owner Golden Spoon has ever had.”
Barnes’ expression became even darker.
“They’ve known him for less than a day.”
“I know.”
“But after what happened today…”
“They really admire him.”
Barnes clenched his fists.
He had spent twelve years building influence in this restaurant.
One afternoon…
That was all it took for Ethan to steal everyone’s respect.
“No.”
“I won’t let this continue.”
The supervisor looked nervous.
“What are you going to do?”
Barnes smiled coldly.
“I already called someone.”
“Someone who has every reason to hate Ethan.”
…
Back in the private dining room…
The food arrived.
The first dish was a creamy mushroom soup.
Then grilled salmon.
Fresh salad.
Steak.
Roasted vegetables.
Finally, a beautifully decorated dessert.
Sophia looked at the table.
“There are only two of us.”
“Isn’t this too much food?”
Ethan smiled.
“If we can’t finish it, we’ll pack the rest.”
She laughed.
“That’s something my grandmother would say.”
They began eating.
After the first bite of steak, Sophia’s eyes widened.
“This is amazing.”
“The chef is incredible.”
Ethan smiled to himself.
He had personally trained the kitchen staff for nearly an hour after receiving the Master Chef Skill.
They had learned quickly.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Sophia looked at him curiously.
“So…”
“What did you do before becoming a restaurant owner?”
Ethan paused.
Should he tell her?
“I delivered food.”
Sophia stopped eating.
“You were a delivery rider?”
“Yes.”
“For almost three years.”
She looked at him with surprise.
“You don’t seem embarrassed saying that.”
“Why would I be?”
“It’s honest work.”
She smiled warmly.
“I like that answer.”
Most wealthy people she had met tried to hide their past.
Ethan didn’t.
He wasn’t ashamed of where he came from.
That alone made him different.
As they continued talking, they discovered they had more in common than they expected.
Both had grown up in ordinary families.
Both believed hard work mattered.
Both hated people who looked down on others because of money.
An hour passed without either of them noticing.
For the first time in a very long time…
Ethan genuinely enjoyed someone’s company.
There were no lies.
No hidden motives.
Just an honest conversation.
As Sophia reached for her glass of water, her phone suddenly rang.
She looked at the screen.
The smile on her face disappeared.
Ethan noticed the change.
“Everything okay?”
Sophia hesitated before answering.
“It’s…”
“…my father.”
She answered the call.
“Dad?”
The moment she heard the voice on the other end, all the color drained from her face.
“What?”
“How did that happen?”
She shot to her feet so quickly that her chair nearly fell over.
Her hands began trembling.
“No…”
“I’m coming right now!”
She ended the call.
Tears had already filled her eyes.
Ethan stood immediately.
“Sophia.”
“What happened?”
She looked at him, her voice shaking.
“My grandmother…”
“…she collapsed.”
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Chapter 109: Legacy Reawakened
The blue screen flickered.It was unstable.Unlike the flawless interface Ethan had relied on throughout his journey, this one was fractured.Tiny cracks spread across its edges as though the system itself had suffered tremendous damage.The familiar mechanical voice spoke again.It was weaker than Ethan remembered.Yet…He smiled.After everything that had happened…It still sounded like home.Legacy System…Emergency Restoration… 7% Complete…Warning… Core functions unavailable…Reason… Legacy sacrificed during the Final Convergence…Ethan’s heart pounded.“So…”“You survived.”The screen remained silent for a moment.Then…A new sentence appeared.Correction…This unit did not survive.This unit… was remembered.The words struck him harder than any attack ever could.Remembered.Not rebuilt.Not repaired.Remembered.The blue screen slowly continued.Human belief…Shared memories…Legacy fragments carried within countless lives…Emergency reconstruction successful.Ethan finally un
Chapter 108: The Sky Breaker
The crack spread across the blue sky.It didn’t happen all at once.Thin fractures crawled outward like veins across glass, stretching from one horizon to the other.Each new crack released a faint silver light.The peaceful meadow beneath Ethan’s feet trembled.Birds that had been singing moments before suddenly took flight.The gentle breeze vanished.An unnatural silence swallowed the world.Ren’s small hand instinctively reached for Ethan’s.His fingers were trembling.“They found us.”Ethan looked down.“Who?”Ren swallowed.“The ones who don’t want us remembered.”Another deafening roar echoed overhead.This time…It was closer.The sky shattered a little more.Chunks of blue light drifted downward before dissolving into countless glowing particles.Ethan had seen worlds collapse before.He had watched stars disappear.Yet…There was something uniquely terrifying about watching the sky itself come apart.Not because it looked destructive.Because it looked…Wrong.Like reality w
Chapter 107: The First Face
Every step echoed inside Ethan’s helmet.Crunch.Crunch.Crunch.The lunar dust compressed beneath his boots as he followed the countless footprints stretching toward the enormous black doorway.Mission Control remained connected through his communicator.“Ethan, your oxygen levels are stable.”“Heart rate elevated, but within acceptable limits.”Dr. Brooks’ calm voice filled the silence.Professor Orion spoke next.“Distance to the structure: four hundred meters.”“Proceed carefully.”“I will.”Ethan answered.He never took his eyes off the doorway.The closer he came…The larger it became.From orbit it had looked massive.Standing beneath it…It was overwhelming.It rose into the endless darkness above him like a mountain carved from midnight.Its surface reflected nothing.Not sunlight.Not stars.Not even Ethan himself.It was as though the doorway refused to acknowledge reality.Back on Earth…Sophia stood inside Mission Control.Her hands remained folded tightly together.She h
Chapter 106: The Man Who Walked Through Silence
By sunrise…Ethan had made his decision.He would go.Not because he trusted the beings beyond the black doorway.Not because he believed they meant no harm.But because he had seen something in the message that no one else seemed willing to acknowledge.They had asked.Twice.First…May we speak?Then…One may come.An enemy didn’t ask permission.An enemy simply invaded.Whatever waited beyond that door…It wanted to be heard.Whether that was a blessing or a trap…Only one way existed to find out.The launch facility came alive before dawn.Floodlights illuminated the enormous launch pad while engineers hurried around the silver shuttle.Unlike the bulky spacecraft used during the early years of space exploration…This one had been built after the Seven Days.Human technology had advanced dramatically with knowledge recovered from the Architects.Its engines were cleaner.Its shields stronger.Its navigation system could cross the distance between Earth and the Moon in less than th
Chapter 105: The Invitation
No one celebrated.Although the footprints had stopped appearing…Although the black doorway had remained closed…Not a single person inside Mission Control believed the danger had passed.If anything…The silence felt heavier.It was the silence of two strangers looking at one another across a great distance.Waiting.Wondering who would speak next.Dr. Elena Brooks stood beside the communications console, replaying Ethan’s transmission.“My name is Ethan.”“You asked if you could speak.”“You can.”She listened to it three more times before finally muting the speakers.“I’ve worked in aerospace for seventeen years.”She slowly shook her head.“I spent my entire career preparing for first contact.”She smiled weakly.“I never imagined it would begin with… permission.”Professor Orion nodded.“Neither did I.”Hours passed.The black doorway did not move.The Moon remained quiet.Scientists continued monitoring every satellite, every telescope, and every sensor aimed toward the far sid
Chapter 104: Beyond the Black Door
The three knocks echoed through Mission Control.Slow.Steady.Deliberate.Every person in the room froze.No one spoke.No one breathed.The sound wasn’t coming from the speakers anymore.It seemed to resonate through the walls themselves.Three knocks…Yet it felt as though something enormous had struck the fabric of reality.Then…Silence.Emergency lights flickered back to life.Rows of monitors rebooted one after another.Technicians hurried to their stations.“Power is returning!”“I’m reconnecting to the lunar station!”“Signal stabilizing!”Dr. Elena Brooks leaned over one of the consoles.“Get me visual confirmation.”The largest monitor flashed.Static filled the screen.Then the image cleared.Everyone stared.The giant black doorway still stood on the Moon’s far side.Exactly where it had been before.Silent.Motionless.Almost…Innocent.Kai slowly let out the breath he had been holding.“I hate doors.”Lyra looked at him.“You hate everything.”“I especially hate mysteri
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