Chapter 268: Meeting Zachary’s Parents (4)

Their laughter slowly faded into a comfortable silence before Sienna’s expression softened.

As they continued talking, Hannah casually mentioned that she had been the one who had arranged every one of Skylar’s birthday celebrations over the years. The revelation caught Sienna completely by surprise.

Sienna blinked several times before lowering her gaze, suddenly feeling guilty to know that.

All this time, she had assumed it was simply another responsibility shared among the household staff. She had never realized Hannah had lovingly planned every one of Skylar’s birthdays herself.

This year, without knowing that, she had taken over the preparations because she wanted to do something special for her son.

"I’m really sorry, Hannah," Sienna said again, her voice filled with genuine regret. "If I had known, I never would have taken it away from you."

Hannah smiled gently and leaned closer to pat Sienna’s hand with quiet affection.

"No, dear," she said softly. "You don’t need to apologize for that. If anything, I’m happy..."

Sienna looked up in confusion.

Hannah’s smile grew warmer, her eyes reflecting nothing but kindness. "I’m happy because you’re finally able to arrange it for Little Sky. You’ve become such an important part of his life, and I’m glad it happened naturally. He deserves to experience that. I’m sure this birthday will mean even more to him because it comes from you."

Her words eased some of the guilt weighing on Sienna’s heart.

"Little Sky must be over the moon, right?" Hannah asked with a knowing smile.

Sienna couldn’t help smiling back. "Yes, he is excited," she admitted. "More excited than I’ve ever seen him."

She remembered what both the butler and her maid had told her. In previous years, Skylar had never shown much interest in planning his birthday. He rarely cared about decorations or themes and usually left everything to the adults. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

The only thing he would ask for was a present from his father, and that alone seemed enough to make him happy.

This year, however, everything was different. He eagerly talked about the decorations, the games he wanted to play, the guests he hoped would come, and every little detail that made the celebration feel special. Seeing his excitement, Sienna felt quiet happiness, making all the effort worthwhile.

And then—

The conversation gradually shifted to a subject Sienna had known might come up sooner or later: how she had met Zachary, how Skylar had come into their lives, and why she had left.

The question settled over the room, and for a few moments, Sienna remained silent.

She lowered her gaze before slowly looking toward Zachary, silently hoping he would answer instead. She had never expected Hannah to ask so directly, and although she and Zachary had already agreed on how they would explain the past, hearing the question now still caught her off guard.

Zachary’s expression immediately became rigid.

"Mother," he said firmly, "I already reminded you not to ask about it."

The gentle warmth that had filled the living room only moments before faded into an uncomfortable silence. Hannah immediately realized she had touched on a painful subject, and guilt appeared on her face.

"My dear, I’m really sorry if my question crossed the line," Hannah said sincerely. She offered an apologetic smile, hoping to ease the tension she had unintentionally created. "You don’t have to answer it, dear. It’s perfectly fine."

Sienna took a slow, steady breath. It wasn’t that she wanted to keep the truth hidden. She and Zachary had already prepared an answer that would protect everyone involved. Even so, she hadn’t expected to face the question today, and she needed a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking.

Before she could say anything, Kennedy’s calm voice gently broke the silence.

"Daughter."

Sienna turned toward him, and her expression softened the moment she heard the affectionate way he addressed her. There was no judgment in his eyes, only quiet concern.

"Please don’t feel pressured by your mother-in-law’s question," Kennedy said kindly. "Whatever happened in the past, we can understand that life isn’t always simple. You don’t owe us an explanation if speaking about it only brings you pain."

His words immediately eased some of the pressure weighing on her chest.

Sienna smiled gratefully before shaking her head.

"No, that’s not it. It’s not that I don’t want to answer," she said softly as she turned back to Hannah. "I just... feel bad."

Hannah frowned slightly.

"Feel bad?"

"Yes."

Sienna forced a small smile, even though guilt continued to linger inside her. She hated lying to Hannah and Kennedy, both of whom had welcomed her with nothing but kindness. They deserved the truth, yet she could never tell it.

"I feel bad for leaving Sky with Zach when I was still so young and emotionally unstable," she explained quietly. "Even though Zach offered to marry me..."

Her voice faded as she paused to take a slow breath. Almost without thinking, she glanced at Zachary. He met her eyes briefly, silently reminding her that she didn’t have to carry everything alone.

Looking back at Hannah and Kennedy, Sienna continued.

"At the time, I was dealing with so many problems with my family that I couldn’t even take care of myself properly. I believed Skylar would have a better life with Zach, so... I allowed him to raise Skylar."

As the words left her mouth, memories she had tried so hard to bury resurfaced. She remembered the day Skylar was born, the overwhelming instinct to hold him close and never let him go, and the unbearable pain of forcing herself to let him be carried away instead.

During the nine months she had carried him, she had grown attached to the tiny life inside her despite constantly reminding herself that he was never meant to be hers.

The bond had formed naturally, impossible to stop. Yet, the moment she gave birth, she had been expected to let it end because the truth remained unchanged. She had only been the surrogate mother Zachary had hired to carry his child.