At the Aicker residence in Jayrodale, Andrew accompanied Francesca through the entrance. He asked, "Why aren't we doing the treatment at the hospital?"

Francesca's face flushed as she replied, "The hospital is too crowded, and there are too many prying eyes. Also, I'd rather keep my condition private."

Andrew nodded understandingly at Francesca's troubled expression and did not press the matter any further. He had come to the Aicker residence to help treat Francesca's condition—a rare disorder she had lived with since birth.

At 28, Francesca should have been thinking about marriage and romance like her peers. However, her condition made those dreams seem impossible. While she was accomplished and carried herself with pride, this issue remained her deepest insecurity.

Even Cedric, one of Jayrodale's most renowned medical experts, had been stumped by her unusual condition and had not yet found a solution.

"Fran, who's this?" Simon Gaal, Cedric's senior apprentice, asked as he