CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
DANIEL'S POV
Two months.
Two entire months had passed since the night Sandra disappeared from my life like a ghost.
Yet not a single day went by without me thinking about her.
It was driving me insane.
I stood inside my office at the royal palace, staring blankly at the city through the tall glass windows while rain poured heavily outside. The reports scattered across my desk remained untouched.
My mind was somewhere else.
With her.
Sandra.
No matter how hard I tried to focus on my royal duties, her face kept returning to me.
Those cold eyes.
That soft voice inside the elevator.
The way she trembled in my arms during the storm.
And that night…
My chest tightened painfully.
I had never felt this way before.
Not for anyone.
Women had spent years throwing themselves at me openly. Noble ladies, daughters of businessmen, princesses from powerful kingdoms — all of them wanted my attention.
But none of them ever touched my heart.
Until Sandra.
And the worst part?
I knew almost nothing about her.
After she disappeared from the hotel, I used every connection I had to search for her.
I went personally to Zarion Global Enterprises several times.
The employees feared me because of my title, but even after endless questioning, nobody could tell me anything useful.
It was as if Sandra appeared from nowhere.
No home address.
No family records.
No close friends.
Nothing.
Only one fact remained consistent.
She was the mysterious CEO of Zarion Global Enterprises.
That alone frustrated me even more.
How could someone so powerful leave no trace behind?
I loosened my tie with irritation before sitting heavily in my chair.
"She disappeared willingly," I muttered bitterly.
But why?
That question haunted me constantly.
It was not as if I forced her into anything.
That night—
She kissed me first.
And I knew what I saw in her eyes.
Longing.
Pain.
Recognition.
As if her soul already knew mine.
So why did she run away afterward?
The palace doors suddenly opened, interrupting my thoughts.
My personal guard entered quickly before bowing respectfully.
"Your Highness," he said nervously. "The royal witch doctor has arrived."
I frowned slightly.
"The royal witch doctor?"
"Yes, Your Highness. But…" the guard hesitated.
"But what?"
"He refuses to enter the palace grounds."
That immediately caught my attention.
I stood up slowly.
"What nonsense is this?"
The old witch doctor had served the royal family for decades. He was feared across the kingdom because of his connection to ancient spiritual powers.
For him to refuse entering the palace—
Something was wrong.
Without wasting another second, I walked quickly through the palace halls toward the main entrance.
The atmosphere outside felt strange.
The palace guards stood uneasily near the gates while whispering among themselves.
And standing several meters away from the entrance was the royal witch doctor himself.
His gray robes moved slightly with the cold wind.
But he refused to step forward.
The moment I approached him, he lifted his staff sharply.
"Do not come closer, Your Highness," he warned.
His voice sounded tense.
Almost fearful.
I stopped immediately.
The guards exchanged nervous glances.
"What is going on?" I demanded.
The old man stared toward the palace with narrowed eyes.
Then finally he spoke.
"The palace is cursed."
Silence fell instantly.
Even the wind seemed to disappear.
I frowned deeply.
"What are you talking about?"
The witch doctor tightened his grip on the wooden staff.
"Darkness has entered the royal bloodline," he said slowly. "An evil unborn child exists somewhere under this kingdom's sky."
My heartbeat paused.
Unborn child?
"The calamity surrounding the kingdom grows stronger every day," the old man continued. "If nothing is done, blood will flood this land."
The guards shifted uneasily.
I stared at him coldly.
"You speak in riddles."
The witch doctor suddenly pointed toward me directly.
"The curse is connected to you, Prince Daniel."
My expression darkened instantly.
"That is impossible."
But the old man shook his head slowly.
"The spirits do not lie."
Cold air rushed through my body.
I almost laughed at the absurdity of his words.
An unborn child?
I did not even have a woman beside me.
But then—
My thoughts froze.
Unborn child.
My mind instantly returned to Sandra.
The hotel room.
The storm.
That night.
A strange uneasiness crept beneath my skin.
No…
Could it be?
The witch doctor continued speaking while the guards listened fearfully.
"The child carries dangerous darkness. If the evil is not cleansed before birth, disaster will fall upon the kingdom."
I clenched my fists tightly.
"What child?" I asked sharply.
The old man's eyes met mine.
"The child growing inside the woman connected to your fate."
My chest tightened violently.
Sandra.
The name echoed through my mind immediately.
Could she actually be pregnant?
For the first time in weeks, pieces finally began connecting inside my head.
Her sudden fear after the storm.
The way she disappeared overnight without explanation.
The panic in her eyes before dawn.
Daniel's breathing became heavier.
If Sandra truly carried my child…
Then why hide it from me?
Why disappear?
I ran a frustrated hand through my hair.
None of this made sense.
And yet—
Deep inside my chest—
Something told me the old man was speaking the truth.
The witch doctor lowered his voice carefully.
"The woman carrying the child must be found immediately."
The guards looked disturbed by his next words.
"Only the death of the unborn child can cleanse the kingdom."
My eyes darkened instantly.
"What?"
"The child is not normal," the old man warned. "Darkness surrounds its existence. Sacrifice is the only solution."
Anger exploded inside me so suddenly that even the guards stepped back.
"Enough!"
My voice thundered across the palace gates.
The old witch doctor remained silent.
But I could no longer hear him properly.
Because my thoughts were already consumed by Sandra.
Where was she?
Was she truly carrying my child?
And if she was—
Who exactly was she?
For the first time since meeting her, fear slowly entered my heart.
Not fear of the child.
Not fear of the prophecy.
But fear that Sandra had been hiding something far more dangerous than I ever imagined.
And somehow…
I knew this was only the beginning.