Irina's POV
After the crowd scattered, I spotted the little girl I'd rescued standing quietly nearby, those wide eyes fixed on me. No tears, no tantrums.
Just pure, innocent observation.
I dropped down to her height and brushed my fingers through her hair. "How are you feeling?"
She gave a small headshake, then caught me off guard by grabbing my hand. "Are you magic?"
I chuckled. "Afraid not, sweetheart. I'm Irina. I just know some medical stuff, that's it."
The child—Sloane Shaw, apparently—gazed up at me with those massive, sincere eyes. "Thanks for helping me, Irina. I'm Sloane. That nasty woman nearly hurt me bad." She made a face at Louise, who was still sprawled helplessly on the pavement.
"Where's your family, Sloane?" I asked.
She pointed toward the towering glass structure. "Up there."
Colton Tower. That cleared things up. The residents there had serious money and influence.
This kid's people were obviously part of that world.
"No more wandering off by yourself, deal?" I kept my tone soft, even though patience wasn't exactly my strong suit. Something about this little one got to me, though.
I glanced at my watch—another appointment was waiting. Hoisting my medical bag onto my shoulder, I added, "And with your health issues, you need security with you at all times."
As I started to walk away, Sloane suddenly threw her arms around my waist in a fierce embrace, staring up at me with quiet resolve. When I took another step, she shadowed my movement.
I sighed softly and crouched back down to her level. "Still not feeling good?" I asked gently.
She shook her head, then hit me with a question I wasn't expecting in that sweet, little-girl voice. "Irina, do you have a boyfriend?"
I blinked. "Nope," I answered truthfully.
Sloane's face lit up immediately, hands flying to her hips with pure triumph. "Perfect! You should totally marry my brother Wilson. He's kind of serious, but he's gorgeous and loaded. You'd be so lucky to have him."
I couldn't stop myself from laughing, tapping her nose playfully. "That's adorable, but I'm not interested in dating anyone right now."
"But you absolutely have to meet him," Sloane pressed, her tiny face scrunched with determination. "He's seriously gorgeous. Not convinced? Just trust me." She spoke with complete faith in her brother's appeal.
Amused, I cocked my head. "You're really working this matchmaker angle, aren't you? Is your brother mean to you?"
"No way, Wilson's amazing to me and our whole family," Sloane said, her expression softening before worry crept in. "But he pushes himself too hard and gets sick all the time. Everyone wants him to find someone who can look after him."
She looked up at me with hopeful eyes and went on, "You're so beautiful and such an incredible doctor. You probably have tons of guys after you. I'm just making sure Wilson gets in line first."
I smiled and fished a homemade candy from my bag. "You should take it easy now. You're still healing," I said, holding out the treat.
Sloane took it obediently, then suddenly put on the most pitiful expression, batting those lashes. "Irina... could you maybe feed it to me?"
Right then, Collin showed up looking for Sloane, only to stop dead at what he was seeing.
I noticed his shocked expression as he approached. While everyone in their social circle knew about my recent family drama, a mere assistant like him shouldn't recognize me.
"Sloane," he called out, managing to sound both relieved and exasperated. "Do you realize how much panic you've caused? Your brother's been—"
"I'm not leaving." Sloane grabbed onto my leg, chin raised defiantly. "Irina saved me. I'm staying right here with her."
Collin gave me a polite nod. "We appreciate your help, Miss."
My stare cut right through him like ice. "Sloane already said thanks."
The force of my gaze made Collin fidget uncomfortably. He turned back to Sloane with desperate eyes. "Please, Sloane. Your brother skipped his medication when he found out you were missing. He came looking for you himself—"
Sloane's head snapped around. She clearly hadn't expected Wilson to search for her personally.
Following her gaze, I caught sight of the figure standing in the shadows near Colton Tower's entrance.
Even from this distance, the man drew attention. His expensive suit fit perfectly across broad shoulders, every detail immaculate.
I couldn't make out his features clearly. But something about how he held himself—the subtle tension in his posture and the way he stayed out of direct sunlight—screamed chronic illness to my medical instincts. The kind of patient who'd been fighting his own body for years.
Collin was practically begging now. "He refuses to take his medication until he knows you're safe. Please?"
Sloane wavered for just a moment before squeezing my fingers. "Stay right here. I'll be super fast."
I nodded. Sloane sprinted toward the shadowy figure, leaving me alone with Collin.
Collin extended a card, his tone courteous but careful. "Thank you for helping Sloane. Please take this."
I didn't reach for it. Instead, I raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk tugging at my lips. "You seem to know exactly who I am. Eager to get rid of me?"
A chill shot down Collin's spine. The intensity radiating from me was unmistakable and just as powerful as Wilson's.
"I'm just an assistant. Why would I know you, Ms. Bernard?" The words escaped before he could catch them. He'd revealed too much.
"Easy, I got the hint. I'm not hanging around. Just do me one favor—wait five minutes before telling her I left," I said. Then I jumped on my scooter and took off.
——
Collin let out a long breath. The last thing he wanted was Irina pulling the Shaw family into some messy situation. They had a reputation for keeping things neutral.
No sides, no unnecessary complications.
Under the blazing afternoon sun, Irina fixed her headphones, her ponytail bouncing as she rode away.
Her posture stayed confident, leaving nothing but the soft rumble of her engine in her wake.
From the entrance, Wilson caught only a quick glimpse of her before she vanished. He knelt down, gently touching Sloane's cheek. "Was that the person who helped you?"
"Yeah, Irina's amazing." Sloane pulled at his sleeve, spinning around to look for her. "Hey, where did she go? Collin?"
Collin rushed over, dropping into a nervous crouch. "Yes, Ms. Shaw?"
"Irina said she'd wait for me." Sloane's face darkened, her voice turning sharp. "Did you frighten her away? She's supposed to be with Wilson. How could you!"
"It wasn't me, I promise—" Collin's hands shook. He honestly didn't think he'd done anything wrong.
In all of Anastasia, nobody dared to upset this little spitfire. At just five years old, Sloane Shaw was brilliant and twice as dangerous when angered.
She had Wilson's intelligence, his temper, and his talent for playing innocent when it worked in her favor.
The only person who could control her was Wilson himself—everyone else tip-toed around her. And yet, for some reason, she'd instantly connected with Irina.
"She was just cut off by the Bernard family," Collin explained carefully. "I was only being careful. But really, she left on her own. I didn't—"