The Billionaire's Heir I Never Knew Was Mine

At Anderson Hospital.

Sienna’s whole body ached, every muscle seeming to protest.

She forced herself to open her eyes wider, but the sharp hospital light immediately made her squint. Her head throbbed faintly. For several long seconds, she simply lay there, waiting for her vision to stop fighting with the brightness.

Eventually, she managed to open her eyes fully, only to see a white, unfamiliar ceiling.

"Where am I?" she muttered softly, her dry voice barely audible as she turned her head slightly. "I am in the hospital. Who brought me—"

The words stopped in her throat when she saw a man sitting quietly on the sofa near the window, his arms crossed over his chest, his head slightly lowered. He looks fast asleep.

"Zach..."

For several seconds, her eyes remained fixed on him. Then the memories surged back as a video clip played in her mind: the police station, Benjamin Foster, the humiliation, the helpless rage.

Her weak hand slowly curled into a fist as anger slipped through her chest again like poison.

However, her anger toward Benjamin was brief because, moments later, she was distracted as Zachary moved slightly in his sleep.

Her attention slowly shifted to him.

She recalled Zachary showing up at her apartment last night.

’Why did he bring me here? What happened last night?’

Sienna forced her exhausted mind to remember what had happened after Logan drove her home.

She remembered standing near her apartment building.

She remembered him calling her name.

After that...

Everything became blurred.

She remembered crying in his arms.

That memory alone was enough to make embarrassment quietly crawl up her neck.

And after that...? Nothing.

’Did I faint in his arms?’ She slowly swallowed, imagining it.

"Sienna..."

Zachary’s low, rough voice pulled her from her thoughts.

She immediately looked at him.

Even half-awake and visibly tired, he somehow still looked dangerously handsome, seated there, loosening his shoulders as though he had spent hours trapped in the same position.

The moment their eyes locked, her heart gave a quick, unexpected thump.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly, standing and walking toward her bed.

"I feel so much better." She smiled as she tried to sit up, but she regretted it right away when a sharp ache stabbed through her lower back. A soft groan escaped before she could stop it.

Zachary’s expression changed at once.

"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly as he moved toward her without hesitation.

Before she could even answer, he adjusted the medical bed carefully, raising it higher before placing another pillow behind her back gently.

He only straightened up once he was sure she was comfortable, and the worry in his eyes eased a little.

"I’m fine. It just feels achy. Maybe... too much sleep," she said weakly.

Her gaze settled on the IV needle, and her expression turned grim. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

She raised her hand slightly toward him. "This... I don’t like it. Could you ask someone to remove it...?"

"Sure. I will call the doctor to remove it."

He found the emergency button almost immediately and pressed it.

Not long afterward, the nurse on duty entered the room.

The woman offered them a warm, professional smile before approaching the bed.

"Good morning, Miss Adams. I heard someone is eager to break up with her IV."

Sienna immediately nodded as she lifted her hand slightly. "Very eager."

The nurse chuckled softly as she prepared the supplies. "It wasn’t that terrible."

"It absolutely was terrible." Sienna protests.

The nurse raised an amused eyebrow. "Really? You survived an overnight IV."

"Against my will."

A quiet snort escaped from Zachary from somewhere beside the bed.

Sienna turned toward him with betrayal written all over her face. "Don’t laugh. Needles are evil."

"Sorry, I just remembered Sky... You sound exactly like him," Zachary said calmly.

Sienna held her gaze on him for a few seconds, suddenly feeling a warmth in her chest as she remembered Skylar.

"Relax, Miss Adams. I’ll be gentle. It’ll be done before you even realize it." The nurse pulled her attention back.

"I trust you," Sienna said calmly, though her chest tightened.

Carefully, yet at an incredible pace, the nurse peeled away the medical tape. The removal process itself was quick, professional, and, indeed, completed before she noticed any slight discomfort.

The nurse gently placed a piece of cotton over the tiny puncture site before carefully tidying up the supplies.

"Press this for a few minutes. No rubbing."

Sienna obediently held the cotton in place.

The nurse gave her a few kind instructions about resting, hydration, and calling if she felt dizzy again.

Before leaving, she glanced between Sienna and Zachary and smiled warmly.

"Take care of yourself, Miss Adams."

Then, with a polite goodbye, the nurse quietly left the room.

...

The room became quiet again.

Sienna glanced toward Zachary.

He stood near the bed, looking far too composed for a man who had apparently spent the night on a hospital sofa.

"Zach, thank you very much for your help," she said sincerely. "If you didn’t send your lawyer, I might still be at the police station right now."

The words came out steadier than she expected. But the moment she remembered the interrogation room... the accusations... Benjamin... an ache spread through her chest once more.

She exhaled heavily.

Instead of answering immediately, Zachary casually pulled a chair closer and sat beside her bed.

"Don’t say that," he said quietly. "I’m just doing what I can to help you."

His words sounded simple, yet hearing them only warmed her heart.

A gentle smile played on her lips as she recalled their first meeting. He had helped her escape from those gangsters without demanding explanations. And yesterday, when her life had felt like it was collapsing around her... he had appeared again.

Just saying thank you no longer felt enough to repay his kindness. Not even close.

She began to think about how to repay him, but before she found any, Zachary spoke again.

"Do you need anything?"

"No, I’m—" Sienna paused as something suddenly crossed her mind. She turned fully toward him. "Zach... how did you know I was at the police station?"