Chapter 273: Skylar’s Birthday (1)

Without taking his eyes off the passing traffic, Zachary picked up his phone and selected a familiar number.

The call connected quickly.

"Mr. Sterling," Hunter answered immediately.

"I need you to investigate someone."

"Yes, sir... Please tell me the name."

"Riley."

Following a brief pause, Hunter’s voice echoed again. "As in Riley Sterling, your nephew?"

"Yes."

"Roger that, sir. Is there anything in particular you want me to focus on in the investigation?"

"Dig out everything about him."

Zachary’s voice remained low and controlled.

"I want to know everything he’s ever done involving Sienna. I don’t care how trivial it may seem. Find out how they met, how often they were together, where they went, who knew about them, what he said to her, what he did for her, and whether he ever confessed his feelings before today."

Zachary paused briefly upon hearing the typing sound from the other end, as if Hunter had already started following his order.

"I also want to know what he’s planning from this moment forward before he carries out the plan. If he contacts Sienna, follows her, meets her, or does anything related to her, I want it in my report."

"Understood, sir."

"I don’t want assumptions. I want facts."

"You’ll have them."

"Good."

"I’ll begin immediately and send you the first report as soon as I have something."

The call ended.

Zachary lowered his phone onto his lap, his expression remaining perfectly composed despite the storm brewing beneath the surface.

He trusted Sienna completely. She had never given him a reason to doubt her. She had clearly and honestly rejected Riley.

She had chosen him, and they were married now. However, none of that changed the fact that another man had fallen in love with his wife.

His fingers slowly tightened around the phone.

’Riley, you may be my nephew, but don’t mistake my silence for acceptance.’

He looked out the window as the city skyline came into view.

’I won’t interfere if you truly let her go. I’ll even pretend this never happened.’

His eyes grew colder.

’But if you decide to chase my wife after everything she told you today... if you make her uncomfortable again or try to come between us...’

A humorless smile slowly formed on his lips.

’Then I won’t treat you like family.’

The thought remained firmly in his mind.

Riley had one chance to respect the boundary Sienna had drawn.

If he crossed it, Zachary would make sure his nephew understood exactly what happened to anyone who threatened the family he had finally reclaimed.

...

A week had gone by like a flash as Sienna was busy preparing something big: Skylar’s birthday. And today is the day.

Although the weather forecast had promised clear skies, the day had other plans. Dark clouds had covered the sky since early morning, and only a few hours before the lunch party was scheduled to begin, rain started pouring steadily.

The garden party Skylar had looked forward to was no longer possible.

Fortunately, Sienna already had a backup plan. To be fair, it wasn’t entirely her idea. The credit belonged to her clever son, who had insisted they prepare another location just in case the weather made the primary plan impossible.

As a result, the celebration was moved to the multipurpose hall on the right side of the house, a spacious building specifically designed to host family gatherings and special events.

Even so, Sienna couldn’t completely relax.

Before the guests arrived, she decided to inspect the venue one last time to make sure everything was exactly as it should be.

The moment she entered the hall, Arthur greeted her respectfully.

"Madam."

She returned his greeting with a small nod while letting her eyes travel around the room, something she usually used to do when she worked in the Imperial Hotel and handled a huge event there.

The colorful birthday decorations had been neatly arranged, fresh flowers adorned every table, and the long buffet table was already filled with beautifully prepared dishes. Staff members moved quietly from one place to another, making final adjustments before the celebration began.

Arthur stepped closer.

"Everything is ready, Madam. The food, decorations, and staff are all prepared. We only need to wait for the guests to arrive for the lunch party."

"Thank you, Arthur."

Sienna smiled appreciatively before walking farther into the hall.

Even after hearing Arthur’s report, she still checked everything herself. She carefully examined the flower arrangements and adjusted the position of one centerpiece on the long table. She ensured the cutlery was neatly placed for every guest.

She had spent the whole week preparing Skylar’s birthday. After everything that had happened over the past few weeks, she wanted this celebration to be perfect, even when using plan B.

"I told you not to worry."

Zachary’s familiar voice came from behind her.

Sienna immediately turned around and found him walking toward her, a reassuring smile on his face.

"I know," she admitted with a small smile of her own. "I just wanted to make sure everything was ready."

She glanced around the hall once more before looking back at him.

"I don’t want my first time arranging Skylar’s birthday to become a complete disaster."

Zachary chuckled as he stopped in front of her. "It won’t."

"You sound very confident."

"Because I know you."

His hand slowly reached up and gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"You’ve been checking everything since breakfast. If something were wrong, you would have found it hours ago."

Sienna laughed softly.

"Hmm... I still can’t help it."

"I know."

He looked at her quietly for a moment.

With the decorations surrounding them and the soft lighting filling the hall, she looked even more beautiful than usual. Her glossy cherry-colored lips naturally caught his attention, and before he realized it, he had already leaned closer.

Without another word, he gently captured her lips.

Sienna’s eyes widened in surprise.

The kiss was unexpected, but it was gentle and filled with affection. After only a brief moment of surprise, she relaxed and returned the kiss just as softly.

Several staff members noticed what was happening.

Arthur immediately cleared his throat and discreetly gestured for everyone to leave.

Within seconds, the nearby staff quietly slipped out of the hall, carefully closing the doors behind them and leaving the husband and wife alone without disturbing their private moment.