The tension in Zachary’s face eased immediately.
"I’m glad." He reached out his hand to help her stand, then smiled playfully. "So... my office isn’t as terrifying as you imagined?"
Sienna laughed.
She remembered refusing to visit him before because she had been nervous about meeting his employees. Now that she was actually there, she realized everyone had been too busy working to pay much attention to her.
"Not at all," she admitted with a smile. "Everyone seems busy. I don’t think anyone even noticed me."
Zachary chuckled before he said, "Oh, they noticed."
She blinked.
"They’re just pretending they didn’t out of respect," he added.
Before she could ask what he meant, he slipped an arm around her waist and gently pulled her closer.
"You look beautiful in that dress," he said, looking at her with open admiration.
A soft smile spread across her face.
"Thank goodness." She let out a relieved laugh. "I spent almost thirty minutes trying to decide what to wear. I was starting to think getting dressed for my own husband was harder than getting dressed for a hotel gala."
He smiled with amusement. "So that’s why you kept me waiting."
She gasped dramatically. "Excuse me, Mr. Sterling. I arrived exactly on time."
"You did," he admitted with a grin. "But now I know why women always say they’ll be ready in five minutes."
Sienna narrowed her eyes at him, pretending to be offended. "Oh! Mr. Sterling, careful... I can still return home and change into pajamas."
"I’ll take it back."
"You should."
"I definitely should," Zachary said with a laugh. "Because I’d rather take my gorgeous wife to dinner than explain to everyone why she showed up wearing pajamas."
She couldn’t hold back her laughter. "Good answer."
Satisfied that he had recovered from his teasing, she slipped her hand into his.
"So," she asked with a smile, "are we finally going on our date?"
"We are." Zachary gently intertwined their fingers. "Come on... My wife has already waited long enough."
Still holding hands, they walked out of the office together.
The moment they stepped onto the executive floor, several employees who had barely glanced at Sienna earlier looked up in surprise. Their calm expressions quickly changed as they noticed their usually reserved CEO walking through the office while openly holding a woman’s hand.
Sienna noticed the startled looks, but instead of feeling uncomfortable, she quietly smiled to herself. Walking beside Zachary with her fingers intertwined with his, she tried to ignore the curious stares, even though her heart beat a little faster.
Without saying a word, Zachary was telling everyone on that floor exactly what he wanted them to know.
She was his wife, and he had no intention of hiding it.
...
When Sienna thought Zachary was taking her to a fancy restaurant in the middle of the city, she soon realized she had been mistaken.
Their car gradually left the busy downtown streets behind and headed toward a neighborhood she knew very well—her old apartment area.
’Is there a fancy restaurant around here?’ she wondered as the car continued heading toward Orchid Garden. ’Why have I never heard of it?’
Curious, she glanced at Zachary. He was sitting beside her, calmly reading something on his phone, completely focused on the screen.
Sienna gently rested her hand on his arm to get his attention.
He immediately looked up, locked his phone, and turned to her with a small smile.
"Where are we having dinner?" she asked.
Instead of answering right away, Zachary took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "It’s a secret," he said with a teasing smile.
Seeing her pout ever so slightly, he chuckled. "We’re almost there."
Sienna looked out the window again. The familiar streets confirmed her suspicion.
Just then, a thought crossed her mind. She turned back to him with widened eyes. "Are we having dinner at The Corner Table?"
A gentle smile appeared on Zachary’s face.
"This is our first date as husband and wife," he said. "So I wanted to take you somewhere that’s already special to you. Tonight, that place will become special for both of us."
His words warmed her heart.
The Corner Table held countless memories for Sienna. She had celebrated birthdays there, laughed with her closest friends, and spent many evenings sharing stories over good food. It had always been one of her favorite places, and knowing Zachary had remembered that made the restaurant feel even more meaningful.
Before long, the car came to a stop.
They got out together, naturally holding hands as they walked toward the entrance. Sienna couldn’t stop smiling, touched that Zachary had chosen this place for their first date.
However, the moment the restaurant owner came out to greet them personally, her smile slowly turned to confusion. She had been here many times before, yet the owner had never personally welcomed her.
"Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling."
Sienna smiled politely in return, but something felt unusual.
She glanced around the restaurant.
The restaurant, which was normally filled with customers chatting over dinner, was completely empty. Only a few staff members were quietly moving around the room, and there wasn’t a single guest in sight.
"Thank you," Zachary replied casually before leading her toward the same table where they had once shared a meal.
Sienna followed beside him, unable to hide her curiosity.
’Did he book the entire restaurant?’
She glanced at the owner again. The man was still wearing a wide, respectful smile as he escorted them to their table.
Once they were seated, the owner personally took their orders, then excused himself and left them alone.
Sienna looked across the table at Zachary, the question written plainly on her face.
"Did you really book the entire restaurant?" she asked.
Zachary smiled without the slightest hint of guilt. "I did."
She blinked.
"I thought it would be less romantic if we had dozens of people watching us while we were trying to enjoy our first date."
Sienna laughed softly, shaking her head. "I can’t believe you actually did this."
"What?"
"I’ve only seen people do something like this in dramas. I also read about it in romance novels." She smiled at him, her eyes filled with amusement. "I’ve always thought it was a little cringey, I admit. But here I am. Actually experiencing it. And now I realize it’s not that bad."
"I’m glad reality didn’t disappoint you."
"It definitely didn’t." She laughed again before teasing, "Although the regular customers might end up hating you."