Chapter 235: The Person Behind It

Zachary couldn’t help but laugh at how creative and determined Skylar was with his questions.

"Easy, easy, buddy..." he said with a chuckle. "Mom and Dad are both fine."

"Really?"

"Really."

There was a small sigh of relief on the other end of the line. "Alright..."

Zachary’s smile softened. "Thank you for worrying about us."

Skylar didn’t say anything on the other end, which was enough to make Zachary worry as he asked, "Buddy, you don’t sound very happy."

Skylar took a deep sigh before he answered, "I was happy yesterday."

"And today?"

"Not anymore."

"Why?"

"Dad, you forgot to call me." He protested.

Zachary gently rubbed his forehead. He really had forgotten.

He had been so focused on making lunch for Sienna and taking care of her that his phone hadn’t crossed his mind all morning.

"I’m sorry, buddy."

There was a brief silence.

Then Skylar spoke again. "It’s okay, Dad..." His voice no longer sounded upset. Instead, it was full of excitement. "Daddy."

"Hmm?"

"I already packed my clothes."

Zachary had a feeling he already knew where this conversation was going. "You packed your clothes?" He asked calmly.

"Yes!"

"And why did you do that?"

"So I can come to the island!" Skylar answered confidently. "I even packed my swimming trunks. I want to build a sandcastle with you and Mommy."

Zachary laughed and had to lower the phone for a moment.

"My little explorer," he said after calming down, "this trip is for Dad and Mom."

Skylar thought about that for a few seconds.

"So... I can’t come?"

"Not this time."

There was another pause.

Then Skylar asked in a very serious voice, "Is it because of the honeymoon?"

Zachary was surprised. "...Who taught you that word?"

"Samantha. But I think she did it accidentally."

In the background, Zachary heard Samantha hurriedly protesting, then she resigned herself, acknowledging Skylar’s statement.

"Master... Yes, I said it accidentally!"

Arthur’s resigned sigh followed immediately after.

Zachary kept smiling as he pictured the awkward situation at Lakeside Garden. He could easily see Arthur struggling to explain what a honeymoon meant, while Samantha wished she could turn back time.

"My son," Zachary said, still smiling, "when Dad and Mom come home tomorrow, the three of us will spend the whole weekend together. We’ll build the biggest sandcastle we can find somewhere closer to home. How does that sound?"

Skylar didn’t answer immediately.

Then his cheerful laugh came through the phone. "Deal!"

"Deal." Zachary’s expression became relaxed.

"And Daddy..."

"Yes?"

"Don’t forget to call me tonight."

"I won’t."

"I’ll be waiting."

"I know you will."

After ending the call, Zachary looked toward the bedroom where Sienna was still peacefully asleep. A warm smile spread across his face.

...

That afternoon, Sienna and Zachary walked side by side along the white-sand beach, enjoying the gentle sea breeze brushing their faces.

The waves rolled peacefully onto the shore, and the quiet sound of the ocean made the entire island feel even more relaxing.

Neither of them spoke much. Simply being together in the peaceful surroundings was enough.

As they continued strolling along the beach, Sienna’s eyes landed on a huge tree standing not far from the shoreline. Its wide branches stretched outward, casting a large patch of cool shade over the soft sand.

Her eyes brightened immediately.

"Let’s sit over there," she said, pointing toward the tree before looking at Zachary with a smile. "It’s the perfect spot for our picnic."

Zachary followed her gaze and smiled back.

"That’s a good idea."

The moment he agreed, Sienna happily slipped her hand from his and hurried toward the tree, almost breaking into a run. The excitement on her face made him chuckle as he watched her.

By the time he reached the tree, she had already taken a picnic cloth from the tote bag she was carrying and spread it neatly across the sand. She sat down comfortably and began unpacking everything she had prepared.

When Zachary finally joined her, she had already prepared warm coffee in two tumblers.

She handed him one with a smile.

"Here. Your coffee."

He accepted it gratefully. "Thank you, wife."

Sienna simply smiled before lifting her own tumbler. The two of them quietly sipped their coffee while admiring the endless blue sea stretching out before them.

A cool breeze occasionally stirred the leaves above their heads, creating a peaceful atmosphere that made it easy to forget everything waiting for them back in the city.

After sitting in comfortable silence for a while, something suddenly crossed Sienna’s mind.

She turned to him. "Zach."

"Hmm?"

"Have you found the person who spread those rumors about my incident with Benjamin?"

The warmth in Zachary’s expression faded for a brief moment. A shadow crossed his eyes before he quickly concealed it behind his usual calm smile.

"Yes," he answered quietly. "My people finished investigating this morning."

Sienna instinctively tightened her grip around the tumbler. She hadn’t expected him to find that person so fast.

She waited silently for him to continue.

"The person behind it..." Zachary paused before gently taking her free hand into his. "...is someone you know."

"Someone I know... Who?"

"It’s your former supervisor." He looked into her eyes before saying the name. "Angie Feliz."

Sienna stared at him in disbelief.

For several seconds, she couldn’t say anything. She had almost forgotten about Angie after everything that had happened during the past few weeks.

’Seriously!? What on earth is she thinking? Why can’t she just leave me alone?’

She had ignored every threatening message Angie had sent after she left the hotel, believing the woman would eventually give up.

Apparently, she had been wrong. Instead of confronting her directly, Angie had chosen another way to attack her.

Finally finding her voice again, Sienna sighed heavily.

"What is wrong with that woman?" she said, unable to hide her frustration. "Why won’t she stop bothering me? What does she actually want?"

Zachary gently rubbed the back of her hand, silently calming her. "Calm down, darling... don’t let that woman ruin your mood."

Sienna silently took a deep breath.

"My team has already removed every article, post, and discussion related to the incident, and they’ve ensured those people won’t post anything about it in the future."