After learning the truth about Zachary Sterling, Sienna found it impossible to focus on her work for the rest of the morning.
No matter how many files she opened or how many emails she tried to read, her thoughts continued drifting back toward Zachary Sterling again and again.
Every few minutes, her fingers would stop moving above the keyboard as mories suddenly appeared in her mind.
Their first chance encounter happened at Evercrest Hospital. She still vividly rembers how he quietly helped her, expecting nothing in return.
Then another mory appears... Their second eting was at the Imperial Hotel. That ti, she finally learned his na and got his cell number.
Her mories continued...
Start with the awkward but strangely comfortable dinner they shared afterward.
Then, the peaceful morning at the Pine Mountain Villa.
Finally, the mories of his visit to her apartnt fill her mind...
The way he stood in her cozy kitchen and how gently he carried Skylar into her bedroom, as if he belonged there.
Sienna tried to push away those mories, her hand slowly rising as she pressed her forehead.
"This is crazy..." She muttered, "How can Zach be Zachary Sterling now? How will I face him in the future?"
She shook her head slightly.
"Alright, alright, stop thinking about it... Sienna, focus on your work."
Yet no matter how hard she tried pushing those mories away, they remained there stubbornly.
And now that she knew the truth about his identity, every mory felt completely different.
He was no longer simply Zach. But he was Zachary Sterling, the CEO of Sterling Capital.
And sohow, that realization made her chest feel unbearably heavy.
Her gaze slowly lowered toward the training booklet still lying open on her desk. Without realizing, her fingers reached toward his printed picture.
"Zachary Sterling..." she muttered softly while staring at his face. "It’s really you, Zach..."
Even now, part of her still struggled to believe it.
Then another thought crossed her mind. Her brows slowly tightened.
"Why did you lie to ?"
Her fingers curled slightly against the edge of the booklet.
"You said your last na was Greystone..."
The more she thought about it, the more confused she beca.
Why would soone like Zachary Sterling hide his real identity from her?
Was he testing her?
Avoiding attention?
Or, did he simply never trust her enough to tell the truth?
That last thought hurt more than she expected.
Sienna let out a deep sigh, trying to calm the growing discomfort in her chest.
But then sothing crossed her mind, "Wait..."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Did he use his mother’s last na?"
Quickly, she turned toward her computer and typed on the keyboard.
If she rembered correctly, Kennedy Sterling’s wife ca from a powerful family, too.
She searched for Kennedy Sterling’s profile.
And thankfully, it did not take long for the information to appear on the screen.
"Hannah Greystone..."
Sienna slowly leaned back against her chair while staring blankly at the screen.
"So..." she whispered softly. "He is indeed using his mother’s last na..."
A strange mixture of relief and worry filled her chest at once.
At least he had not completely lied to her. But that still did not change the biggest problem. He was Zachary Sterling. A man with a powerful existence.
And she...? She was simply Sienna Adams.
The gap between them suddenly felt terrifyingly large now.
The man she knew felt warm and reachable.
But Zachary Sterling? That man belonged to a different world of power, wealth, and influence she could never imagine.
What place could soone like her possibly be standing beside him?
The thought alone made her chest tighten painfully.
After several long monts of silence, Sienna’s gaze slowly drifted toward her cell phone resting beside the keyboard.
Part of her desperately wanted to call him imdiately. To ask him directly and hear the truth from him personally.
But another part of her stopped her. Because deep down... She was afraid.
Afraid that hearing the truth directly from him might change everything between them. Afraid that the comfortable relationship they built together would slowly drift apart afterward.
"What should I do now?"
Torn between confusion and fear, Sienna let out a long, exhausted sigh while leaning back against her chair.
She closed her eyes briefly, trying to steady her breathing.
Then finally, she reached for her phone.
Just as she gathered enough courage to call him—
Knock knock.
The sudden sound startled her imdiately. She quickly lowered her phone and looked toward the door.
"Yes, co in..."
The door slowly opened, and her assistant entered politely.
"Ma’am," the assistant said carefully, "I just wanted to remind you about your eting with Mr. Foster..."
The mont she heard his na, Sienna felt her entire body stiffen instantly.
Knowing Zachary Sterling’s identity, she had completely forgotten about Benjamin Foster. But now? All the anxiety she had temporarily pushed aside ca rushing back.
"Did his secretary remind you?"
Her assistant nodded.
"Yes, ma’am. She called personally to make sure you didn’t forget."
A forced smile slowly appears on Sienna’s lips at that.
"Alright, thank you. I’ll head there soon."
After dismissing her assistant, silence filled the office once again.
Sienna lowered her gaze toward her phone.
Then finally, after hesitating for several seconds, she typed a ssage carefully.
"Zach, if you have ti, please call . There’s sothing I need to ask you."
After finishing the text, she reread it several tis. Her thumb hovered uncertainly over the send button for several seconds before she finally pressed send.
The ssage disappeared imdiately.
And just like that, her nervous intensity doubled.
Sienna quickly stood from her chair afterward and took a deep breath.
Her gaze casually drifted back to her phone, secretly hoping he’d reply soon. Of course, there was nothing.
She turned on silent mode and put it in her pocket.
"Solve one problem at a ti, Sienna. You’re only a human," she muttered weakly to herself.
Right now, she needed to settle things with Benjamin Foster first.
Everything else will have to wait.
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