Alone in the silent house, Maya thought about what Evelyn and Derek had said about her being a part of their family. She sighed softly, feeling grateful for the love they were showing her.


    One of the reasons she had initially wanted to hide it from Evelyn was because a part of her had been scared that Evelyn might fire her if she found out she was ill and would not be able to look after Samantha for some time. She couldn''t help but marvel at how total strangers were being so good and helping her, whereas her stepfather, who had practically raised her, treated her like she was nothing.


    She sighed when her phone buzzed and raised a brow, wondering who could be calling her when she saw it was an unknown contact.


    Although she wasn''t in the mood to talk to anyone, she picked it up, "Hello?" She asked cautiously.


    "Hello, Maya. It''s Liam. Dr Liam,'' he said, and she smiled when she heard his voice.


    "I could tell it was you from your voice even before you spoke""" she said, and Liam paused.


    "Really?" He asked, amused, since he didn''t expect her to know his voice.


    They hardly talked, and the longest he had spoken to her was during herst visit to the hospital. Other than that, they only


    exchanged pleasantries and goodbyes, and that was it.


    "Yes. I guess you took my number from my file. And in case you called to find out if I told Evelyn about you, you don''t have to worry.


    I didn''t," Maya said, and Liam raised a brow.


    "That''s not why I called," he said, and her mouth rounded in a silent


    o. "I wanted to find out how you were doing," Liam went on before she could speak.


    Maya paused, wondering if this was a routine call to his patient or if he was asking her because she was Evelyn''s nanny.


    "Are you there?" Liam asked when she didn''t say anything.


    "Yes. I''m trying to figure out if you want a medical response or a normal response," she said, and Liam chuckled.


    "I''m not sure what you mean by medical or normal response. You were pretty upset when you left my office, and I just wanted to find out if you were feeling better now," Liam said, since she had told him she didn''t n to tell Evelyn and she had also mentioned that, like him, she didn''t have friends, he figured she might need to talk to someone.


    Maya smiled. "I guess I''m fine. I''m sorry I left that way after agreeing to have lunch with you," she said apologetically.


    "You do not owe me any apology. Your reaction was pretty normal, Liam assured her.


    "Thank you for understanding," Maya said quietly.


    The silence between them was awkward and stretched on for a


    while. She wasn''t sure what she could say to him because their conversation was sort of unusual.


    "So, how is work? And how are you enjoying Ludus?" She asked, not knowing what else to say.


    "Work is fine. And I''m not so sure I''m enjoying Ludus. I''m not at work right now. I''m just bored out of my mind at home unpacking my stuff, and I don''t even know where to go if I wanted to," he admitted.


    "You know it would be better if you told Evelyn you''re here, right? I mean, you will have a ce to hang out. You could even be friends with Samantha''s Dad. He is a nice person," Maya advised, and Liam winced, feeling oddly betrayed that Maya approved of Derek, too. "I''m sure he''s nice," Liam murmured since he could tell that Derek was nice, but he just couldn''t imagine being friends with Evelyn''s man.


    "I''m home alone. If you want, we can hang out. That way, you don''t have to be bored," Maya offered.


    Liam grinned, "I was hoping you''d say that," he said, happy to havepany, and sheughed.


    "I will text you my address, and you cane over, or you can just tell me anywhere you''d befortable, and we will meet there," Liam suggested since he knew not everydy would befortable visiting a single man. "You said you were unpacking. I wille to give you a hand. And maybe if we finish early enough, we can find somewhere to eat," Maya said, and Liam smiled.


    "I will text you the address right now," he said before hanging up.


    A short whileter, she arrived at his ce, and Liam opened the door with a wide smile, "Maya! Wee to my ce," he said as he held the door open.


    "Thank you" Maya said as she walked into the spacious apartment.


    Life was full of surprises. She never would have imagined that she would visit Liam this way.


    "Please sit down and make yourselffortable. What can I get you?" Liam asked, and Maya shook her head.


    "Nothing. Let''s get started so we can finish early," she suggested as she set her sling bag on the couch.


    "You just got here. You''re my visitor," Liam pointed out, "we should sit down first," he said, and she nodded and then sat down.


    "Your ce is nice," Maya said as she looked around the ce, which was filled with open boxes.


    "Thanks. So, what can I get you now?" He asked again.


    "I don''t want anything right now. Maybe before I leave. If you don''t mind me asking, why don''t you want to tell Evelyn that you''re here?


    Did you both fight?" She asked, and Liam sighed.


    "It''s embarrassing," he said, unable to say it, and Maya looked at him for a moment.


    "You moved down here because you like her but found out about Derek?" She guessed, and his eyes widened slightly.


    "How did you know that? Did she tell you anything?" Liam asked, and Mayaughed softly.


    "Not exactly. It''s just a logical deduction. You both seemed okay when you came over to the house, but then I came out to see Derek, and you were gone. Next, I see you in your office, and you don''t want Evelyn to know you''re in Ludus," Maya exined, and Liam smiled.


    "You''re very sharp. Well, that was exactly what happened. I just told her how I felt after so long, and then he showed up, and I felt like an idiot, especially after making the move down here," he exined, and instead of the sympathy he expected, Maya pressed her lips together to stop herughter from bubbling over.


    "Are youughing at me?" Liam asked, and Maya''sughter spilled over and she threw back her head andughed loudly.


    Watching herugh, Liam joined in herughter, amused by the way sheughed without inhibition.


    "I''m sorry. I''m so sorry" she said, wiping her eyes as she continued tough, "It''s just so funny. You made such a gant move; I can imagine how proud you must have felt doing this. But you have such poor timing."


    Liam smiled, "Yeah. The timing sucked. And maybe I should have asked instead of assuming," he said with a sigh.


    "Yeah. You should have asked. But maybe this was how it was meant to be. I mean, you being here in Ludus. I believe everything


    happens for a reason. You never can tell what awaits you here," she said, and he shrugged.


    "Maybe. Who knows? Maybe I''m here because of you to be your doctor," he said, and she grinned.


    "Maybe. By the way, I told Evelyn about it," she said, and Liam raised a brow.


    "You changed your mind about not telling her?" Liam asked, and Maya nodded.


    "Yeah. I guess I was worried for nothing. I didn''t want to tell her


    ''cause I was scared she might fire me if she finds out I''m sick and might need surgery, so I wanted to quit instead," Maya exined.


    "Why would you think that? Evelyn thinks of you as her family, and she would never fire you or treat you that way," Liam said, and Maya smiled.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    "Yeah. I guess you re right. I forgot for a moment that not everyone is out to use people," Maya said softly. "Life has taught me to always expect the worst from people. I''d rather be pleasantly shocked when they do something good than be horrified and devastated when they disappoint me," she said, and Liam nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm. That''s deep. I''m d you told her. So, what did she say?" Liam asked, and Maya told him what Evelyn and Derek had said.


    "I hate that he''s such a nice guy," Liam groaned, and Mayaughed.


    "He''s a very nice guy. You know, he became friends with Samantha


    even without knowing she was his daughter," Maya said, and Liam raised a brow.


    "How so?" He asked, and she told him all about how she and Samantha had met Derek the first day they arrived in Ludus and how Evelyn didn''t know Rek was Derek until muchter.


    "... so, I guess I''m telling you this so you can find closure in the fact that those two are meant to be. I should I say those three?" Maya said, and Liam sighed.


    "Thanks for telling me," he said, and she nodded.


    "So, when are you going to tell her you''re here?" Maya asked, and Liam shrugged.


    "When I can bear to see her with him and not feel jealous," he said, and she nodded.


    "That''s fair."


    "So, what do you want to study in school?" He asked, and she shrugged.


    "Psychology," she said, and he raised a brow.


    "Huh? That''s unexpected," he said, and she smiled.


    "I like to study people. What makes them think and behave the way they do," she said with a shrug.


    "You''re more interesting than I thought," Liam said, and Mayaughed.


    "Thanks."


    "So, what about your family? Are they okay with your being so far away from home?" He asked, and she sighed.


    "I don''t have any family," she said with a thoughtful look in her eyes.


    Her stepfather didn''t count as family. And before her mother died, she had told her the truth that she was not her birth mother. She had also told her that she had an older brother who she left at an orphanage home. Maya wasn''t sure what she was supposed to do with the information or how she was going to find a brother she had been too young to know or remember.


    That didn''t exactly count as family since she didn''t know him, and she doubted he knew about her existence, either.