"So..." Sienna said carefully, "...was Jessica Simmons... your ex?"
The moment those words left Sienna’s lips, Zachary’s expression changed. The warmth in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a seriousness that hadn’t been there a moment earlier.
Sienna immediately regretted asking. She hadn’t expected such a reaction. ’Maybe I shouldn’t have brought her up.’
"I’m sorry," she said quickly, offering him an apologetic smile. "Forget that I asked. Let’s stop talking about it."
She reached for her wine glass and took a small sip, pretending to focus on the drink even though she felt increasingly guilty.
The cheerful mood they had shared only moments ago suddenly felt much quieter.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Sienna assumed Zachary had accepted her suggestion to drop the subject. But she was wrong.
He slowly put down his glass and met her eyes.
"Honestly, yes," he finally said. "Jessica was my first relationship... and my last before I met you."
Sienna quietly nodded, waiting for him to continue.
"We broke up years ago." A faint, bitter smile touched his lips before disappearing just as quickly. "She chose to move overseas to pursue her career."
He paused briefly, his gaze lowering to the table.
"After that, we never saw each other again."
His voice remained calm, but there was a quiet weight behind it that Sienna could hear.
"A few years passed," he continued, "and eventually I decided to have Sky."
He looked back at Sienna as he finished speaking, his eyes steady and honest, as though he wanted her to know there was nothing left for him to hide.
Sienna’s face brightened with a warm, genuine smile after hearing his honest confession. It was the kind of smile that reflected exactly how she felt. She no longer wanted to dwell on Zachary’s past because what truly mattered was the present. They were together now. He had chosen her, and she had happily chosen him.
Their romantic dinner continued in a relaxed atmosphere as they shared stories from their past.
Sienna told him about her college years, the part-time jobs she had taken to support herself, and how she had eventually started working at the Imperial Hotel.
Zachary listened with genuine interest, asking questions from time to time and laughing at some of her funny experiences with difficult guests. In return, he shared stories about his closest friends—Scott, Trevor, and the others. He even revealed a few embarrassing moments from their younger days, making Sienna laugh harder than she expected.
"So Mr. Sterling wasn’t born looking this perfect?" she teased.
Zachary smiled confidently. "I’ve always looked this handsome."
She laughed. "You know what? Your confidence is dangerous."
"It’s not confidence."
"Oh?"
"It’s simply the truth."
Sienna shook her head, trying to hide her smile. "I think your friends would have a very different version of that story."
"They’re just jealous."
"Of what?"
"My face."
She couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. "I suddenly feel like I should invite Dr. Scott here."
"So he can expose me?"
"So he can confirm whether you’re telling the truth."
"My wife..." Zachary sighed dramatically. "You’re supposed to be on my side."
"I am."
"Really?"
"Of course." She smiled sweetly before adding, "I’ll just quietly listen while Scott tells me everything."
Zachary placed a hand over his chest as if he had been wounded. "I married the wrong woman."
"You still have time to change your mind."
"Too late."
"Why?"
"Because I’m already completely attached to my wife."
His answer made her smile soften.
Moments like this made her realize how much Zachary had changed around her. The serious businessman who rarely smiled in public had somehow become someone who could joke with her so naturally. She liked seeing this side of him, and she felt honored that he only seemed to show it when they were alone together.
As their laughter settled, Zachary’s expression gradually became more thoughtful.
"Sienna," he said gently, "I’m sorry I haven’t introduced you to my parents yet."
She looked at him before smiling reassuringly.
"It’s okay."
She understood he had his own reasons for waiting, and she had never wanted to pressure him.
Before she could say anything else, Zachary continued.
"They’re traveling in another city right now, so we’ll only be able to meet them after they come home."
Sienna nodded slowly.
For a moment, she hesitated before quietly asking the question that had been lingering in her heart. "Zach... what if they don’t like me?"
Instead of answering immediately, Zachary leaned back comfortably in his chair and looked at her with an affectionate smile.
"They’ll love you."
His answer came so naturally that she blinked.
"They’ll probably thank you," he continued with a small laugh. "Their son finally decided to get married."
His smile grew warmer.
"And when they find out you’re Skylar’s biological mother, they’ll be even happier."
He reached across the table and gently held her hand. "So don’t worry."
Sienna smiled back. "I’ll try not to."
Although a little nervousness still remained inside her, it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as before. Hearing Zachary speak with such confidence made her believe that meeting his parents might not be as frightening as she had imagined.
They continued chatting as they finished their dinner, completely losing track of time.
Eventually, Sienna happened to glance at her watch. Her eyes widened.
"It’s already past nine." She looked back at Zachary. "Zach, we should head home."
As she spoke, she reached for the dessert menu and said, "But before we leave, I need to order dessert for Sky."
She had promised her son she would bring him something sweet, and there was no way she intended to break that promise.
The problem was deciding which dessert he would like. Almost every dessert at The Corner Table was one of her favorites.
As she studied the menu, trying to decide what Skylar would enjoy the most, Zachary called her softly.
"My wife."
"Hmm?" She answered absentmindedly, her eyes still moving across the dessert list.
"We’re not going home tonight."
His calm voice made her stop reading immediately.
She slowly lowered the menu before looking up at him.
"We’re... not going home?" She asked.