Chapter 19: Reveal His Identity
Zachary hesitated again, though this time it was more subtle. The answer was simple. Too simple, in fact.
But saying it out loud felt like opening a door his mind was telling him he wasn’t ready to open.
Just as he was considering how much to reveal, Sienna looked up again, her light gray eyes meeting his.
She blinked once, then twice as if reminding him that she was still waiting.
"I am working in the financial sector," he replied at last, keeping his tone even to hide his hesitation. Then, almost immediately and without a second thought, he smoothly shifted the focus away from himself. "How is your family doing? Is everything okay?"
Success! The change in her gaze was instant. It was subtle, but it was there.
The light in her eyes dimmed just slightly, and the ease in her posture tightened, as if an invisible weight had suddenly settled on her shoulders.
Zachary noticed.
Of course he did. But he didn’t interrupt. He didn’t push. He simply watched and waited.
Sienna lowered her gaze briefly, as if buying herself time. After a few more seconds had passed, she lifted her head again, her expression already composed.
"Hmm, everything’s fine," she said, equally even. It was a lie. Not a good one. Not a convincing one. But it was a practiced one.
Zachary didn’t call her out on it. He simply nodded, as if he believed her, allowing the moment to pass without pressure.
Inside, however, his thoughts lingered. Something was wrong. That much was obvious. But whatever it was... she wasn’t ready to share it.
And strangely, he didn’t feel the need to force her.
The rest of the meal passed in a quieter rhythm.
They finished their dessert, both occasionally drifting into their own thoughts, the earlier lightness softening into something more reflective.
Then, without warning, Zachary spoke again.
"I’m glad to hear that," he said.
Sienna looked up, slightly surprised by his sudden voice.
And then he added, almost casually, "Sienna, if someday they give you a hard time, don’t hesitate to tell me."
The words were simple.
But they landed with unexpected weight.
For a second, Sienna just stared at him.
Her brows furrowed slightly, as if she wasn’t sure whether she had heard him correctly.
"...Tell you?" she repeated.
"Yes."
"And then what?" she asked, a faint hint of humor returning to her tone. "You’ll solve all my family problems?"
Zachary didn’t smile. But there was something steady in his gaze when he answered. "If needed."
For a brief moment, Sienna didn’t know whether to laugh or feel... something else.
’What kind of answer is that?’ she thought. ’Is he serious? Or is this some kind of rich-man confidence I don’t understand?’
She let out a small breath, shaking her head lightly.
"You sound very confident," she said, her tone half-teasing, half-curious.
Zachary didn’t deny it. "I usually am."
She stared at him for another second... then let out a soft, helpless laugh.
"Alright," she said, lifting her hands slightly in surrender. "I’ll remember that. Just in case my life turns into a disaster."
Zach’s gaze lingered on her, quiet and unreadable.
...
The quiet rhythm of their conversation finally came to a natural stop when a gentle voice approached their table.
"Excuse me, Miss, Sir... but, uhm, we are about to close. I’m really sorry, but we have told everyone the last order was like thirty minutes ago..."
Sienna blinked, startled, as if someone had just pulled her out of a dream.
"It’s closing time now?" she repeated, her voice slightly higher than usual.
Instinctively, she glanced at her watch, and her eyes widened.
"Oh, my God. It’s already past ten?" she gasped.
Sienna completely didn’t realize it, as Zachary had really taken over everything around them, her mind and eyes glued to him.
Her head turned quickly, scanning the room. The once lively restaurant had fallen completely silent. Chairs were neatly arranged, the soft chatter long gone, leaving only the faint hum of the lights above. To her surprise, they were the only ones left.
"Oh my..." She pressed her lips together, embarrassed. "I’m so sorry. We really didn’t realize the time."
The waiter offered a polite smile, clearly used to situations like this.
"It’s alright, ma’am. We didn’t notify you earlier like everybody else as our appreciation to you because you are among the patrons of our restaurant."
That only made Sienna feel worse.
"Now I feel even more guilty," she muttered under her breath before offering the waiter an apologetic smile. "Thank you for your patience."
After he left, Sienna turned back to Zachary.
"Let’s go before they start charging us rent for staying overnight," she said, reaching for her bag.
Zachary let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh as he stood up, following her lead without protest.
Sienna moved quickly toward the cashier, her steps light but purposeful, as if she wanted to make up for her mistake by leaving as efficiently as possible. She pulled out her wallet, ready to settle the bill.
"Hi, I’d like to pay for table seven—"
"It’s already been paid, ma’am."
Sienna froze.
"...Can you say it again?"
The cashier smiled politely, clearly unaware of the storm of confusion happening in front of her. "Your bill has been settled, Ma’am."
Slowly, Sienna turned her head and saw Zachary standing a few steps behind her, hands casually in his pockets, his expression calm.
There was a faint smile playing on his lips, as if he had expected this exact reaction.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
’Ah... so that’s why he disappeared earlier.’
She remembered now that he had excused himself to the restroom halfway through their meal.
At the time, she hadn’t thought much of it. Now, it all made sense.
Sienna let out a quiet breath and shook her head, though a small smile still found its way to her lips.
"Thank you," she said to the cashier before turning fully toward Zachary.
They stepped out of the restaurant together, the cool night air greeting them as they walked side by side toward the parking area.
The street was silent, with just a few cars passing.
Sienna glanced at him.
"Why did you pay?" she asked. "I told you before, this was my treat, right?"
Zachary stopped walking.
Sienna, caught off guard, took one more step before stopping as well. She turned to face him, only to realize just how close they were.