Four days later.

It was Friday.

Sienna was getting ready for work when her phone vibrated inside her bag.

At first, she thought Logan was calling to tell her he had arrived since he was supposed to pick her up that morning. But when she looked at the screen, her expression immediately softened.

She answered without hesitation.

"Good morning, Zach... Ugh, sorry, I forgot the different time zone. Good evening, Zach."

A smile spread across her face as she imagined him standing right in front of her despite the thousands of miles separating them.

"Morning, my dear..." His gentle voice flowed through the speaker. "You sound like you’re in a good mood. Have you had breakfast yet?"

Sienna slipped her feet into her shoes while balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear. She hadn’t planned to cook that morning because she would be having breakfast later with Mia and Ava at the Imperial Hotel.

"Hmm, just something simple. A smoothie."

A quiet chuckle came from the other end of the line.

"Oh, right. I heard you’re going back to the office today?"

"I was just about to leave."

She opened her apartment door and stepped into the hallway, but her movement slowed when she heard him release a deep sigh.

"Sienna."

His voice carried a weight that immediately caught her attention, as though unease had settled in his chest.

"Why didn’t you use your extra week of leave? I already requested it for you."

Sienna smiled, though this time the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"It’s because of you, Mr. Sterling," she replied playfully while walking toward the elevator.

"Me?" Zachary sounded genuinely surprised.

"Hmm." She pressed the elevator button. "You left your wife alone for too long after we registered our marriage."

She laughed softly, but there was bitterness hidden beneath it.

"And honestly, I’m getting bored staying at home. That’s why I decided to return today instead of taking the extra paid leave."

Silence lingered between them for a brief moment.

Even through the phone, Sienna clearly heard him let out another long sigh. The sound carried guilt so openly that she could almost picture him rubbing his forehead while blaming himself.

Finally, he spoke.

"I’m sorry... but I promise I’ll fly back tomorrow after my last meeting ends. And I’ll make it a quick meeting."

Her heart warmed at his words. She knew how busy his schedule was overseas, and despite missing him terribly, she didn’t want him carrying unnecessary guilt.

"No need to rush. Just take care of your business there. I’ll wait patiently here." She stepped into the elevator as the doors slid shut. "Oh, right. I’m meeting Sky tomorrow. We’re going to the park."

She deliberately changed the topic, hoping to lighten his mood.

The effect was immediate.

Zachary sounded calmer when he replied, "I heard that from him. He’s been talking about it since yesterday."

A smile naturally curved her lips. Sky really anticipated their outings.

Before she knew it, the elevator reached the ground floor.

As she stepped out of the building, she immediately spotted Logan standing beside the car, waiting for her as usual.

"Zach, you need to sleep now, right?"

"Hm. Alright. I’ll call you later."

"Good night."

There was a brief pause before his voice softened even further.

"Take care on your first day back."

Her smile deepened.

"You too. Sleep well."

After ending the call, Sienna hurried toward the waiting car. She exchanged casual greetings with Logan before getting inside.

The drive from her apartment to the Imperial Hotel wasn’t far. Within minutes, they had reached the area near the hotel.

"Logan, could you stop over there?"

She pointed toward a nearby bus stop.

Logan glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Ma’am?"

Sienna shifted slightly in her seat. She didn’t want her colleagues to see her arriving in a Rolls-Royce with a personal chauffeur. Her first day back after a long leave was already bound to attract attention.

Just thinking about how her name had become a trending topic on the company forum was enough to make her head ache.

"The bus stop is fine," she explained. "I’ll walk from there."

"But, Ma’am..." Logan hesitated. "Your office is still quite far."

"It’s okay. I usually walk from that bus stop to the office anyway..." She smiled helplessly. "And I don’t want my friends to see me get out of this car. They’ll gossip about me all day."

Logan looked reluctant, but in the end, he followed her instructions. The car gradually slowed before coming to a stop.

Before she opened the door, he spoke again.

"Ma’am, please give me a call when you finish work. I’ll pick you up at this same place."

"Sure, you can count on it."

Sienna stepped out of the car and adjusted the strap of her saddle bag.

After giving Logan one final nod, she began walking toward the hotel and took the path to the staff entrance.

The morning air was cool, and the familiar route unexpectedly brought a sense of comfort. Returning to work after several days away felt strangely normal, almost as if nothing had changed.

However—

Sienna, completely unaware of a few pairs of eyes watching her from afar, kept walking toward the hotel entrance.

...

Not far from her, a black Rubicon parked quietly in the parking lot.

Inside the vehicle, several pairs of eyes stared at her with excitement and relief. After waiting for her for so many days, they had finally found her.

"Blade, look, it’s her! Sienna Adams!" Vincent, behind the wheel, exclaimed excitedly while pointing toward Sienna.

"Damn this woman! After waiting so many days for her, she finally showed up!"

Blade, seated in the passenger seat, let out a relieved laugh. Without wasting another second, he quickly grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

His fingers trembled slightly from excitement.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Boss..." he said, voice filled with satisfaction. He watched Sienna leave through the staff entrance. "We’ve found Sienna Adams. She works at the Imperial Hotel."