"Did something happen to him?"

Sienna muttered to herself as she checked her phone again, but there were still no new messages.

A long sigh escaped her lips as she remembered the last time she had spoken with Zachary earlier that afternoon. He had called to explain that work had unexpectedly kept him in another city and that he probably would not be able to join them for dinner.

Since then, there had been nothing. No text messages, no phone calls, and no updates.

"Zach, did you forget your son is still here?"

She couldn’t help laughing softly at her own words. Deep down, she knew Zachary would never intentionally forget Skylar. If anything, he worried about the boy more than anyone else. Still, his silence was enough to make her uneasy.

Her gaze drifted toward the bedroom door.

The apartment had become quiet. She listened carefully, hoping to hear some movement from inside the room, but there was nothing. Skylar was still sleeping peacefully.

After a moment, she lowered her eyes to her phone and typed a short message.

"Skylar is sleeping now. What time will you get here?"

She read it twice before finally pressing send.

Just as she was about to put her phone away, she suddenly remembered something important. If she accidentally fell asleep, Zachary would have no way to enter the apartment.

Quickly, she sent another message containing the door password.

Only then did she place her phone on the coffee table and lean back against the sofa.

She had only intended to close her eyes for a few minutes. Yet the quiet apartment, the long and tiring day, and the comfort of the sofa slowly pulled her into sleep.

...

Sienna had no idea how much time had passed when she finally opened her eyes again.

At first, everything felt blurry as she stared up at the white ceiling above her, trying to adjust after waking so suddenly. However, before she could fully gather her thoughts, a strange feeling settled over her, making her feel as though someone was watching her.

Slowly turning her head to the side, she froze when she found Zachary sitting beside the sofa. His face was so close to hers that she could clearly see the exhaustion lingering beneath his eyes.

For a brief moment, she genuinely thought she was still dreaming.

She blinked once, then again, hoping her vision had somehow played a trick on her. Yet Zachary remained exactly where he was, his gaze fixed entirely on her face.

Even though he looked tired after spending the entire day dealing with work, there was a softness in his expression that immediately eased the worry she had been carrying for hours.

"You came..." she whispered, her voice still thick with sleep as she tried to sit up.

Before she could move very far, Zachary gently placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her. The gesture was neither forceful nor demanding. Instead, it was careful and tender.

"Stay still," he murmured.

Sienna’s heart skipped a beat as he continued looking at her without saying anything else. His gaze slowly traveled across her face as though he was making sure she was really there before he finally leaned closer.

The distance between them gradually disappeared until she could feel the warmth of his breath. Before she could even think of a response, his lips softly brushed against hers.

The kiss was brief, gentle, and filled with affection, yet it was enough to warm her entire face.

When Zachary finally pulled away, a faint smile appeared on his lips. At the same time, Sienna immediately turned her face away and tried to hide her embarrassment. Unfortunately for her, the awkward movement only made his smile widen.

"I’m sorry I’m late," he said softly.

Sienna looked back at him and shook her head.

"It’s fine. I just..." She paused, suddenly remembering the complaint she had made before falling asleep, and a small laugh escaped her lips.

Zachary raised an eyebrow.

"You just what?"

"I thought you forgot."

"Forgot what?"

She looked at him helplessly before answering.

"That Sky is still here."

The amusement in his eyes deepened immediately.

"How could I forget my son?" he asked as he moved to sit beside her on the sofa. "Of course I didn’t forget, and I never would. Work kept me in another city much longer than I expected. By the time I was finally able to leave, it was already late evening."

"I’m glad you didn’t forget," she replied softly as she glanced toward the bedroom. "He’s sleeping inside."

Following her gaze, Zachary looked toward the closed bedroom door and remained silent for a moment. Then he leaned back against the sofa and pinched the bridge of his nose as though trying to ease the tension from a long day.

The simple gesture immediately caught Sienna’s attention.

Worry slowly crept into her chest because his expression wasn’t as relaxed as usual.

"Did something happen at work?" she asked gently.

Zachary turned to look at her and, after a brief pause, shook his head before offering a reassuring smile.

"Nothing serious. Just a few small matters that needed my attention, but everything is fine now."

Although she wasn’t completely convinced, Sienna decided not to push him further. If there was something he wanted to tell her, he would do it when he was ready.

Silence settled between them once again, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt natural, like the silence shared between two people who had already become an important part of each other’s lives.

Then, without warning, Zachary broke the silence.

"About Benjamin Foster..."

The moment she heard that name, Sienna immediately turned toward him. Her hands unconsciously tightened in her lap as an unpleasant memory resurfaced.

"He was fired," Zachary said calmly. "And my lawyer is already handling the rest. I’ll make sure my legal team pursues every assault case connected to him, no matter how long ago it happened. Even if it took place before he worked for us."

Relief washed over her so quickly that she hadn’t realized how much fear she had still been carrying until that moment.

For months, Benjamin had been a source of anxiety she could never completely escape, yet hearing Zachary say those words made it feel as though a heavy weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders.

"Thank you, Zach."

Zachary smiled and reached for her hand, gently wrapping his fingers around it while his thumb brushed softly across her skin.

"Don’t thank me," he said quietly. "You’re going to be my wife, Sienna. Protecting you is my responsibility."