Chapter 270: He Refused To Accept

Fortunately, the questions that followed were much easier to answer.

Hannah became interested in hearing about Sienna’s years as the Front Office Manager.

At the same time, Kennedy asked a few questions about any changes the Imperial Hotel had during Sienna’s tenure.

Riley occasionally added amusing stories from his internship, admitting that she had been terrified of Sienna during her first week because Sienna had always looked calm and stern while managing the front desk.

"I honestly thought she disliked me," Riley admitted with a laugh.

Sienna laughed softly. "I didn’t dislike you. You were just stiff and not polite enough to the guests almost every day. And you lacked attention to detail. When I told you how to do things the right way, you suddenly looked so nervous."

Riley shrugged as he answered, "Yeah. I convinced myself I’d be fired soon."

"The first week on your job, you checked in a guest under the wrong reservation twice in the same day."

Everyone laughed together.

"Oh, come on, Sienna... It only happened twice, and that was it," Riley protested dramatically.

"Yeah, the second time I was so mad that you looked so terrified. And that’s why you never made the same mistake again," Sienna replied with a smile.

The conversation finally became relaxed again.

Throughout it all, Zachary barely spoke. He remained quietly seated in his seat, observing every exchange. Although he appeared calm, his attention never left Sienna for long.

Every time another personal question seemed about to surface, he instinctively prepared himself to redirect the conversation if necessary. Fortunately, this time, his family seemed content to discuss work rather than her private life.

Just then, Sienna’s phone rang.

She glanced at the screen and smiled immediately.

"It’s Sky."

She answered the call.

"Hi, sweetheart."

"Mommy..." Skylar’s cheerful voice echoed through the speaker. "Didn’t you say you were only going out for a short time? Where are you, Mom...?"

"We’re visiting Grandma Hannah and Grandpa Kennedy."

There was a brief silence before Skylar’s excited voice came through. "Really? Then can I come too? I want to meet Granny and Grandpa..."

Before Sienna could respond, Hannah had already overheard the conversation.

"Tell him yes!" Hannah said happily. "Tell my precious grandson to come right away."

Sienna smiled before relaying the invitation.

Skylar happily agreed and promised he would arrive soon with Arthur.

Less than an hour later, Skylar rushed into the dining room with Arthur following behind him at a much calmer pace.

"Hello Grandma," Skylar shouted as he ran straight into Hannah’s arms.

"My precious little Sky," Hannah laughed, hugging him tightly. "Granny is so happy you came."

Then Skylar turned to his parents. His eyes lit up with excitement. "Mom, Dad..." He embraced his mother before settling into his seat between them.

The dining room immediately became livelier.

Skylar greeted everyone enthusiastically before taking his seat.

"Alright, let’s start enjoying our meal," Kennedy said warmly.

During lunch, he proudly explained every detail of his birthday plans, occasionally changing his mind halfway through his own sentences.

As lunch was about to end, with the servant now serving them dessert, Skylar suddenly leaned in to Sienna.

"Mommy, I really like this chocolate cake..." he whispered, loud enough for his father to hear.

"Huh!? Buddy, I thought you said you liked strawberry cake yesterday," Zachary reminded him.

Everyone now looked in their direction, curious about their conversation.

Skylar glanced at his father. "I changed... Today, I like chocolate cake."

Hannah and Kennedy, who finally realized they were discussing Skylar’s favorite cake, smiled.

"So what flavor do you actually like?" Kennedy asked.

Skylar thought very seriously before grinning. "Of course, both."

The adults burst into laughter.

"Little man, you certainly inherited your father’s ability to negotiate," Riley teased.

"Ugh, Brother Riley... You are wrong," Skylar replied confidently. "Daddy loses. My mommy always wins."

This time, even Zachary laughed.

Arthur, who had just served Skylar the cake, hesitated briefly and cleared his throat before saying, "Young Master, perhaps you shouldn’t reveal your father’s weakness during lunch."

"It’s not a weakness," Skylar said innocently. "Daddy told me that if Mom wins, she will be happy. Right, Dad?"

The entire table erupted into laughter again, while Zachary simply sighed in defeat.

"Buddy, I don’t remember saying it quite like that," he muttered.

"You did," Sienna replied, smiling.

Lunch continued with warm conversation, gentle teasing, and frequent laughter. The earlier tension disappeared completely, replaced by the comfortable feeling of family enjoying one another’s company.

After lunch, everyone gradually excused themselves. Hannah and Kennedy went to rest in the backyard, and Zachary stepped outside for a work call.

And Skylar eagerly dragged Arthur into the library to show him the book he had read here.

That left only Riley and Sienna in the living room.

Riley had spent the entire afternoon convincing himself that he was imagining everything, but the sight of Sienna laughing beside Zachary, caring for Skylar so naturally, and being welcomed as part of the family refused to leave his mind.

For several moments, Riley simply watched her in silence. She busied herself with her cell phone, completely ignoring him.

He cleared his throat before asking, "So, are you really Skylar’s mother?"

His voice was quiet, carrying disbelief she could no longer hide.

As Riley waited for an answer, sadness settled deep inside his chest. Yet beneath that sadness remained a faint, stubborn glimmer of hope he couldn’t bring himself to let go.

He had fallen for Sienna long before today, and now he stood between two impossible choices. Part of him wanted to walk away after seeing how naturally Sienna belonged beside Zachary and Skylar. Another part still wondered whether he should fight for the woman he loved, even though she now stood before him as his uncle’s wife and Skylar’s biological mother.

...

Sienna let out a long, quiet sigh as her expression gradually stiffened. She lifted her gaze and found Riley sitting across from her, watching her with the same conflicted look that had been on his face since lunch ended.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

She simply looked at her best friend, her eyes tired. She had never imagined they would reach a point where every conversation between them felt so heavy. More than anything, she was exhausted.

No matter how many times she explained the truth, Riley refused to accept it. It felt as though every answer only led to another question, and every reassurance only gave Riley another reason to doubt her.

She noticed Riley part his lips, clearly intending to speak first, but Sienna gently cut him off before he had the chance.