Chapter 252: Skylar is My Son

Although Riley tried to hide it behind a smile, Sienna could tell he was mentally drained. She wanted to ask what had happened at work, but seeing how tired he looked, she decided not to bring up work and business during dinner.

Instead, she simply smiled and took another sip of sparkling water.

A few minutes later, one of the restaurant staff returned to take their orders.

Mia enthusiastically ordered the Dry-Aged Prime T-Bone Steak with Black Truffle Butter, the Imperial Oscietra Caviar with Blinis, the Butter-Poached Atlantic Scallops with Truffle Cream, and the Château Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classé 2015.

Ava ordered the Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Rosemary Jus, while Riley kept his promise and ordered the same steak as Mia.

Sienna chose the Miso-Glazed Chilean Sea Bass with Saffron Risotto, one of her favorite dishes at the restaurant.

Once the waiter had written everything down and politely excused himself, the conversation naturally shifted away from the menu.

This time, Ava looked at Sienna with a warm smile. "So," she asked gently, "how are you feeling now, Sienna?"

The question lingered in the air as everyone turned their attention toward her, genuinely wanting to know how she felt on the day she had officially closed one Chapter of her life and prepared to begin another.

Before answering Ava’s question, Sienna took a slow, deep breath.

"Honestly..." She smiled faintly. "I’m sad to leave the career I’ve built from the entry level. Now, in hindsight, I just realized my path to becoming a manager wasn’t easy or comfy, and it left me wondering why I did it in the first place. However, I’ll always be proud of everything I accomplished at the Imperial Hotel."

A trace of bitterness lingered in her smile for only a moment. Then, as she thought about what was waiting for her tomorrow, the sadness gradually faded. A bright smile naturally spread across her face, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"And..." she continued warmly, "I’m also happy because, starting tomorrow, I get to spend every day with my son."

She paused, unconsciously picturing Skylar’s excited face when he had shown her the weekly schedule he had prepared for them. Just remembering it filled her heart with warmth.

However, while Sienna was lost in that happy thought, Ava and Mia exchanged surprised glances.

The way she said "my son" sounded so natural and affectionate that neither of them questioned it at first. When they finally realized what she had actually said, both women blinked in confusion.

Ava was the first to laugh. "Oh, Sienna..." she said with an amused smile. "You’re too sweet."

Sienna looked at her curiously.

"The way you just said it..." Ava continued, shaking her head. "You make it sound like Zachary’s son is actually your flesh and blood."

Mia immediately nodded. "I was thinking the same thing." She laughed. "If I didn’t already know that Zachary Sterling has a son, the way you looked and sounded when you said Skylar would’ve made me believe the little boy was your biological child."

Sienna pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. ’Well... they’re actually right.’

Skylar really was her son. Her friends simply didn’t know it yet because she had never told them the truth.

She had been wondering when the right time would come to reveal everything. Maybe... This was finally that moment.

However—

Just as she was about to speak, Riley suddenly joined the conversation.

"I’m impressed with you, Sienna," he said with a smile.

Everyone turned toward him.

"Skylar accepted you so quickly." Riley chuckled softly. "That little guy is incredibly difficult to get close to. Even for me, it took years before he finally became comfortable enough to talk to me."

His words made Sienna smile. At the same time, his words reminded her of something almost ironic: Riley was Zachary’s nephew. He had known Skylar for years. Yet he had absolutely no idea that the woman sitting across from him was actually Skylar’s biological mother.

The thought made Sienna feel even more certain. It was time to stop hiding the truth.

She looked directly at Riley.

"Riley..."

He looked back at her.

"Skylar IS my biological son. My flesh and blood." She smiled gently. "So, of course he was naturally attached to me the moment we met again."

She spoke so casually that, for a second, nobody reacted.

Then everything happened at once.

Riley, who had just taken a sip of water, suddenly coughed violently.

Mia gasped so loudly that she almost dropped her fork.

Ava’s mouth slowly fell open as she stared at Sienna in complete disbelief.

For several long seconds, nobody spoke.

Only Riley managed to recover first. He placed his glass back on the table before straightening in his chair, still looking stunned.

"W-What are you talking about?" he asked.

His eyes searched Sienna’s face, hoping to find some sign that she was joking.

"Y-You’re Skylar’s biological mother?"

He let out an awkward laugh that quickly disappeared.

"Come on, Sienna... that’s not something you can joke about." His confusion only grew stronger. "How could you possibly be Sky’s mother? He’s almost seven years old, and you’re only twenty-six."

He frowned as he tried to calculate the years in his head.

"If you gave birth to him..." His voice gradually slowed. Then his eyes widened as if something suddenly clicked in his mind.

Before Riley could continue, Mia abruptly leaned toward Sienna.

"Sienna..." Her voice was filled with disbelief. "So when you told us you were taking a semester off..." She stared at Sienna with wide eyes. "Were you actually pregnant with Zachary Sterling’s baby?"

Sienna smiled gently.

"Hmm." She gave a small nod. "You’re right, Mia."

Back then, she had disappeared from campus for an entire semester after her pregnancy became impossible to hide. She had secretly given birth in another city, and only Zachary’s medical team had known the truth.

None of her closest friends had ever found out. Now, years later, they were finally beginning to understand why.

Of course, there was one part of the story Sienna still couldn’t tell them. She couldn’t reveal that she had originally been a surrogate mother.

That secret wasn’t hers alone. It belonged to both of her and Zachary.

She and Zachary had already agreed on what they would tell people if anyone asked about Skylar.

The story they had prepared was simple.