Her Real Family

Sienna stared at the man holding her umbrella, her breath catching slightly in the cold, damp air. She did not need an introduction to the sovereign figure shielding her from the storm. Gael Montgomery. She didn't have much of a personal impression of him from her previous life, other than his striking, almost unreal physical looks. His face was impossible to forget. But her memories of him were deeply entwined with Chloe Lancaster's relentless, pathetic obsession.

Ever since Chloe met the Montgomery heir, she acted like she had him in the bag. But Gael never bought into Chloe's manufactured charm. From start to finish, he remained a glacier. He never offered her a single shred of warmth. Chloe ended up in bitter tears more than once because of his icy rejections.

The Lancaster family, despite their vast wealth, wouldn't dare breathe wrong in Gael's direction. He was basically royalty in Brampton, holding the reins of the elite Montgomery Group. No matter how much they doted on Chloe, they wouldn't stick their necks out and risk ticking him off. Plus, Gael was always trailed by shadows—former special forces bodyguards hiding just out of sight. The Lancasters knew better than to go head-to-head with a man of his immense stature.

Eventually, Chloe had to give up her pursuit, crying in defeat. But the story didn't end there. Annoyed by the constant pestering, Gael left this very survival show early, citing feeling unwell. His abrupt departure sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry. His massive fanbase was furious. Since Chloe had been throwing herself at him during the live streams, the fans immediately targeted her, sending a tidal wave of insults crashing down on her pristine public image.

To protect their golden child from the public fallout, the Lancasters needed a scapegoat. They ruthlessly threw Sienna under the bus. The family fabricated malicious rumors, paying off a staff member to plant a story. They claimed Sienna had stripped naked and aggressively tried to seduce Gael off-camera, sickening him so much that he packed his bags and left in a rage. The internet tore Sienna apart. The Lancasters then forced her to swallow the abuse in silence, sacrificing her dignity to salvage their reputation.

Thinking about that past life betrayal, Sienna's eyes grew cold. Gael was a last-minute addition to the show, joining on the second day of filming. Because she had hurt her leg and passed out, they hadn't crossed paths. She never expected that the supposedly unapproachable deity, the man who terrified production crews into silence, would be the one standing in the mud, holding an umbrella for her right now.

"Thanks," Sienna murmured. Her voice remained steady despite the surreal situation.

"It's okay," Gael replied. His casual tone, deep and magnetic, felt even more captivating against the endless, rhythmic drumming of the storm.

Sienna lowered her gaze, her long lashes quivering softly as rainwater dripped from her soaked hair. She ignored the imposing presence beside her and focused on the crushed herbs in her palms. She meticulously finished the bandaging of her injured foot, tying off the makeshift poultice to secure the dark green paste against her bleeding flesh. Once the knot was tight, she braced her good leg and slowly straightened up.

Holding the wet herbs in one hand, she calmly extended her dirt-streaked hand toward him.

Gael raised a dark eyebrow, his perceptive gaze dropping to her outstretched palm.

"My umbrella," Sienna said, her tone devoid of the awe or desperation people usually displayed in his presence.

The corners of Gael's thin, elegant lips curved upward. For a brief second, his aloof, sculpted face seemed to illuminate the surrounding gloom of the forest, dispelling the dreary gray storm light.

"My umbrella's big enough," he replied smoothly. His deep, husky voice carried a distinct hint of ambiguous amusement. It was the low, intriguing tone of a predator who had just discovered an unexpected, fascinating prey.

If it were anyone else, getting an invitation from Gael to share an umbrella would have them over the moon, perhaps even passing out from excitement. But Sienna remained unfazed. Her expression stayed cool. She decisively reached out, snatched her umbrella back from his grip, and turned her back on him. Without a second glance, she began to limp away through the dense, wet foliage.

That bold move made the smile on Gael's elegant face grow even wider. His deep, aristocratic gaze lingered on her retreating back, a subtle ripple of emotion flickering in his eyes as he quietly shadowed her steps through the rain.

Sienna could feel his gaze burning into her spine. It was a heavy, intense weight. She pressed her pale lips together, acting like she didn't notice a thing, and kept walking. She navigated the slippery incline, her injured leg throbbing with a rhythmic, burning intensity.

Were all the rumors about his icy demeanor fake? In her memory, this man was so cold and distant that the entire staff would get nervous around him, not even daring to breathe too loudly. Yet here he was, trailing a disgraced outcast through the mud.

"You know medicine?" Gael's magnetic voice suddenly cut through the sound of the pouring rain from behind her.

He had somehow caught up without making a sound. Even though they weren't standing shoulder to shoulder, his voice felt intimate, as if he were speaking right next to her ear.

"I know a bit," Sienna replied with polite indifference.

She picked up her pace, desperate to put distance between them. Even with the raw herbs numbing the sharp sting of her open wound, she still limped heavily, her steps unsteady on the slick, submerged roots of the forest floor.

"You don't seem like someone who only 'knows a bit,'" Gael remarked, his long legs carrying him effortlessly through the storm to keep pace with her erratic movements.

Sienna didn't reply. She kept her eyes glued to the muddy ground. In truth, she was a trained medical prodigy, far surpassing the realm of knowing a bit. Before the Lancasters had tracked her down and brought her back to their sprawling estate, she had spent her life by her mentor's side. Her mentor was a brilliant, revered doctor, renowned far and wide for his miraculous healing hands. During those peaceful years in the clinic, she had soaked up countless skills, eventually outshining the master who taught her.

When the Lancasters finally came to claim her, her mentor had gently patted her head, his eyes filled with sorrow. *Sienna, you're more gifted than any of my other students. No matter what you learn, you pick it up effortlessly. If it weren't for your real family waiting for you, I truly wish you could inherit everything from me.*

Thinking of her esteemed mentor and the fellow students who had always doted on her, Sienna felt her eyes grow hot with emotion. The freezing rain masking the sudden dampness on her cheeks couldn't wash away the wave of suffocating regret flooding her chest. For that so-called family—a bunch of manipulative, abusive losers—she had foolishly walked away from the people who truly loved her. She had thrown away her pride, alienated her real family, and lost herself, all to chase after the Lancaster family's fleeting, toxic affection.

As her vision blurred with bitter memories, her injured foot caught hard on a thick, submerged root. Her balance faltered, and she stumbled forward toward the jagged rocks.

Instantly, a slender, luminous hand appeared right before her line of sight, catching her before she could hit the ground. The long fingers were distinct, the joints clear and refined in the gray light.

"Need a hand?" Gael offered smoothly. His dark, perceptive gaze lingered pointedly on her freshly bandaged foot, taking in the blood seeping through the green paste.

"I can manage," Sienna dodged, physically shifting her weight away from his grip. She refused to rely on him. She desperately wanted to keep her distance from a man whose current, charming demeanor contradicted the ruthless, ascetic rumors she remembered from her past life. A man like him meant trouble, and she already had enough of that.

Her blatant rejection didn't surprise Gael. Instead of backing off, he persistently followed her. He kept an appropriate, steady distance, his gaze lingering on her slim, shivering back. He could sense the heavy wave of sadness washing over her, an invisible storm far more intense than the rain pouring from the sky.

Sienna pushed through the pain, leading the way until the miserable, leaky shelter finally came into view. The structure was a pathetic excuse for a camp. The roof was practically caving in, and dirty rainwater poured through the gaping holes, turning the dirt floor into a muddy swamp. It was the exact squalor Declan had orchestrated to break her spirit.

Stepping under the small section of intact awning, Sienna closed her umbrella. She leaned the slick plastic against the rotting wood and finally turned to confront the man standing patiently in the freezing downpour.

"It's pouring," Sienna said bluntly, crossing her arms over her damp jacket. "Shouldn't you be in your own cabin? Why are you still following me?"

Gael was the reigning superstar of Vesperia, backed by the untouchable Montgomery family. He had only landed on the desert island today. Unlike the rest of the contestants, he didn't have to compete in grueling challenges or fight for a decent room. The production team provided him with a luxurious, solid, weatherproof private cabin right upon arrival. There was zero reason for him to be wandering the dangerous woods, let alone hanging around her ruined, pathetic shack.

Gael didn't answer immediately. Instead, he casually glanced up at the dripping, rotting roof of her shelter. His dark eyes scanned the miserable conditions, taking in the harsh reality of the punishment Declan had forced upon her. The contrast between his aristocratic presence and the squalor of the camp was jarring.

"I can help you," Gael finally said. His magnetic voice was low, cutting through the sound of the rain, layered with a heavy, unmistakable meaning.

Sienna stared at him, the chill of the wind biting at her skin. She knew exactly what his offer entailed. With just one single word from a man of his immense stature, her entire reality on this island would change. She wouldn't have to endure this wretched shack for another second. She would immediately get a top-tier professional doctor to treat her foot. But most importantly, she wouldn't have to give a single damn about what Declan or the rest of the Lancasters thought anymore. His power was an impenetrable shield against their petty, abusive games.