Desiree scrambled up from the floor, her hand pressing against her lower back where it had hit the cart. Her face was a mask of pain, but her eyes were darting around the room, calculating. She straightened her rumpled scrubs and lifted her chin.

"This is assault!" she shrieked, pointing a shaking finger at Devin. "Security! This man is interfering with a medical procedure! I want him removed!"

Devin didn't even look at her. He walked over to the counter and picked up a sterile specimen bag. With precise, deliberate movements, he dropped the syringe containing the 5mg dose of Diazepam into the bag and sealed it.

Kenzie watched from the safety of his arms. She turned her head, her gaze landing on Desiree's white coat. The left pocket was bulging slightly.

"Check her left pocket," Kenzie thought, her voice a dry whisper in Devin's mind. "She has an unlabeled vial in there. It's a fast-acting hallucinogen from the black market. She was going to swap it out if anyone asked questions."

Devin's eyes flicked to the pocket. He saw the slight bulge. A dangerous smile touched his lips.

The doors to the ER burst open. A short, portly man in an expensive suit rushed in, his face covered in sweat. Julian Cromwell, the Chief of Pediatrics, looked like he was about to have a heart attack. He saw Devin and practically threw himself into a bow.

"Mr. Ayers! I came as soon as I heard. I am so sorry for this inconvenience-"

"Inconvenience?" Devin cut him off, his voice like ice. He shifted Kenzie to one arm and pointed the specimen bag at Julian. "Is it hospital policy for your doctors to administer lethal doses of sedatives to infants, Julian?"

Julian's face drained of color. He looked at the bag, then at the syringe inside. "Lethal... dose?" He turned to Desiree, his eyes wide. "Dr. Dillon, explain this. Now."

Desiree's lower lip trembled. Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling over her cheeks. She looked utterly heartbroken. "Dr. Cromwell, I swear, it was a mistake. I've been on shift for thirty-six hours. My vision blurred. I grabbed the wrong vial. I would never hurt a child!"

She sobbed, covering her face with her hands. It was a masterful performance.

Kenzie rolled her eyes internally. "She was doing lines of coke in the club bathroom until three in the morning. Her blood is probably half stimulants right now. Fatigue, my ass."

Devin heard the thought. The corner of his mouth twitched. He looked at Arthur, who was standing like a statue by the door. "Arthur. Search her left pocket."

Arthur moved. He was across the room in two strides. Desiree screamed, trying to twist away, but Arthur was a wall of muscle. He grabbed her arm with one hand and plunged his other hand into her left pocket.

He pulled out a small, amber glass bottle. There was no label. No prescription. Nothing but a tiny, ominous container.

Arthur dropped it on the stainless steel counter. It clinked loudly in the silent room.

Desiree's knees buckled. She collapsed into a chair, her face ashen. The tears stopped instantly.

Julian leaned in, squinting at the bottle. He recognized the type. It was a street-grade narcotic dispenser. Not something found in any legitimate pharmacy. His face turned from pale to purple with rage.

"Medical error?" Devin stepped closer, his shadow falling over the cowering doctor. "You bring street drugs into my hospital and try to murder my ward?"

Julian was shaking. "Mr. Ayers, I had no idea-"

"Seal this room," Devin ordered, his voice echoing off the tile walls. "Freeze all security footage. I want her medical license revoked by the end of the hour. And call the Medical Board. I want a full investigation into this department."

"Yes, sir! Immediately, sir!" Julian stammered, waving frantically at the security guards. "Get her out of here! Detain her!"

Two guards rushed in, hauling Desiree to her feet. She didn't fight. She just stared at the floor, her face a mask of pure, venomous hatred.

Devin turned away from the spectacle. He looked down at Kenzie. The fever was still there, but her breathing had steadied. The fear was gone from her eyes.

"Prepare the VIP suite on the top floor," Devin commanded Julian. "I want the best pediatric team in the city here in ten minutes."

"Of course, sir. Right away," Julian squeaked, rushing for the phone.

Devin carried Kenzie toward the private elevator. The doors slid shut, cutting off the chaos of the ER. The elevator hummed as it ascended. Kenzie nestled deeper into his chest, the heat from his body a comforting shield against the chill in her bones.

"You're not so bad," she thought, a sleepy contentment in her voice. "Better than the last batch of bodyguards I had. They just watched me die."

Devin's hand tightened slightly on her back. He stared at the elevator doors, his expression unreadable. But in the quiet of the elevator, a low, rough sound rumbled in his chest. It might have been a chuckle.

"Little monster," he murmured.

Morning light sliced through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the VIP suite, painting bright stripes across the polished hardwood floor. Kenzie opened her eyes. The fever had broken sometime during the night. Her head felt clear for the first time since she had woken up in that cardboard box.

She lifted her hand. It was still tiny, still pudgy, but it obeyed her command. She flexed her fingers, feeling the weak grip. She was trapped in this body, but at least she was alive.

She turned her head. Devin Ayers was sitting on a leather sofa a few feet away, his long legs crossed. He was wearing a fresh shirt, no tie, the collar open. He held an iPad in one hand and a cup of black coffee in the other, scrolling through documents with a focused intensity.

Kenzie stared at him, her mind working furiously. She knew this man. Not personally, but by reputation. Devin Ayers. The older brother of Sterling Coleman. The real power behind the Coleman family fortune, hiding behind his mother's maiden name to avoid the spotlight.

"If I remember correctly," Kenzie thought, analyzing the situation, "the Coleman family is about to walk into a meat grinder. And it all starts with that woman from last night."

Devin's thumb stopped scrolling. He took a slow sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving the screen, but Kenzie could see the muscle in his jaw tick. He was listening.

"Desiree Dillon isn't just some bad doctor," Kenzie continued her mental briefing. "She's going to sink her claws into that idiot brother of yours. She wants the Coleman trust fund, and she'll do anything to get it."

Devin set the coffee cup down. It clinked softly against the saucer.

"Her Ivy League degree is a fake," Kenzie thought, dropping the bomb. "She bought her way in. But that's not the worst part. She's the illegitimate daughter of Jiles Patrick."

Devin's hand froze on the iPad. The name 'Jiles Patrick' echoed in his mind, a name he hadn't heard in years, spoken only in the deepest shadows of global power. The rogue agent who had nearly brought down the Aegis Alliance. How could this... voice... know it? A chill crept down his spine as he stared at the infant. The implications were staggering, bordering on the impossible. Was he hallucinating? Or was this child something else entirely? He pushed the questions aside for now. The immediate threat to his brother was paramount. The color drained from his face.

Devin stood up abruptly. He walked over to the window, turning his back to the baby. He gripped the plastic rod that controlled the blinds. His knuckles were white.

Kenzie watched him, oblivious to the storm she was causing. "If she marries Sterling, she'll drug him. She'll film it. She'll use the scandal to take over the entire family security network. And you, Devin Ayers, will be the first one she throws in prison to cover her tracks."

Crack.

The plastic rod snapped in Devin's grip. The sharp sound echoed in the quiet room.

Kenzie flinched. She looked at the broken piece in his hand, then at his rigid back. "What's his problem?" she wondered, feeling a bit annoyed. "Does he work out too much? Who breaks a window rod by accident?"

Devin took a deep breath. He dropped the broken pieces into the trash bin and turned around. His face was a mask of stone, but his eyes were burning with a cold fire. He walked back to the sofa, pulling out his phone.

"Miles," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Change of plans. I don't just want Desiree Dillon's history. I want to know every contact she has with a man named Jiles Patrick. And I want to know if she has any ties to a group called the Aegis Alliance."

He paused, listening to the stunned silence on the other end.

"And find out where that baby came from," Devin added, his gaze locking onto Kenzie. "Search every dumpster in Tribeca. I want answers."

He hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Kenzie felt a shiver of apprehension. She hadn't expected him to move this fast. "Not bad," she thought, trying to reassure herself. "He's sharp. But he'll never find out who I am. I didn't exist in this body until last night."

Devin heard the confidence in her thoughts. A faint smirk touched his lips. He stood up and walked over to the crib. He looked down at her, his expression unreadable.

The door opened, and a nurse walked in carrying a bottle of warm formula. "Time for breakfast, little one," she cooed.

Devin held up a hand. "I'll do it."

The nurse looked surprised but handed him the bottle without a word, then backed out of the room.

Devin sat on the edge of the bed. He awkwardly positioned the bottle, pushing the rubber nipple against Kenzie's lips. She was starving. The smell of the milk was intoxicating. She latched on and started sucking greedily.

Then the heat hit her tongue. It was too warm. It border on hot.

"Ow! Are you trying to scald my throat?" Kenzie yelled in her mind, her face scrunching up in displeasure. "This is boiling! Test it on your wrist, you amateur!"

Devin pulled the bottle away instantly. He looked at the nipple, then at the baby's frowning face. He tilted the bottle and let a drop fall onto the back of his hand. It was definitely too hot. A faint flush crept up his neck.

He stood up and handed the bottle back to the nurse, who was still hovering by the door. "Cool it down," he ordered.

Kenzie watched him, her stomach growling. But despite the hunger, a sense of mischievous glee filled her. She let out a mental laugh, a bright, mocking sound. "Serves you right, big guy."

Devin closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath, shaking his head slowly. He was a man who controlled billion-dollar empires, and he was being bossed around by atwo-and-a-half-year-old baby.

Alastair Sinclair, the hospital's chief administrator, wiped his sweaty forehead with a silk handkerchief for the third time in two minutes. He pushed open the frosted glass door of the VIP lounge, his knees feeling like jelly.

Devin Ayers was sitting on a single sofa, an island of cold fury in the center of the room. He was scrolling through his iPad, not bothering to look up as Alastair approached.

"Mr. Ayers," Alastair began, his voice trembling slightly. "Regarding last night's incident... the Medical Board has reviewed the case. They believe it was a tragic error caused by fatigue. Dr. Dillon has been under a lot of stress..."

Devin didn't look up. He just turned a page on his screen. "A tragic error that nearly stopped my ward's heart?"

Alastair swallowed hard. He had to play his trump card. He straightened his tie and forced a confident smile. "Mr. Ayers, Dr. Dillon is engaged to Sterling Coleman. She is practically family. I'm sure we can resolve this quietly, for the sake of the Coleman family name."

Devin finally looked up. His eyes were devoid of any warmth. A sneer curled his lip.

In the bedroom, Kenzie was lying in her crib, listening through the slightly ajar door. She couldn't help but snicker internally. "This old fool has no idea he's talking to the actual head of the Coleman family. He's trying to name-drop you to your face."

Devin heard the thought. The sneer turned into a genuine, chilling smile. He leaned back, crossing his arms. "The Coleman family name? Is that supposed to impress me?"

Alastair blinked, confused by the reaction. "Well, I just thought-"

The door opened. Miles walked in, holding a black, encrypted folder. He ignored the administrator entirely, walking straight to Devin. "Sir. The security footage has been recovered, and the background check is complete."

Devin took the folder. He pulled out a stack of glossy photographs and, with a flick of his wrist, threw them into Alastair's face. The sharp edges scraped against the older man's cheek.

Alastair scrambled to catch them. He looked down at the photos. His blood ran cold. They were surveillance shots of Desiree in a dimly lit underground casino, handing over cash to a man with a scarred face. Other photos showed her buying small amber vials from a street dealer.

"Medical error?" Devin asked softly. He placed his iPad on the coffee table and hit play.

The screen filled with the high-definition footage from the ER. It was zoomed in, slow-motion. It clearly showed Desiree slipping the correct vial of medication into her right pocket and pulling the amber vial from her left. It showed the deliberate, calculated movement of her thumb on the syringe, pushing the plunger far past the safe limit.

There was no fatigue. There was no mistake. It was cold-blooded, premeditated attempted murder.

Alastair dropped to his knees. The carpet absorbed the impact, but the thud of his pride hitting the floor was audible. "Mr. Ayers... I didn't know..."

"The Diazepam in that syringe was concentrated enough to kill a grown man," Devin said, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "She was going to make it look like Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. And you were going to help her cover it up."

"No! Never!" Alastair cried, tears streaming down his face. "I swear! I was just trying to protect the hospital's reputation!"

"You were protecting a murderer," Devin stood up, towering over the cowering man. "Fire her. I want her face on every disciplinary board in the country. I want her license revoked by noon. Or I will buy this hospital tomorrow and turn it into a parking garage, and you will be the first one I evict."

"I'll do it!" Alastair scrambled to his feet, nodding frantically. "I'll draft the termination and the public report right now!" He ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Miles stepped forward, handing Devin another document. "Sir, we confirmed it. Her degree is forged. She paid off the admissions dean."

Devin took the paper. "Send it to the Coleman family lawyers," Devin ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Instruct them to forward it to Sterling as an urgent due diligence report. And attach a message from me: Devin Ayers requested this report. Review it before you do anything foolish."

Kenzie, listening from the other room, felt a surge of satisfaction. "Smart move," she thought. "Let the brother do the dirty work. It'll hurt more coming from him."

Devin walked into the bedroom. He looked down at Kenzie, who was staring up at him with wide, innocent eyes. He reached out and poked her soft cheek with one finger.

"Bad guys gone," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Happy now?"

Kenzie wrinkled her nose and turned her head away from his finger. "Stop poking me," she thought irritably. "I'm not a toy. Personal space!"

Devin let out a low chuckle. The sound was rusty, as if he hadn't made it in a long time.

Just then, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. The name flashing on it was "Sterling."

Devin's smile vanished. He answered the call, his face hardening. "Hello, Sterling."