Back in the car, Lucian finally spoke up. “So… where are we going?”

“Rumble, rumble~”

Noah’s stomach betrayed him, growling loudly.

William glanced at Michael. “Dad, what was your plan originally?”

Lucian chimed in, “Yeah, Dad, you gave all the staff time off. Surely you had something in mind?”

Michael coughed awkwardly. “I… was just going to order delivery.”

Mrs. Newton sighed. “Or maybe we can try another restaurant?”

Michael shook his head. “No use. I already tried—everything’s fully booked.”

A joke. A New Year’s Eve feast gets booked months in advance. Without connections or deep pockets, you’re out of luck.

“Are we really going to rely on takeout tonight?”...