Chapter 55: I Still Want To Live A Long Life
At first, Sienna had only been brave enough to peek, just a little, through the corner of her eyes.
But now, as the steady hum of the helicopter settled into something almost... comforting, she allowed herself to truly look outside.
Below them, the city lights stretched like a glowing map, scattered gold-and-white dots flickering in the distance.
It was beautiful, far more beautiful than she had imagined.
But just as she began to relax, those lights gradually faded as they moved farther away from the city. Soon, there was nothing but darkness beneath them.
And suddenly, the vast darkness felt cramped, and she wasn’t so sure this was calming anymore.
’Great... now if we fall, no one will even know where to find us,’ she thought, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Then his voice came through her headset.
"How is it?" Zachary asked.
Sienna turned her head, only to find Zachary glancing at her. He pointed his mic at her, as if telling her to speak into it. She swallowed, forcing a smile.
"You won’t believe me," she began, her voice surprisingly steady, "...if I say this helicopter ride feels lovely and I like it."
"Of course, I believe you," he replied simply, his gaze still resting on her for a second too long.
And just like that, her heart raced. Not because of his charm or his gentle gaze, but because of her worry.
’Why? Why is he looking at me when we are flying in the dark sky?! He should be looking ahead, right? What if a mountain suddenly appears before us?’
Instantly, she feels as if her heart is performing gymnastic flips in her chest.
"For God’s sake, Zach," she said quickly, her voice dropping into a nervous whisper, "stop looking at me and focus, please. I still want to live a long life."
There was a brief silence before he laughed. A low, amused sound that made her blink in disbelief.
"Why? Why are you laughing..." she whispers.
He didn’t say anything after that, but finally turned his attention back to the controls.
Sienna let out a long breath.
’This man...’ she shook her head slightly, ’He’s going to be the reason I either fall in love... or fall from the sky.’
...
The forty-minute flight felt like four long hours to Sienna’s fear-of-flying mind.
Every second in the air had stretched endlessly, her mind jumping from one dramatic scenario to another, from imagining sudden turbulence to picturing herself writing a will in midair, mentally, of course, since she had no paper and absolutely no courage to move her hands.
But luckily, as Zachary had promised, the flight was smooth, with no bumps, sudden drops, or sudden turns. Not even a single shake.
And when the helicopter finally began its descent, it was so smooth that Sienna almost didn’t realize they had landed until the faint vibration beneath her slowly disappeared.
The moment the helicopter touched down on the helipad, Sienna felt as though her soul—yes, the very same one that had abandoned her mid-flight—quietly and safely returned to her body.
She took a deep and long breath, slow and grateful.
’God, thank You for letting me live a little longer,’ she whispered inwardly, her hand resting lightly against her chest as if confirming that her heart was still there and beating.
Beside her, Skylar had already unbuckled his seatbelt and removed his headset casually. The little boy looked completely unaffected, as if surviving a helicopter ride were just another normal part of his daily life.
’This child is too calm,’ she thought. ’At his age, I was scared of stepping on ants, and here he is, flying in the sky like it’s nothing...’
The sound of the propellers gradually faded, and Zachary turned slightly in his seat to look at them.
"We landed safely," he announced.
"Thank you..." she replied softly, though her tone carried the deep relief of someone who had just survived a life-threatening experience, even if no one else in the helicopter seemed to agree.
Carefully, she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out, her feet touching the ground with a sense of gratitude she had never felt before.
The area was dim, lit only by a few soft outdoor lights. There wasn’t much she could see around them at first.
However, as her eyes adjusted, she noticed a white two-story building standing not too far from the helipad, slightly elevated on the hillside.
The breeze was much cooler here, carrying fresh air with a crispness that made her instinctively cross her arms over her chest.
’We’re definitely in the mountains,’ she thought, glancing around.
She quickly grabbed her suitcase and followed behind Zachary and Skylar, who seemed to know the path well.
Skylar, in particular, walked ahead without hesitation, his small figure moving confidently as if he had walked this path countless times before.
Before they reached the house, Zachary suddenly slowed down and turned toward her.
"Sienna, let me help you..." He said, reaching out slightly toward her suitcase.
But Sienna immediately shook her head, clutching the handle a little tighter. "No, no. Let me carry... It’s not heavy."
How could she possibly let him carry her luggage? He was her employer. The boss. The man who owned helicopters, apparently.
And she was here... as a part-time chef. Not as a princess on vacation.
Zachary paused for a moment, then simply nodded, not insisting further. Instead, he adjusted his pace and walked beside her, his presence close enough that she felt oddly... protected.
Or maybe just monitored, as if he were worried she might trip over a stone and roll down the mountain.
"Only the three of us are here," he said casually after a moment, "That’s why I asked you to come and feed us."
Sienna blinked. Something in her chest eased instantly. ’Only three of us...’
That meant no mysterious wife appearing out of nowhere. No business partners are judging her cooking skills. No audience. Just... them.
She feels slightly relieved.
Then a question crossed her mind. She glanced at him briefly. "Zach, why didn’t your wife come with us?" but she caught herself before saying those words.
Instead, she forced a light smile and said, "Thank God. I was worried your business partners might be here. They would instantly know I’m not a professional chef."