Mia's POV
The hospital corridors were unusually quiet this morning. I had just finished reviewing Eric's latest report, which thankfully showed excellent improvement. Still, I couldn't shake off the restlessness clinging to my skin.
Ryan had been gone for two months, and now that he was back, everything felt heavier. His presence, though calm on the surface, always had a storm brewing underneath.
As I headed out for my break, I saw a man enter the hospital lobby. He had the kind of striking handsomeness that made people double-take. Tall, elegantly dressed, dark hair slicked back, and a presence that screamed affluence. But it wasn't just that. There was something else—something familiar.
My eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me, miss. I'm here to see Dr. Mia Walls," he said with a slight accent, charming but guarded.
I blinked, my lips parting. "That's me. Can I help you?"
He smiled faintly. "I'm Ezra. Ezra Laurent. I believe you're the doctor treating my nephew, Eric."
Nephew?
I froze. "You're Lia's... brother?"
He chuckled softly. "Cousin, technically. But we were raised together. Like siblings."
That meant he knew Ryan.
My chest tightened.
Ezra's sharp silver eyes—eerily like Ryan's—studied me with curiosity. That same glint of control, of mystery. My instincts told me this man wasn't just family.
"Eric talks a lot about you," he continued, hands slipping into his pockets. "Says you make the best pancakes."
I laughed, nervously. "He exaggerates. But I try."
"It's rare, you know. Someone from the outside being this close to the Saint family."
I tensed. From the outside? What did he mean by that?
Ryan had warned me not to tell anyone about the contract. As far as the world knew, we weren't even close.
"I suppose I'm just his doctor," I said lightly, trying to mask my nerves.
Ezra's smile didn't reach his eyes. "For now."
I watched as he walked past me toward the private wing. Something told me Ezra Laurent wasn't here just to check on Eric.
Something told me he was here to test me.
And I had no idea what I was walking into.