The Billionaire's Heir I Never Knew Was Mine

"Pardon me, Miss Sienna, we have arrived."

Logan’s calm voice gently pulled Sienna out of the shallow sleep she had unknowingly slipped into. Her eyes slowly opened, heavy with exhaustion.

For a brief moment, her mind struggled to catch up with reality after the endless nightmare of the night she had just survived.

Then she blinked and lifted her head slightly, staring through the window.

Her apartment building stood right in front of them.

The sky was still dark. The roads were nearly empty, the silence almost unreal compared to the chaos still running through her body and mind.

"Thank you, Logan..." she murmured softly.

Her voice sounded weak even to her own ears.

Not wanting to waste any more of his time, Sienna quickly grabbed her handbag and stepped out of the car.

The cold early-morning air immediately greeted her face, but instead of refreshing her, it only made her realize how deeply tired she truly was.

Every part of her body ached. Her shoulders were stiff. Her head felt unusually heavy. Even standing upright took more effort than it should. Still, she forced herself to remain composed.

After watching Logan drive away, Sienna turned toward the entrance of her apartment building.

"Finally, I’m home." She muttered in relief.

Now, she merely desired a warm shower, to rest on her cozy bed, and to get a few hours of restful sleep. She’s truly wishing she could enjoy such restful moments for several days in a row.

However—

She had barely taken a few steps when a familiar voice suddenly stopped her in her tracks.

"Sienna..."

Her footsteps halted instantly when she recognized that familiar voice. Without warning, her heart raced in her chest.

She glanced over her shoulder and noticed a car parked nearby. Standing there was Zachary Sterling.

Instantly, the world around her seemed to pause. She blinked several times, trying to convince her exhausted eyes. Worrying that her gaze was playing tricks on her in the poor lighting.

She knew Zachary was supposed to be overseas, thousands of miles away, yet there he was, staring directly at her.

Before she could even process what she was seeing, Zachary began walking toward her.

"Zach, you..." She can’t finish her words as Zachary now stands before her. Only a step away.

Close enough for her to clearly see him beneath the dim streetlights. Close enough to notice the quiet tension beneath his usually unreadable expression.

But he didn’t speak immediately. He simply looked at her, silently and carefully. His eyes moved across her face as if checking for injuries she hadn’t mentioned. As if searching for proof that she was alright.

Sienna stared back at him, unable to look away.

’Zach, you came... And you even canceled his business trip for me.’ Just hearing her own thoughts was enough to make her smile.

Tonight had been long for her. She had spent hours trying to hold herself together, not allowing herself to think too deeply about any of it. But seeing him standing here, so close...

Somewhere in her chest, the tightly wound knot of tension loosened unexpectedly. She didn’t even know how to put into words what she felt right now... Relief, gratitude, confusion, all of it blending into one.

This man, even though he is in another country, still sent his lawyer and managed everything to assist her, without waiting for her to ask.

"Zach, why are you so kind to me? Why...?" She wanted to ask him, but the words stuck in her throat.

She simply said, "Thank you, Zach—"

For a brief moment, the tension in Zachary’s gaze softened. Only slightly, but enough for her to notice.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, his voice gentle and reassuring.

Such a simple question, but hearing it almost broke the fragile control she had been clinging to.

"Hmm... I’m fine."

The lie slipped out automatically. Because saying "I’m exhausted, my body hurts, my head feels strange, and I might cry from relief because you’re standing here..." sounded a little too dramatic for four in the morning.

Unfortunately, her body clearly disagreed with her answer. A sudden wave of dizziness struck her without warning. Her vision blurred slightly.

’Why my head...’

The ground beneath her feet felt shaky, and she instinctively tried to steady herself. However, the more she moved, the more everything seemed to wobble, and her knees began to feel as if they were turning to jelly.

The exhaustion she had stubbornly ignored for hours finally reached its limit. Her body simply had nothing left to give.

Her breathing was shallow. Her head felt incredibly heavy. Even lifting her eyelids suddenly became difficult.

’Sienna, please, not now... not here, in front of him—’

She tried to clear her vision, but the darkness in her vision spread quickly. Streetlights blurred into soft streaks. The apartment entrance faded.

Sienna vaguely realized her body was falling forward.

Then, cutting through the growing darkness, she heard his voice.

"Sienna, are you okay—?" he called. There’s no calm in his tone; it carries unmistakable panic and fear.

That voice was like music to her ears, but then, everything around her had already begun slipping away. The last thing she registered before darkness completely swallowed her was the sound of her name in his voice.

Without knowing, her knees suddenly gave out.

Everything happened too fast.

One second, she was still standing in front of him, pale and exhausted under the dim light of dawn.

The next second, her eyes closed.

Zachary’s hand shot forward, catching her just before she hit the ground. Her body collapsed against him, soft, frighteningly limp, and for a brief moment, his heartbeat slammed painfully against his ribs.

His arm tightened around her waist instinctively, pulling her fully into his chest.

"Sienna."

No response.

The silence that followed made something cold settle heavily in him.

Then his hand brushed against the side of her neck. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He was shocked by how hot her skin felt.

"You have a fever..." he muttered, worried.