Chapter 191: I’m Scared To Fall Asleep

Instead of leaving immediately, Zachary reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a neatly folded handkerchief.

With calm, unhurried movements, he wiped the blood from his hands and fingers as though cleaning away ordinary dust. His breathing had already returned to normal, and his face showed no sign of satisfaction or regret.

After several moments, he looked toward Brad.

"Take them," he said calmly. "Throw them into the grizzly bear enclosure. Let them be the bear’s lunch."

His voice remained even, almost casual, but the words were enough to drain every trace of color from the gangsters’ faces.

One of them suddenly crawled forward as far as his bound hands allowed.

"S-Sir... please..." he begged, trembling uncontrollably. "Spare me. I’ll tell you who hired us."

Zachary slowly turned to look at him. His expression remained cold. "I don’t need information from you," he replied. "I already know who sent you."

The gangster froze.

"Juan Hayes made a serious mistake when he ordered you to touch my wife." Zachary’s voice grew quieter, making it even more frightening. "He’ll face the same fate."

The five men stared at him in complete horror.

At that moment, they finally understood they had never been brought here for questioning. Their fate had already been decided the moment they laid a hand on Sienna.

Without another glance in their direction, Zachary turned and walked toward the exit.

Logan and Brad silently followed behind him.

When Zachary arrived at the car, he paused as Brad asked, "Sir, what should we do with Juan Hayes?"

Zachary turned to look at him. He was silent for a moment, as if considering what punishment he wanted to inflict on the man who wanted to steal his wife.

After another second, he finally turned his gaze back to Brad.

"Cripple him! Make sure he never again has the urge to harm another woman. Then, destroy all his legal and illegal businesses. Ensure he ends up penniless, rotting in prison for a long time, and unable to ever make a comeback."

"Consider it done, sir!" Brad said, then nodded slightly.

Zachary said nothing. He stepped into the car after Logan opened the door for him.

He had no reason to stay any longer. The people responsible had received their punishment, and there was only one place he wanted to be now. He was going home to his wife.

...

At Lakeside Garden, Sienna sat quietly on the edge of the bed, watching her son, who was still wide awake and staring back at her.

She had already told him several times that it was time to sleep. Still, judging from the sparkle in his eyes, he had no intention of closing his eyes to sleep anytime soon.

"It’s already ten o’clock, Sky," she said with a gentle smile as she adjusted his blanket once again. She had lost count of how many times she had tucked it around him. "Are you planning to stay awake until dawn?"

Instead of answering right away, Skylar reached out and held her hand tightly, wrapping his small fingers around hers as though he was afraid she would disappear the moment he let go.

"Mom, I’m not sleepy yet," he insisted before widening his eyes as much as he could, trying to prove his point.

His adorable expression made Sienna laugh softly.

"Really?" she asked, raising an unconvinced eyebrow.

Skylar nodded several times with complete seriousness, doing everything he could to convince her.

Sienna smiled again, completely charmed by his efforts.

"But you’ve already yawned a few times," she reminded him gently.

Skylar let out a long sigh before lowering his gaze to their joined hands.

"Mommy," he said quietly, "I’m scared to fall asleep."

Sienna’s smile faded as she looked at him with concern. "Why?"

He tightened his grip on her hand and answered honestly.

"I’m afraid you’ll be gone when I wake up."

His simple words pierced her heart.

She suddenly imagined all the years Skylar had grown up without knowing who his mother was. Even though Zachary had surrounded him with love, there must have been moments when he wished he had a mother like the other children. The thought made her chest ache with guilt and sadness.

Unable to hold back her emotions, Sienna leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead.

"My son," she whispered tenderly, brushing his soft hair away from his face, "that won’t happen."

Skylar looked up at her quietly.

"I’ll always be here," she continued, her voice filled with warmth and sincerity. "I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never leave you again."

The words slipped out naturally before she even realized it.

For a brief moment, Skylar looked slightly confused, as though he didn’t quite understand why she had added the word ’again’. However, being only a child, his curiosity quickly disappeared beneath the comfort of her gentle smile.

A smile slowly spread across his own face.

"Promise?" he asked softly.

Sienna nodded without hesitation.

"I promise."

Satisfied with her answer, Skylar relaxed against his pillow. His eyelids gradually became heavier until they slowly drifted shut.

"Good night, my son," Sienna whispered, gently stroking his hair. "I will be here when you open your eyes in the morning."

"Good night... Mommy," Skylar murmured sleepily.

Within moments, his breathing slowed and steadied.

Although he had fallen asleep, his small hand still held hers tightly, refusing to let go even in his dreams.

Sienna remained seated beside him, quietly watching his peaceful face as he slept. A warm smile lingered on her lips as tears slowly gathered in her eyes.

She had dreamed of this moment countless times.

There had been so many nights when she wondered where her son was, whether he was healthy, whether he was happy, and whether fate would ever allow them to meet again.

Now, her impossible dream has become a reality.

She was sitting beside him.

She had held his hand.

She had kissed him good night.

Most importantly, he had called her Mommy.

The happiness filling her heart was so overwhelming that she could barely believe it.

She stayed there for several more minutes, memorizing every little detail of his sleeping face. His long eyelashes, his peaceful expression, and the way his tiny fingers still wrapped around hers were all things she wanted to remember forever.