Zachary’s words instantly touched her heart, making her smile without even realizing it. There was something about the way he always spoke whenever he promised to protect her that made her feel safe, as though no matter what happened, she would never have to face it alone again.

Seeing her remain quiet and avoid his gaze, Zachary leaned slightly closer. The soft light from the lamp beside the sofa fell across her face, allowing him to notice the faint blush spreading across her cheeks. A smile immediately appeared on his lips.

For several seconds, he simply looked at her.

The longer he stared, the harder it became to look away.

Sometimes he still found it difficult to believe that the woman sitting beside him was really his fiancée. Simply looking at her was enough to make him forget the exhaustion of the long day.

Slowly, he leaned toward her.

Sienna immediately realized his intention and instinctively pulled back.

The movement only widened his smile, and amusement immediately filled his eyes.

"Oh?" he asked teasingly. "Why do you suddenly look so shy?"

"I’m not—"

"Really?"

Sienna nodded firmly, although her eyes still refused to meet his.

"Really."

Zachary chuckled softly.

"But you look like you’re blushing."

"Please, Mr. Sterling." She shook her head, unable to stop herself from smiling. "The room is dimly lit. How could you possibly see that I’m blushing?"

"I’m just guessing."

"That’s cheating."

His laugh grew warmer.

"Maybe. But judging by your reaction, I guessed correctly."

Sienna immediately looked away again, making him laugh even harder.

Before she could think of another response, Zachary reached over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder before pulling her closer to him.

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence between them felt comfortable and familiar, filled with a warmth that neither of them needed to put into words.

Then, unexpectedly, Zachary stood up.

"Alright, I’ll take Skylar home now," he said while glancing toward the bedroom. "I’m afraid he might claim your bed until morning."

Sienna laughed softly before standing as well.

Together, they walked toward the bedroom.

The moment they entered, they saw Skylar stirring beneath the blanket. A few seconds later, his eyes slowly opened, and he blinked several times before staring sleepily at them.

"A-Aunty..."

His voice sounded low and hoarse from sleep.

Sienna immediately sat down at the edge of the bed and gently brushed a few strands of hair away from his forehead.

"Did we wake you up?"

Skylar slowly shook his head before turning his gaze toward Zachary.

"Daddy, why did you come so late?"

Zachary completely ignored the question.

Instead, he reached down and took his hand.

"Let’s go home," he said calmly. "Auntie Sienna needs to rest."

"Okay... let’s go home..."

Although Skylar agreed, waking up clearly seemed difficult for him. The moment he stood, his body swayed slightly, and he looked as though he might fall back onto the bed at any second.

Seeing this, Zachary immediately caught him and lifted him into his arms.

Sienna’s heart softened at the sight. Without thinking, she quickly stood up.

"Zach, wait..."

He turned toward her.

"Yes?"

Sienna hesitated. For a brief moment, she wondered whether she should say it at all.

Then she looked at Skylar’s sleepy face and spoke anyway.

"Let him sleep here tonight. You can pick him up tomorrow morning."

The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and almost immediately, she regretted the suggestion when she noticed the slight frown appearing on Zachary’s face.

Thinking he might misunderstand, she hurriedly added, "Or... you can sleep here too, with Sky. I don’t mind sleeping on the sofa."

The moment the words left her mouth, Sienna wished she could take them back.

Zachary looked genuinely surprised. For several seconds, he simply stared at her.

At first, reluctance appeared in his eyes. However, when he imagined her giving up her bed and spending the entire night on the sofa, his resistance slowly faded.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

With one hand still supporting Skylar, he lifted his free hand and gently cupped her cheek.

The simple touch immediately made her heart race.

"Are you sure you want me to stay here?" he asked softly as he leaned closer. "I might not be able to hold myself back..."

The meaning behind his words and the low tone of his voice made her face grow even warmer.

However, before she could answer, another voice suddenly interrupted them.

"No, Auntie."

Zachary and Sienna both froze.

Sienna immediately turned toward Skylar. He was still resting in Zachary’s arms, and his eyes remained tightly closed.

"Aunty, I don’t want to make you lose your sleep," Skylar said again.

"O-Okay," Sienna replied awkwardly.

Without daring to look directly at Zachary, she hurriedly gathered Skylar’s belongings and stuffed everything into his backpack.

A few minutes later, they walked toward the front door together.

"Let me carry that."

Zachary reached for the backpack.

But Sienna quickly moved it away and shook her head.

"It’s okay. I can carry it."

Seeing her stubborn expression, Zachary simply smiled and allowed her to win that small battle.

However, the moment she moved to follow him outside, he stopped and looked at her seriously.

"Sienna, there’s no need to walk us to the car."

She blinked.

"It’s already late," he continued. "Go and get some rest. We’ll be fine."

His expression made it clear that he wasn’t willing to accept any argument.

Sienna couldn’t help smiling.

Eventually, she surrendered and handed him the backpack.

"Alright. But drive safely, and you need to call me when you get home."

"I will."

Zachary took the bag from her before looking at her with the same gentle expression that always made her heart soften.

"Good night."

"Hmm... good night, Zach."

Then she turned toward the little boy resting against his shoulder and gently rubbed his back.

"Good night, Sky."

"Night... Aunty..." Skylar mumbled sleepily without opening his eyes.

Then Zachary finally turned and walked toward the elevator with Skylar in his arms, leaving Sienna standing in the doorway until they were out of sight.

Only after the elevator doors closed did she step back inside, carrying the warmth of his smile and the promise of a phone call later that night.