"I have a chef," Zachary said.
"You already have a chef?" Sienna repeated as she turned toward him. "Then why did you offer me this job?"
There was no accusation in her tone, just genuine curiosity. And maybe a little suspicion, the kind that came from someone who had learned not to trust convenient luck too easily.
Zachary didn't seem offended. Instead, he looked as if he expected that question.
"He couldn't come this time," he explained simply. "His father was admitted to the hospital."
"Oh…" Sienna's expression softened immediately, the earlier teasing fading without a trace. "That's awful. I hope he's okay."
"His father is stable, from what I heard," Zachary replied. "So I told him to stay with him until he's much better. Oh, and he is on paid leave, too."
"That was the right thing to do, and a noble thing to do, too," she said without hesitation.
