This is continuation of chp26
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Mia's POV
I took a deep breath, watching Paula stir her iced matcha as if she had all the time in the world. There was no easy way to explain any of this—especially when I didn't fully understand how I'd gotten here myself.
"I work for the Saint family," I began quietly. "At their hospital—Saint Haven Medical Center."
"Right. Same as me. Different department," Paula nodded. "Pediatrics and gynecology side by side. Small world. Go on."
"Well… I treated a child—Eric. Sweet boy, but his health is... fragile sometimes. His mom, Lia, brought him in. She's very careful. Almost paranoid. But over time, she started trusting me. One day, someone else showed up…"
Paula raised a brow. "Don't tell me—"
"Ryan Saint," I confirmed, heart thudding. "Eric's uncle. I had a little… car accident. He's the guy whose expensive car I hit. You remember that day I called you freaking out over a grill worth more than my life?"
Paula burst into laughter. "That was him?!"
I nodded slowly. "It started with that. Then, a family emergency. A sudden marriage—one we both agreed to out of convenience. He needed to appease his family. I… didn't exactly have a reason to say no."
Paula's eyes softened. "You're an orphan. I know how strong you pretend to be, Mia. But you're still a girl who craves a little peace. A little belonging."
I looked away. "It was supposed to be fake. Just for a while. But now… we live together. I take care of Eric when his parents travel. I cook, clean, keep the house running. Ryan—he's cold, distant, confusing. But sometimes… there's something in his eyes."
"Regret? Or repressed sexual frustration?" Paula smirked, leaning on her hand.
"Paula!"
"Sorry, sorry. I'm listening. So you're telling me you're playing house with Ryan Saint, the Ryan Saint, and no one at the hospital knows you two are married?"
"Not a soul. And we're keeping it that way."
Paula stared at me for a long moment before taking a slow sip of her drink.
"You need a drink stronger than tea, babe. And a game plan. But first—we're going shoe shopping. Because if you're going to be married to a Saint, you at least need heels that can kill."
I let out a surprised laugh, the tension in my chest loosening just a little.
Paula was back. And maybe… I wasn't as alone as I thought.