The sun was beginning to set as the doctor's car pulled up to the palace gates. Dr. Riley stepped out, his palms sweaty and his knees weak as he looked up at the grand structure that stood before him. The towering pillars did nothing to calm the storm that was brewing within him.
He had no choice. Queen Lena's stern warning rang in his ears. If he didn't confess to the king and clear his conscience, his career—and his life as he knew it—would be over.
Gathering his courage, he walked slowly toward the entrance. The palace guards eyed him but said nothing as they opened the doors to let him in. Just as he stepped into the large, polished hallway, he halted.
There, standing in the middle of the hallway, was Scarlett. She was dressed elegantly in a flowing silk robe, her blonde hair fallin
