Chapter 140: Uncle, Why Are You Here?
Almost unconsciously, Sienna glanced toward him again.
This time, he sat quietly on the couch, reading something seriously on his iPad.
His expression remained calm and focused. He looks too handsome and dangerous for her already fragile emotions.
Her gaze lingered for another second before she finally placed the last dish inside the washer.
However, right after that, a wave of drowsiness settled over her.
Not wanting to disturb him while he worked, she quietly turned and walked toward her bedroom.
But, before she could even touch the doorknob, her hand paused mid-air—
"Sienna..." Zachary’s voice reached her immediately.
She turned toward him. "Yes?"
His eyes remained fixed on her.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
Sienna paused briefly.
For some reason, explaining that she wanted a nap suddenly felt awkward while Zachary Sterling was still in her living room.
"I’m... a little sleepy," she admitted after a few seconds. "Do you mind waiting here alone?"
He frowned slightly.
"Or..." she continued carefully after seeing him think hard, "do you want to go back to your office?"
A faint smile appeared on his face before he casually asked, "Do you want me to come with you?"
Instantly, her eyes widened slightly as the meaning of his words settled into her mind. She could feel a warm rush rising to her face.
’Oh, God. This man... did he just say she wanted to sleep with me?’ She tries to keep herself calm. Hurriedly, she shakes her head to put aside her sultry thought.
"No. Thank you. I can sleep alone."
Sienna turned her gaze when she realized how her words had sounded. She felt even more embarrassed. ’Excellent sentence choice, Sienna.’
She added quickly, "But... are you okay here alone?"
Zachary nodded calmly.
"Hm. Don’t worry about me—" He paused, his eyes still resting on her face. Then a faint hint of amusement appeared in his expression before he added, "I run companies for a living, Sienna. I think I can survive in your living room for a few hours."
A small laugh escaped her before she could stop it. "Wow. Such confidence, Mr. Sterling."
"Hm." A satisfied smile played on his lips.
"...You say that now," she replied, crossing her arms lightly. "But my living room can be very challenging."
"Really?"
"Yes. The sofa judges people."
His eyebrow lifted slightly.
"And what does it think about me?"
Sienna tried to look thoughtful. "It says you’re getting too comfortable."
"Too late. I already claimed the sofa."
She stared at him, amused. This man truly said that with a straight face. And somehow...her chest only grew warmer. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Which was honestly becoming a very serious problem.
Worried she might say something even more embarrassing, Sienna opened her bedroom door and walked in immediately.
...
Zachary’s gaze remained fixed on Sienna’s bedroom door even after several minutes had passed. His eyes stayed on the closed door longer than necessary, as if expecting it to open again at any moment.
The apartment had fallen completely quiet after she disappeared inside her room.
Only when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket did he finally move.
The sound pulled him back to reality. He took the phone out, expecting another work call.
However, his expression immediately turned cold when he saw the name on the screen.
’Zoey Sterling... Why is he calling me now?’
He answered without delay.
But the silence from the other end was enough to destroy what little patience he still had.
"Have you done what I told you to do?" he asked coldly.
"Yes." Zoey finally spoke. "I did as you instructed. Benjamin Foster was fired, and starting today, the legal action against him is no longer related to the company. So you can do anything you want to him."
Zachary’s expression remained cold.
"You should have done that a long time ago." His voice grew colder. "How could you keep someone like that as general manager?"
A heavy sigh echoed from the other side. Then Zoey’s pissed-off voice came through the speaker. "Anything else you want me to do?"
Zachary did not answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze drifted back toward Sienna’s bedroom door, straining to hear movement inside, but he couldn’t hear anything.
"Zach?" Zoey spoke again. "Are you still there?"
"Give Sienna another week of paid leave."
"What? Another week?"
"Yes."
"But I heard she already got one week’s leave," she said quickly. "Why does she need more time?"
Zachary released a slow breath before speaking, "Can you just do what I told you?"
"Seriously, what does Sienna mean to you?" Zoey asked immediately. "Why are you helping her this much—"
"Because she will become your sister-in-law." His answer shocked Zoey even more.
Then, without giving Zoey another chance to speak, he ended the call.
For a brief moment, the room felt strangely silent again.
Then Zachary set the phone aside and returned to work.
Soon, he was immersed in reviewing files, reading reports, replying to messages, and making several quiet decisions about matters that could not wait, simply because he had decided to spend the day in Sienna’s apartment. free𝑤ebnovel.com
However, the sudden sound of the doorbell cut sharply through the silence.
His eyes lifted immediately, and a slight frown slowly formed across his forehead.
He glanced toward the entrance.
"Was she expecting someone?" he muttered quietly.
Zachary rose from the sofa and walked casually toward the front door. But when he passed Sienna’s bedroom, his steps slowed. His attention shifted toward the closed door.
He stood there for a brief moment, listening carefully, but she didn’t hear any movement.
’It seems she was still asleep...’
Satisfied, he continued toward the entrance, moving faster now, concerned that the repeated doorbell might wake her.
Without wasting more time, he opened the door.
However, the sight waiting outside surprised him.
Riley Sterling stood there, wide-eyed and frozen. He looked as though he had just seen a ghost inside the apartment.
For several long seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then, Riley spoke first, breaking the silence, "U-Uncle... W-Why are you here?"
Zachary stared back at his nephew calmly. Of all the people he expected to find standing outside Sienna’s apartment... Riley had not even entered the top fifty.