Chapter 95: Skylar is your son?
Lakeside Garden.
Zachary stood in front of Skylar’s bedroom door, his hand hovering just above the handle without touching it.
He stared at the door a little longer, his expression calm as always. Yet the faint tension in his eyes betrayed something he rarely allowed himself to show. Hesitation.
Zachary didn’t want to wake his son. But at the same time... he disliked the way things had ended earlier that evening.
A slow breath left him as he lowered his hand.
’Let him sleep... You can talk to him tomorrow.’
He turned slightly, prepared to walk away, but before he could take another step, another voice surfaced in his mind, "No, I’m not surprised...You don’t need to scold him. I was just surprised. And now I feel bad for him."
His jaw tightened.
For several seconds, he simply stood there in silence, caught between his own stubbornness and the lingering warmth of her words.
Then, finally, he exhaled quietly.
This time, he reached for the handle without hesitation.
The door opened slowly and carefully, as if the slightest sound could disturb the peace in the room.
Dim light spilled in from the hallway behind him, casting faint shadows across the walls.
"Sky," he called softly, his deep voice unusually gentle. "Are you sleeping?"
There was a brief pause.
"Yes," came the tiny reply from the bed.
Zachary’s lips twitched instantly.
In the darkness, he could clearly see the small figure lying perfectly beneath the blanket, eyes squeezed shut far too tightly, shoulders stiff with exaggerated effort.
It was the worst performance Zachary had ever witnessed in his life.
Amusement flickered briefly across his face.
He stepped inside, his footsteps quiet against the floor as he approached the bed. The closer he got, the more obvious Skylar’s act became. The boy wasn’t sleeping at all.
"D-Dad..." Skylar spoke again, his voice softer this time. Nervous.
He shifted slightly, as if debating whether to sit up or continue his terribly failed acting career.
"I’m sorry, Dad..." he blurted out quickly. "I didn’t mean to ask Aunty Sienna like that."
Before Skylar could push himself upright, Zachary placed a hand gently against his shoulder and guided him back onto the pillow.
"Stay," he said quietly.
Skylar immediately obeyed.
Zachary sat down at the edge of the bed and adjusted the blanket around him with slow, careful movements. The act itself was simple, almost routine. Yet there was an undeniable caring and tenderness in the way he tucked the blanket under Skylar’s arms, making sure his son was warm and cozy.
For a moment, silence settled between them.
Then Skylar tilted his head slightly, peeking up at him with curious children’s innocent eyes.
"Dad..." he called again, quieter this time. "Is Aunty Sienna mad at me?"
The worry in his voice was impossible to miss.
Zachary looked at him for a second before sighing softly. "No," he answered calmly. "I think she adores you."
Skylar blinked, then his eyes widened suddenly, almost making Zachary laugh as he watched the amusement on his face.
"Really?" Skylar asked, his voice instantly brighter.
Zachary nodded once.
"She invited us to visit her place this weekend," Zachary added calmly. Yet the faint glimmer of happiness in his eyes betrayed him.
Skylar shot upright so fast the blanket nearly flew off the bed.
"Daddy, really?!" he whispered loudly, grabbing both of Zachary’s hands without hesitation. "Aunty Sienna invited us?"
Zachary glanced briefly at their joined hands before looking back at his son’s glowing face.
"Hm," he replied simply. "We’ll visit her this Saturday."
Skylar’s entire face lit up with pure excitement, and his earlier anxiety vanished in an instant.
"Then I’ll behave..." he declared seriously. "And study hard tomorrow. And sleep early. And maybe clean my room too."
Zachary raised an eyebrow.
"Maybe?"
Skylar grinned, "Okay, Dad... I will clean my room."
"That would be a historic event," Zachary remarked dryly.
"Dad, I already promised..."
A quiet chuckle escaped Zachary before he could stop it.
The sound startled both of them.
Skylar stared at him with wide eyes, as if he had just witnessed a rare solar eclipse. "Daddy, you laughed," he said in surprise.
"I did not."
"You did! I heard it!"
"You’re imagining things."
Skylar narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Dad, you can’t fool me. I’m very intelligent."
"Yes," Zachary replied calmly. "That’s exactly what worries me."
Skylar shook his head with a slight smile. "Dad?" he called again after a moment.
"What?"
"If Aunty Sienna adores me..." He hesitated briefly before asking in a smaller voice, "Do you adore her too?"
Zachary nearly choked hearing that.
Skylar immediately sat up straighter, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "You do!"
"Go to sleep."
"Dad, that means yes!?"
"That means you’re still talking when you’re supposed to sleep."
Skylar giggled and grinned beneath the blanket. "Aunty Sienna is really pretty."
Zachary pinched the bridge of his nose. "You’re six years old."
"So? I have eyes."
Zachary was speechless.
"Alright, little man, you need to sleep now," Zachary repeated, this time more gently.
"Okay," Skylar agreed obediently, though his smile remained.
Zachary adjusted the blanket once more, smoothing it carefully over him. His hand lingered briefly against Skylar’s hair before he finally pulled away.
"Good night, Sky."
"Good night, Dad," Skylar murmured softly.
This time, when he closed his eyes, it was natural. Within minutes, his breathing became slow and steady.
Zachary remained seated there for a while, quietly watching him sleep.
The room fell silent again, peaceful and still.
Eventually, he stood and walked toward the door, pausing for one final glance at his son before stepping outside.
As the door clicked shut behind him, his expression shifted slightly.
His thoughts had already drifted toward the weekend.
When Zachary returned to his bedroom, the silence from the hallway followed him inside, settling heavily within the dim room. He sighed deeply as he walked toward the bathroom.
Then his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Without much thought, he pulled it out, his attention only half-focused on the screen.
But the moment he saw the sender’s name, he stopped moving entirely.
’Sienna...’
Hurriedly, his thumb hovered over the message for a brief second before opening it.
"Zach, thank you so much for the generous bonus. I really appreciate it. And let Skylar know I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye earlier."
Zachary read the message a few times. His grip around the phone tightened slightly.
Without realizing it, he walked toward the French window overlooking the city. The distant lights shimmered against the darkness beyond the glass, but his thoughts were far from calm.
A soft exhale escaped him.
He still couldn’t understand it.
Skylar had never been the type to open up easily. Even with relatives, he usually kept his distance, polite but indifferent, an attitude that shouldn’t be present for a child her age.
But with Sienna? It was almost instant. He softened toward her after just a few hours of meeting her. And in only a few days, he already declared that he liked her.
Zachary lowered his gaze, staring faintly at his own reflection in the glass.
"Sienna..." he murmured quietly into the silence. "Did you know?"
The question lingered in the darkness.
"Skylar is your son—"
