Chapter 177: She Recognized Me!
Chapter 177: She Recognized Me!
After returning to his office, Scott found himself so distracted that he could not focus on anything else.
The conversation he had just had with Sienna lingered in his mind, particularly the moment she had asked whether he remembered her from seven years ago.
At the time, he had brushed off the question and pretended ignorance, but now that he was alone, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Walking toward the floor-to-ceiling glass window behind his desk, Scott slipped his phone from his pocket and glanced at the dark screen.
The city lights glittered below, contrasting sharply against the darkness of the night sky.
It was already close to midnight here, but Zachary was overseas. Scott spent a moment calculating the time difference before shaking his head with amusement.
"No wonder he never answers messages," he muttered to himself. "The man lives in a different time zone every week."
Without giving himself another opportunity to reconsider, he unlocked his phone and called Zachary.
The call connected after several rings.
"Scott," Zachary said, sounding more annoyed than sleepy. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Scott immediately laughed. "I do, actually. That’s why I’m calling. It’s midnight for me, but you’re just starting your day."
There was a brief pause before Zachary replied, "Who told you I was abroad?"
The question made Scott grin. Of all the things he could have responded to, that was what Zachary chose to focus on.
"You know," Scott said thoughtfully, "most people would start by asking how their friend is doing. You immediately jump with an interrogation as if you avoid my question."
"Actually, you’re avoiding my question first."
"Yeah? That’s because you are guilty."
"Don’t be silly. Guilty of what?" Zachary asked.
"Hiding your marriage."
A long sigh traveled through the speaker.
Scott’s smile widened. "There it is. That’s the sigh of a man who knows he’s guilty."
"I am not guilty. I didn’t do anything wrong."
"You secretly got married."
"It isn’t a secret. It’s private."
"You hid a wife, Zach."
"I didn’t hide her."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Zachary exhaled again, sounding mildly frustrated.
"How did you find out?"
Instead of answering, Scott said, "I’m disappointed in you."
"Answer the question."
Scott settled into the sofa across from his desk. He crossed one leg over the other, deliberately dragging out the conversation because he knew exactly how much it irritated Zachary.
"We’ve been friends for years. Years. We went to university together. We’ve survived business disasters, relationship disasters, and your antisocial personality and lifestyle. I thought I was a very special friend to you. Yet somehow, I learned about your marriage by accident."
"My personality isn’t antisocial."
"It absolutely is, man." Scott sighed.
"Alright, here’s my answer to you. Yes, I’m married!" Zachary said. "Now it’s your turn."
Scott chuckled. "I met her."
The atmosphere on the other end shifted immediately. "You met Sienna?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Hmm... Not long ago."
"Where?"
Scott almost automatically answered by telling what had happened, but then remembered his promise to Logan. Learning how Zachary sees Sienna, the moment he learned Sienna had been injured, he would likely abandon his business trip and immediately get on his jet to fly home.
"Where isn’t important," Scott replied casually. "What’s important is that I have something I need to ask you."
To his surprise and relief, Zachary let the subject go.
"What is it?"
"Man, I just want to know something. Does Sienna already know about the surrogacy?"
The line instantly became quiet.
For a second, Scott wondered if the call had dropped. He pulled the phone away from his ear and checked the screen.
The call was still connected. "Zach?"
"No," Zachary finally answered. "I haven’t told her yet. Why are you suddenly asking?"
Scott leaned back against the sofa and ran a hand through his hair.
"Because when I met your wife, she recognized me. She asked whether we had met before."
"And what did you say?"
"Of course, I didn’t tell her the truth. I’m a doctor. I can’t just reveal your identity because she asks a question." Scott paused before adding, "But it seemed like she wanted to know about the child... about Sky."
A deep breath came from the other end of the line.
Even without seeing him, Scott could imagine exactly what expression Zachary was wearing right now.
"Thanks, man," Zachary said quietly.
Scott shook his head. "Don’t thank me. Just don’t keep this secret for too long. You need to tell her yourself. I’d be more worried about her finding out from someone else."
"I know."
"You always say that."
"Because I do know."
Scott sighed.
For all his intelligence, Zachary could be incredibly stubborn when it came to emotional matters.
"Anyway," Scott said, deciding not to push further, "I’m heading home soon. I’m exhausted after performing surgeries all day."
"Are you still at the hospital?"
"Yeah," Scott answered tiredly.
The question that followed came so naturally that he responded before thinking.
"Did you meet Sienna at the hospital?"
"Yes—" The word slipped out before Scott could stop it.
His eyes widened immediately. "No," he corrected himself far too quickly. "I mean—no. Anyway, I should go."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Zachary’s voice returned, calm and controlled. "Don’t try to hide it from me, Scott."
"I wasn’t hiding anything," Scott answered while rubbing his forehead. Being friends with Zachary was exhausting sometimes.
"I will find out eventually if I ask someone to investigate," Zachary continued in the same casual tone.
The words sounded harmless enough, but Scott knew better. Whenever Zachary spoke like that, it usually meant he had already made up his mind.
Scott laughed awkwardly. "See, this is why nobody likes talking to you."
"Nobody?"
"Fine. Most people."
"You’re still avoiding my question, Scott Anderson!"
Scott leaned back against the sofa and stared at the ceiling. He knew Zachary would uncover the truth sooner or later. Keeping it from him would only delay the inevitable.
"Before I tell you anything," Scott said cautiously, "tell me when you’re done there."
"I just finished."
"Finished... Finished?"
"Yes."
"And now?"
"I’ll be flying back in a few hours. Why?"
Hearing that, Scott finally relaxed. Technically, he wasn’t breaking his promise to Logan anymore. Zachary was already preparing to return.
Taking a deep breath, Scott chose his next words carefully. "Zach, you can’t panic when you hear this..."
The silence on the other end grew heavier immediately.
"What happened?"
Scott swallowed. "Sienna came to the hospital a few hours ago."
There was no interruption.
"She had a knife wound on her arm," Scott continued. "It wasn’t life-threatening, but the injury required minor surgery."
Still, Zachary said nothing.
Scott quickly added, "The surgery went perfectly. She’s fine. The wound was cleaned and stitched properly, and she’s already gone home with Logan."
For several seconds, Zachary remained silent.
Scott knew that silence well enough to understand what was happening. His friend was processing every detail while trying to stay calm.
Finally, Zachary spoke. "Thank you, Scott."
The sincerity in his voice surprised him, but before Scott could say anything else, the call ended.
Scott lowered his phone and stared at the dark screen for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh.
He could already imagine what would happen next.
Logan had specifically asked him not to tell Zachary.
Unfortunately, Logan seemed to forget one important thing.
Keeping secrets from Zachary Sterling was nearly impossible.
Shaking his head, Scott rose from the sofa and slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"Sorry, Logan," he muttered with amusement. "I have a feeling you’re about to get scolded by your boss."