Four days later.
The weather in Dilrik had turned unusually cold. Gray clouds hung low across the city, wrapping the towering buildings in a pale silver haze while chilly winds swept through the streets. Most people remained indoors on days like this.
Unfortunately for Sienna Rivers, rest was a luxury she could barely allow herself.
Today was one of her few official days off from the hospital, yet instead of sleeping peacefully beneath warm blankets like a normal person, she had spent the entire morning moving from one private consultation to another.
Some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in Dilrik had been desperately requesting appointments with her for months.
A genius capable of saving lives other physicians had already given up on.
That reputation alone was enough to make people offer unimaginable amounts of money for even a single minute of her attention.
By late afternoon, exhaustion had already begun settling onto her shoulders.
"This is the last stop," she muttered while stepping out of the car.
Behind her, Ava exited too, eyes alert beneath the dark umbrella she carried over Sienna's head.
Ever since the "robbery incident," Ava had become impossibly vigilant.
Sienna couldn't leave the house alone anymore. Not even for a moment because Ava couldn't risk another such happening.
The tea shop before them looked ordinary. Elegant, yes, but nothing particularly shocking.
Yet the moment they stepped inside.…
Sienna paused slightly.
The interior radiated old money.
Rich mahogany wood lined the walls in polished perfection. Warm amber lighting cast soft shadows across expensive furnishings while the delicate fragrance of rare imported teas lingered beautifully in the air.
Quiet classical music played faintly somewhere in the background.
The place felt less like a café and more like a private aristocratic lounge hidden away from the world.
Oddly enough, there were barely any customers inside.
Only staff.
Sienna frowned slightly.
"Did we get the wrong address?"
Before Ava could answer, a barista approached them gracefully.
"Welcome to The Doré, my ladies."
The man's French accent rolled smoothly from his tongue, refined and elegant.
"How may I help you today?"
Sienna blinked.
The man wore one of the most polished smiles she had ever seen in her life. Combined with his accent and immaculate appearance, he almost looked like a model rather than a café employee.
"We're here to meet someone named Dee," Sienna replied politely.
The barista's eyes lit up instantly.
"Ah! Then you must be Dr. Rivers."
Excitement slipped into his professional expression immediately.
"It is truly an honor to meet you in person. We've been expecting your arrival."
Sienna smiled faintly.
"That's good to hear."
"This way, please."
He guided them deeper into the tea shop toward a secluded private section hidden at the far end of the building.
The further they walked, the quieter the atmosphere became.
Eventually, they stopped before a dark wooden door.
The barista knocked respectfully.
"Dr. Rivers has arrived, sir."
A low voice drifted from inside.
"Let her in."
The moment Sienna heard it, something strange prickled across her skin.
That voice, smooth and melodic, for reasons she couldn't explain, made her heart skip a beat.
The barista pushed the door open carefully, and Sienna stepped inside first only to freeze.
The man seated across the room slowly lifted his gaze toward her, and they locked eyes.
For one suspended moment, neither of them moved.
Sienna felt breath catch in her throat.
Ethereal.
That was the only word her mind could produce.
The man before her was absurdly handsome to the point that he looked so unreal. His sharp features carried an almost untouchable coldness, yet his azure-green eyes held enough intensity to make direct eye contact feel dangerous.
He looked less like a human being and more like something divine pretending to be mortal.
And somehow…
She felt he looked familiar even though she was certain she had never seen him before.
Across from her, Isaac remained outwardly calm.
But internally, he was restless.
The instant he saw her again, memories from that night surged violently through him like fire breaking loose inside a dry forest.
Her voice, warmth, and the way she had clung to him in the dark.
Every fragmented sound she made beneath him replayed vividly inside his head.
His blood heated almost instantly.
Yet not a single trace of emotion appeared on his face.
"Dr. Rivers."
Another man stood from beside Isaac, his secretary.
Craig smiled politely.
"Thank you for coming."
Sienna finally regained herself, and she smiled back faintly.
Craig gestured toward the seat opposite Isaac.
"Please."
She sat down gracefully while Ava remained standing nearby, silent but observant.
Sienna tried not to stare but failed completely.
Even sitting quietly, Isaac possessed a suffocating presence that dominated the entire room.
"This is my master, Isaac Dee…"
"I'm your patient."
Isaac interrupted calmly.
His gaze never left Sienna's face.
Then he slid a brown envelope across the table toward her.
"You should look through that before we continue our conversation, Doctor."
His tone remained perfectly even.
Sienna picked up the envelope, assuming it contained medical records. But the moment she opened it.
Her blood ran cold.
There were photographs.
The first showed her stumbling into a hotel room four nights ago.
Her fingers tightened instantly.
The second picture nearly stopped her breathing entirely.
It was her.
In bed.
With… THIS MAN IN FRONT OF HER!
Both asleep beneath tangled sheets.
She looked impossibly comfortable curled against his chest.
Sienna's head snapped upward toward him immediately.
And finally, recognition struck. The odd familiarity—he was the stranger from that night.
Her expression darkened instantly.
Every trace of admiration vanished.
"What do you want?" she asked coldly.
Isaac leaned back slightly.
"Wouldn't this conversation proceed better without your bodyguard present?"
Sienna's jaw clenched tightly.
That was true; Ava could never know about this.
Without looking back, she spoke.
"Ava, excuse us for a moment. The patient requires privacy."
Ava immediately sensed something was wrong.
The atmosphere inside the room had shifted too suddenly.
Her sharp gaze flickered between Sienna and Isaac carefully.
For several seconds, she lingered near the door, almost as if waiting for a hidden signal from Sienna.
But Sienna avoided her eyes completely.
And reluctantly, Ava stepped outside.
The door clicked shut, and silence descended instantly.
Sienna turned back toward Isaac sharply.
"What do you want?"
"I need your help."
His answer came immediately and casually.
"I'm from Surbrind. I came to Dilrik specifically to seek treatment from you."
Sienna frowned, then her eyes widened.
Deema.
That surname, combined with his nationality
Realization settled heavily in her chest.
"You're the hidden crown prince of Surbrind," she said. "The son of King Draven Deema."
Craig looked slightly surprised. She had deciphered that quite easily.
Isaac simply nodded.
"I am."
Sienna stared at him in disbelief; she didn't expect to be actually right.
Ever since tensions between Dilrik and Surbrind escalated a year ago, information regarding the Surbrind royal family had flooded media outlets constantly.
But the Crown Prince remained mysterious. Almost mythical.
Who expected him to suddenly appear here in front of her.
"I want you to cure me," Isaac continued calmly. "From the illness I've suffered from my entire life."
Sienna almost laughed from disbelief.
"Do you even understand what you're asking?" she demanded.
Her voice sharpened immediately.
"If anyone discovers I'm secretly treating the Crown Prince of Surbrind, I'll be executed for treason."
Isaac remained unmoved.
"You don't have a choice."
His calmness only worsened her anger.
"If these photographs are released, your reputation will collapse alongside your career."
Sienna's breathing turned heavier.
"You blackmailing bastard."
"You forced yourself on me that night," Isaac added coolly.
That sentence snapped something inside her instantly.
"I WAS DRUGGED!"
Her voice echoed sharply across the room.
For the first time, emotion flickered faintly in Isaac's eyes.
But his expression remained controlled.
"Do you think the public would care?"
Sienna stared at him with pure fury.
Then suddenly.…
Rip!
She tore the photographs apart violently.
"You Surbrind people truly are insane," she spat.
Then she stormed toward the door.
"You have three days to decide, Doctor," Isaac said behind her calmly.
Sienna almost turned around purely to strangle him.
But she restrained herself.
The moment she stepped outside, Ava immediately straightened.
One glance at Sienna's face made her expression sharpen dangerously.
"What happened?"
"Nothing," Sienna replied too quickly.
Her entire body radiated anger.
"It's simply… a complicated case."
Ava did not believe that explanation for even a second.
Difficult medical cases excited Sienna.
They did not make her look ready to commit murder.
Still, Ava said nothing.
Because if her mistress refused to speak—
There had to be a reason.
As they walked away, Ava glanced back toward the private room instinctively.
Her instincts screamed that the man inside had done something.
Meanwhile, inside the room.…
Craig looked toward Isaac and asked carefully.
"Your Highness… was threatening her truly necessary?"
Isaac's gaze was on his phone, scrolling through casually, and after several long seconds, he finally spoke.
"If I didn't force her, she would never come near me again, not to talk of treating me."
"But… you could have simply hidden your identity." Craig said, and Isaac sighed in boredom, "That's too much work."
Outside, Sienna entered the car furiously.
"Drive," she ordered immediately, and Ava silently took the driver's seat.
Throughout the ride home, Sienna stared coldly out the window while one thought repeated endlessly inside her mind.
How could she have made this kind of mistake?