The next day,
When Sienna slowly opened her eyes, she found the space beside her empty. Zachary was nowhere to be seen, and the room was quiet, even the bathroom.
"What time is it?" she mumbled sleepily as she reached for the digital clock on the bedside table.
The moment she saw the time, her eyes widened in surprise.
"Almost noon? God!"
She hurriedly tried to sit up, but the moment she moved, a sharp soreness spread through her body, forcing her to stop halfway.
"Ugh... why does my body feel like I was just exercising my self-defense arts for hours?" she muttered under her breath.
She took a slow breath and tried again, determined to get out of bed. Unfortunately, the soreness refused to fade. Every small movement reminded her of the long, unforgettable night they had shared, making her let out another quiet groan.
Before she could even swing her legs over the side of the bed, the bedroom door opened, and Zachary walked in. The moment he saw her struggling to sit up, the relaxed smile on his face disappeared, replaced by concern.
"My wife, I was just about to wake you up," he said as he quickly crossed the room. "Are you hungry?"
He helped her sit comfortably on the edge of the bed.
Sienna looked up at him. He looked refreshed in a comfortable pair of casual clothes, his hair neatly styled as though he had already been awake for hours.
"Hmm... I’m hungry," she admitted.
Almost on cue, her stomach growled loudly enough for both of them to hear.
She pressed a hand against it and laughed awkwardly. "You should have woken me up so I could make breakfast."
"You needed the sleep far more than breakfast," Zachary replied with a smile.
Sienna carefully placed her feet on the floor and tried to stand. The instant her weight settled on her legs, a wave of soreness spread through her feet and thighs. It felt as though every muscle protested at once.
She nearly collapsed back onto the bed.
Fortunately, Zachary reacted immediately, wrapping an arm around her waist while holding her hand to keep her steady.
"Wife, are you alright?" he asked anxiously.
"I’m fine," Sienna replied with a reassuring smile as she leaned lightly against him.
Although she tried her best to appear calm, she couldn’t hide the discomfort on her face. Her legs and inner thighs felt sore enough that even standing still was difficult.
Unfortunately, her smile wasn’t convincing.
"Are you sure?" Zachary asked, lowering his gaze to her unsteady legs before looking back into her eyes. "You look like you’re in pain. I’ll call a doctor."
"No, Zach. I’m seriously fine."
She immediately shook her head.
The last thing she wanted was for him to call a doctor.
More specifically...
She absolutely did not want him calling Scott.
The thought alone made her cheeks burn.
How embarrassing would it be if Scott immediately figured out why she was so sore?
She could already imagine the teasing smile on his face. That alone was enough to make her reject the idea without another thought.
Definitely not!
She would never be able to look him in the eye again.
"I’m just feeling weak because I’m hungry," she said, quickly making up the first excuse that came to mind.
Thankfully, Zachary seemed to accept her explanation. His worried expression gradually softened.
"Then let’s fix that."
He gently held her hand and slowed his pace so she could walk comfortably beside him.
"I already prepared breakfast..." he said proudly, then corrected himself with a chuckle. "...Well, I guess I should call it lunch now."
Sienna blinked in surprise.
"You cooked?" Sienna looked at him suspiciously. She clearly remembered him confidently claiming he couldn’t cook anything except boiling water.
As they walked toward the dining room, she couldn’t help teasing him.
"Did you really cook, or did someone secretly deliver the food while you reheated it?"
Zachary placed a dramatic hand over his chest. "My wife, you’ve wounded my pride."
She laughed. "I’m serious. I remember you telling me you can’t cook."
He smiled proudly. "For your information, I recently asked Gordon to teach me a few simple dishes. I wanted to learn how to cook something for you."
Sienna looked at him in genuine surprise. She had never once seen him step into a kitchen, let alone hear Gordon, their chef, talk about it.
"So you’ve been secretly taking cooking lessons?"
He gave a satisfied nod. "I wanted to surprise you."
Her heart warmed.
The thought of the busy CEO taking time to learn to cook just for her made her smile even before she saw the food.
"Now I’m really curious," she said. "Let’s see what my husband has prepared."
The moment they entered the dining room, Sienna stopped walking.
Her eyes widened.
Beautifully grilled beef rested on neatly arranged plates, covered with a rich brown sauce. Beside it sat smooth mashed potatoes decorated with fresh herbs. There was also a colorful fruit salad with homemade dressing.
What surprised her even more was the latte waiting beside her plate. A heart had been carefully drawn into the milk foam.
She slowly turned toward Zachary.
"You... made all of this?"
Zachary nodded, smiling with embarrassment, before pulling out her chair. "Sit first." He said.
She sat while he took the seat beside her.
"And don’t look at me like I’m some Michelin-star chef," he said with a laugh. "Taste it first before praising me. I’m still worried it won’t meet your expectations."
Sienna smiled before picking up her knife and fork.
"Alright. I’ll be the judge."
She cut a small piece of beef and dipped it into the sauce.
The moment the flavor touched her tongue, her eyes widened.
"This is delicious!"
"Really?"
She nodded enthusiastically before taking another bite.
The beef was tender, juicy, and surprisingly well-seasoned.
"This is seriously good."
Relief immediately appeared on Zachary’s face. "I was worried I’d overcook it."
"You definitely didn’t." She happily continued eating. "This is amazing. How many lessons did Gordon give you?"
"Three."
She stared at him in disbelief. "Only three?"
He nodded.
"You really are talented," she said sincerely. "I can’t believe you learned to cook this well in only three lessons."