The Billionaire's Heir I Never Knew Was Mine novel Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Dangerous Combination

Zachary was taller than Sienna, causing her to tilt her head slightly to look up at him.

When their eyes locked, neither of them said a word for a moment.

Only after a few seconds did Zachary finally break the silence. "Don’t be offended, Sienna, but it wouldn’t be polite if you paid for me."

She was stunned.

Before she could say anything, he added, "And no one... especially a lady... has ever paid for my meal." His tone was steady.

Sienna opened her mouth, ready to argue.

Then paused.

Because, strangely enough... she couldn’t.

There was no arrogance in his tone. No attempt to belittle her. Just a simple statement, delivered with quiet confidence.

"...Alright," she said at last, exhaling softly. "If you insist."

But then she frowned slightly as she looked at him again.

"Still... Now I feel like I owe you even more. This is getting out of control, you know."

Zachary chuckled lightly, the sound low and unexpectedly warm. "Don’t feel like that. As far as I’m concerned, you already paid whatever you think you owe me," he said.

"I did?" she asked, genuinely confused.

He nodded. "With your priceless time."

Sienna stared at him, clearly not following.

"I mean," he continued, his tone softening just a little, "you spent your evening dining with me."

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then she let out another quiet sigh, though there was a hint of amusement in it. "That’s a very convenient way to settle a debt."

"It works," he replied simply.

She shook her head, though this time her shoulders felt lighter. The tension from earlier had faded almost completely, replaced by something easier... something comfortable.

"Well," she said, glancing toward the direction of her apartment, "my place is just over there. I can walk from here, so you don’t have to—"

Her words stopped mid-sentence.

Zachary had already walked ahead of her and opened the passenger door of his car.

Sienna shook her head lightly.

"...You’re not even going to pretend to listen to me, are you?" she muttered.

"Get in," he said, his voice calm but firm. "I’ll drive you to your building."

Sienna hesitated for a second, standing there under the soft glow of the streetlight, looking at him.

And somehow... she knew this wasn’t a suggestion.

Sienna settled into the passenger seat once again, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her bag as she watched Zachary walk around the front of the car.

The soft glow of the streetlights traced his figure—tall, composed, steady in every step he took. There was nothing rushed about him, nothing careless. Even something as simple as walking toward the driver’s seat felt... intentional.

She didn’t quite understand why she was still looking at him.

Or why her chest suddenly felt... strange.

Not uncomfortable. Not heavy. Just... different.

Something small fluttered quietly inside her, like a soft knock she didn’t expect.

It wasn’t loud enough to alarm her, but it was there. Warm, unfamiliar, and oddly comforting.

’What is this...?’ she wondered silently.

Her gaze lingered on him a second longer than necessary before she quickly looked away, pretending to adjust her seatbelt as if that had been her focus all along.

’He’s just helping you, Girl. Calm down... He didn’t fall for you...’ she scolded herself inwardly, trying to remember that this is not a date, only a simple dinner.

But her mind refused to accept it.

’Handsome...’ That was the first word that came to her without permission.

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