Chapter 108: What Kind of Game Are You Playing?
Watching Sophia step into the elevator, James swiped his keycard and pushed open the suite door, flipping on the lights.
The instant the room illuminated, five party poppers exploded in succession. He jumped, startled.
Brushing confetti off his shoulders, he shook his head. "What the hell?"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Amelia shrieked.
Evelyn wheeled out a cake, grinning. "Surprised? Shocked? Do you love it?"
James stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded. Someone tapped his shoulder. He spun around—and there was Sophia, the sister who supposedly had "urgent hotel business to handle," tilting her head at him with a mischievous smile.
"James, tonight's the last day of being nineteen. Once midnight hits, you're officially twenty. So we're throwing you an early birthday bash—and we're staying up all night to ring in this new chapter with you!"
"James! Get over here! We've got SO much food!" Lucas bolted out from the other room and threw his arms around James.
That's when James realized—Evelyn, Lucas, Mom, Dad... they were all here. Even Ethan had been invited.
Custom balloons plastered the walls: Wishing James a Happy 20th Birthday—May Your Future Be Bright!
Streamers looped across the ceiling in festive arcs. The coffee table groaned under mountains of snacks and drinks. The dining table was lined with over a dozen covered dishes, all waiting to be unveiled.
The effort they'd put in was staggering.
James covered his face, caught between laughing and crying. He'd never had a birthday celebration this grand.
Life unfolds in stages: zero to ten is growth, ten to twenty is development, and twenty to thirty is the busiest—packed with decisions that shape everything. College graduation, career starts, falling in love, getting married—most of it happens in that single decade.
Turning twenty meant James was stepping into the next major phase of his life.
"Come on, come on! Birthday boy sits in the middle! Time to make a wish!" Ethan dragged James to the couch as Evelyn pushed the cake over.
They lit the candles. The lights went out. Everyone sang. And then they all urged James to make his wish.
James pressed his palms together and closed his eyes, but for a moment, his mind went completely blank. He didn't know what he wanted.
Then... I wish for my family and friends to be safe, healthy, and happy in everything they do.
Amelia stared at James as he made his wish, then elbowed Wayne beside her. "Do you think I could get this many people to celebrate my twentieth birthday?"
Wayne raised an eyebrow. "Am I not enough?"
"You?" Amelia shot him a withering look, her lip curling.
Wayne chuckled, then said seriously, "By the time you turn twenty, you'll be studying abroad. I'll be the only one who can celebrate with you."
Amelia's face fell. "Sophia won't even be able to come?"
Wayne shrugged. "Now that she's left the Smiths, her family and boyfriend are all here. Why would she go abroad? She'll be in college, running her company... no way she can fly out just to celebrate your birthday."
Amelia let out a dramatic wail and collapsed against Wayne's chest, pounding her fists. "How will I survive without Sophia?!"
Wayne rolled his eyes. Good riddance, he thought. Without Sophia around, he'd have way more time to build a proper relationship with Amelia.
Right now, she only called him when Sophia was busy—or when they were all hanging out together.
One-on-one time? Practically nonexistent.
But once high school was over, and they were abroad? That's when he'd make his move.
After dinner, the group sprawled across the couches, chatting and snacking. Ray and Mary had assumed they wouldn't fit into the younger crowd's conversations—but to their surprise, these kids knew a ton.
And they actively sought out topics Ray and Mary could discuss.
Amelia asked Mary about her shop plans—location scouting, customer demographics, business models, hiring staff, and task delegation. They talked through everything.
Wayne, knowing Ray was managing a factory, mentioned he owned a few plants himself. Different industries, sure—but management strategies? Plenty of overlap. Tom chimed in too, since his family ran a car paint factory.
Sophia asked Evelyn how her internship was going and listened quietly as Evelyn vented, laughing now and then and offering her own insights.
Lucas sat beside them, reacting to every story. "That guy's terrible!" "How could he do that?!" His little face scrunched with righteous anger.
James, meanwhile, was bickering with Ethan about his decision to apply to film school.
"James! I told you to become an actor, and you said I was full of it. Sophia mentions it once, and suddenly you're all in?!"
Ethan was offended. When had James become such a pushover? One word from Sophia outweighed a hundred from him?
James didn't even flinch. "Sophia's got killer instincts. She says I've got talent， I'm going into acting."
"Seriously?" Ethan squinted suspiciously.
"Ever since she came back, everyone in my family's found their calling. You think she's wrong?"
"Then I've gotta try this too!"
Before James could respond, Ethan bounced over to Sophia, interrupting her conversation.
He leaned in close, grinning like a used car salesman. "Sophia, what do you think of me?"
Sophia blinked. "...What?"
Amelia immediately whipped out her phone and opened Michael's chat.
[VOICE MESSAGE]: "Code Red! Code Red! Sophia in danger! Respond immediately!"
Wayne: "..."
Sophia forced a smile. "Ethan... in what sense?"
Ethan straightened up. "I've got a dream—to sing on stage. Do you think I could make it as a professional singer?"
Sophia exhaled in relief. Oh, thank God. "I'm not a fortune teller. I'd have to see what you've got first."
"Done!"
Ethan clapped his hands, sprang to his feet, and fired up the projector. He rummaged through a cabinet, pulled out a microphone, and announced he was performing right now.
Everyone stopped talking, their attention snapping to him.
"It's James's birthday, so I'm dedicating a fun song to you all!"
The music kicked in. Ethan started singing, hitting every note and beat perfectly. His voice had a distinct character, and the way he handled his runs was surprisingly polished.
Honestly? Sophia was impressed.
His tone was unique. He clearly loved singing and had taught himself some technique. With proper training, he could absolutely shine in the music industry.
Better raw talent than Brian ever had.
The song ended. Amelia blinked and suddenly remembered.
"False alarm. Stand down."
Meanwhile, Michael—who'd just listened to Amelia's first message and was about to ask for an address—stared at his phone in confusion as the second message came through.
What kind of weird game are they playing?