Chapter 52: Daddy!
Sienna was stunned.
’Young master...?’ she repeated silently, her eyes widening just a fraction as the pieces began to fall into place.
Her gaze drifted back to the boy sitting beside her, who remained completely unfazed, still focused on his iPad as if he hadn’t just dropped the most shocking clue of the evening.
The realization did not come gently. But it struck Sienna like a sudden wave crashing against a fragile shore, leaving her momentarily breathless and completely unprepared.
’Oh my god... he must be Zach’s son, right?’ she wonders. ’Is Zach already married? Oh, no...’
The thought alone was enough to twist her stomach into an uncomfortable knot.
Without warning, she began to imagine herself walking into a grand summer villa, where she was greeted not only by Zach but also by a graceful, elegant wife who looked like she belonged on a magazine cover. As for her, she would stand awkwardly in the corner, holding a spatula as if it were a weapon.
’Congrats, Sienna...’ she muttered inwardly. ’You come from office crisis to family drama...Your life really knows how to level up.’
She feels ashamed of herself because, in the past few days since meeting him, she has always thought of him as her future boyfriend. How shameless.
Unable to handle the growing chaos in her thoughts, Sienna turned her gaze toward the window.
Sienna tried to focus on the city outside, but it didn’t work. Her attention kept drifting back to the small figure beside her.
’Calm down, Sienna. Calm down!’ she reminded herself firmly, sneaking another glance at the boy, hoping to see his face clearly.
But the young boy’s posture remains the same. Calm, composed, and completely absorbed in his iPad, as if the world around him didn’t exist. Not even the slightly panicked, strange woman sitting next to him.
Sienna slowly looked away again, though this time a different kind of concern crept into her thoughts.
’Seriously... why does Zach let his son stare at a screen for this long?’ she wondered, her brows knitting together. ’This kid might be wearing plus-five glasses before he even learns to complain about homework.’
She almost sighed out loud.
Then, as if trying to regain control over her own thoughts, Sienna straightened her posture and took a quiet breath.
’Girl! Stop jumping to conclusions,’ she told herself. ’He might not even be his son. He could be a nephew. Or... a cousin’s child. Or... someone else entirely.’
Sienna stopped thinking about it after clinging to the possibility that this young boy was Zachary’s nephew.
She reminded herself to refocus on her role as a personal chef for this trip. That was her role. Her purpose. Her mission. Whatever his status—single, married, a father, or secretly running a daycare—had nothing to do with her.
’Focus on your job, girl...’ Sienna nodded to herself, as if she had just won an internal debate. ’Try to cook well. Get paid. Leave with dignity.’
Finally, her thoughts began to settle. For the first time since entering the car, she allowed herself to relax slightly, leaning back against the seat as she started to enjoy the ride.
However, her relaxation didn’t last long. A few moments later, her eyes caught sight of something unusual outside the car window.
’Huh!? Why does Logan drive to this area?’ Sienna wondered.
Her brow furrowed as she looked outside, and she saw that the surroundings had changed. The familiar city roads had given way to a more open, restricted area... and in the distance, he saw a helicopter, even a private jet.
"Wait... we’re going by private jet?’ Sienna’s heart tightened as she watched the car arrive at the private airport.
But her surprise hadn’t yet subsided when another shock took her. Her eyes widened as she saw Logan heading toward a helicopter. ’Oh no, are we taking a helicopter?’
The car moved and finally stopped near the helicopter.
"We are arriving," Logan announced calmly as he smoothly parked the car nearby.
Sienna didn’t move. She couldn’t because she was really afraid to ride a helicopter. Now, her brain was still trying to process the fact that this "simple side job" was now involved... aviation.
’Arriving?’ she repeated in her mind.
Just as she was about to question her life choices, her eyes caught another movement nearby.
Another luxury vehicle had arrived, stopping not far from their car. When the door opened, Zachary stepped out wearing the black suit, looking tense as if his important meeting had only just ended seconds ago.
Sienna’s breath halted for a brief second as she recognized him immediately.
Before she could react, the boy beside her suddenly moved.
The car door swung open, and in one smooth motion, he stepped out and ran forward.
"Daddy!"
Sienna was utterly stunned.
Every single thought she had earlier... every guess, every doubt, every attempt to calm herself, all of it shattered in that one word—Daddy.
Her eyes widened slightly as she watched the child run toward Zachary, who bent down just enough to catch him naturally, like it was something he had done countless times before.
And just like that, the answer was clear.
No more guessing and denying.
’So... he really is his son,’ she thought, her chest tightening slightly. ’He’s a father.’
A quiet, complicated feeling settled within her.
’Wow...’ she whispered inwardly, her lips pressing into a thin line. ’He’s a father... and here I am, acting like some clueless girl who almost fell to his charm—’
She quickly shook her head, cutting off her own thoughts before they went any further.
Taking a steady breath, Sienna adjusted her expression, smoothing out any trace of surprise or confusion and changing it to a professional, calm, and composed one.
She reached for the door. But before she could open it, it swung open from the outside.
Logan stood there. "Miss Sienna," he said politely, "I will bring your suitcase to the helicopter."
"...Helicopter?" she repeated faintly.
"Yes."
Her soul, quite literally, left her body for a second.