Chapter 265: Meeting Zachary’s Parents (1)

"To be honest," Zachary continued with a faint smile, "I’ve never hit a woman in my life. Not once."

"I certainly hope not."

He chuckled softly.

"But if I had been there and someone had grabbed my son’s wrist and spoken to my wife that way..."

He stopped and sighed.

"I can assure you I wouldn’t’ve stayed as calm as you did, and there would be something I’d do for the first time."

Sienna couldn’t help laughing.

"Calm?"

"You only slapped her once."

She looked at him in disbelief.

"Only?"

He nodded with complete seriousness.

"I’d call that remarkable self-control."

She laughed again, the last of the day’s tension finally beginning to disappear.

"I can’t tell whether you’re comforting me or encouraging me to be more violent."

"I’m simply stating the facts."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes playfully.

"I have a feeling you’re biased."

"I am and I always will." He answered so quickly that she laughed once more. "I take no side but my wife’s side."

His straightforward answer warmed her heart more than she expected.

Without another word, she rested her head against his chest. Zachary naturally wrapped one arm around her waist while gently stroking her back with the other.

Sienna felt relaxed. All the confusion, embarrassment, and frustration she had been carrying since the encounter with Hannah seemed much lighter now that she had shared everything with him. She realized she hadn’t needed grand promises or dramatic reassurances. Simply knowing that Zachary believed her without question was enough.

They remained like that for several quiet moments, enjoying the comfort of each other’s presence.

Unfortunately, the peaceful moment didn’t last long.

Zachary gently kissed the top of her head before speaking again.

"My wife."

"Hm?"

"Tomorrow morning, we’re going to visit my parents."

Sienna immediately lifted her head from his shoulder.

"What?"

She stared at him with wide eyes, her relaxed expression disappearing almost instantly.

Only a few hours earlier, she had survived one unexpected meeting with her mother-in-law. Now Zachary was calmly telling her they would be visiting his parents the very next morning.

Seeing the mixture of surprise and disbelief on her face, Zachary couldn’t help smiling faintly, already knowing that convincing his wife to walk back into his parents’ house would require a great deal more than that one simple sentence.

Zachary took Sienna’s hand and gently led her to the sofa in the corner of the room. After helping her sit down, he settled beside her, never letting go of her hand.

He gave her a few quiet moments to gather her thoughts before speaking again.

"I’ll officially introduce you to my parents."

Sienna’s fingers tightened in her lap. She wanted to respond, but the words she had prepared seemed to disappear. Ever since he had mentioned visiting his parents, her mind had been racing with countless possibilities. None of them gave her much confidence.

She simply looked at him, and the uncertainty in her eyes made Zachary smile gently.

He took both of her hands into his and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

"You don’t want to meet them?" he asked cautiously.

Sienna quickly shook her head.

"No, don’t say that. That’s not it." She let out a quiet breath before continuing. "I do want to meet them. I’ve wanted to meet them for a long time." She lowered her gaze for a moment. "I’m just worried because of what happened earlier today. Your mother..."

Before she could finish, Zachary gently interrupted her.

"Don’t worry about my mother."

His voice was calm but certain.

"Trust me. Once she knows you’re Skylar’s biological mother and that we’re already legally married, she’ll know she has no choice but to accept it and make an effort to understand it."

Sienna looked into his eyes, searching for even the slightest hesitation. She found none.

There was only confidence.

"Hopefully," she murmured.

"My wife."

"Hm?"

"You need to trust me."

His steady voice carried a quiet confidence that slowly eased the tension in her heart.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"I do trust you."

She wasn’t only trying to reassure him.

She was reminding herself that, no matter what happened tomorrow, they would face it together.

Zachary smiled, lifted her hand, and pressed a gentle kiss against her knuckles.

"That’s all I need."

Sienna smiled back, feeling some of her anxiety melt away beneath his unwavering reassurance.

...

The following morning, Zachary and Sienna left home immediately after breakfast.

The drive to the Sterling family estate was peaceful.

Zachary occasionally spoke about ordinary things, asking whether she had slept well and teasing her about how quiet she had been since getting into the car. Sienna answered with small smiles, doing her best to appear relaxed.

Sensing that she had become unusually quiet again, Zachary reached across the center console and gently held her hand.

"Nervous?"

Sienna glanced at him before smiling.

"A little."

"A little?"

She laughed softly.

"Fine... maybe more than a little."

"I thought so."

He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

"My parents aren’t as scary as you’re imagining."

Sienna couldn’t help but laugh. "Of course you would say that. They’re your parents, and you’ve known them your whole life."

He chuckled.

"That’s true."

A few minutes later, the car slowly entered the gates of the Sterling family estate.

Sienna looked out the window.

The elegant mansion stood proudly in the middle of the expansive property, surrounded by carefully maintained gardens and towering trees. The place reflected the Sterling family’s wealth without being overly extravagant.

As the car came to a smooth stop in front of the entrance, Sienna quietly took a deep breath.

"We’re here," Zachary said softly.

She nodded. "I know."

He stepped out first before walking around to her side of the car.

Opening the door, he offered her his hand.

Sienna accepted it without hesitation.

The moment she stepped onto the stone driveway, Zachary intertwined their fingers.

"Ready?"

She looked at the beautiful grand entrance for a brief moment before meeting his eyes.

"Hmm, I’m all set..."

Together, they walked toward the front door.