The Better Brother novel Chapter 2

They had seen countless specialists to no avail, until someone recommended Sarah Vance at Lakeside General Hospital, claiming the young doctor's integrative therapies worked miracles.

Killian had been incredibly skeptical at first.

A twenty-six-year-old doctor, no matter how glowing her resume, couldn't possibly have enough clinical experience to back up those claims.

After much hesitation, he decided to test the waters himself.

Despite his annoyance, he had to admit Cole's logic was sound. If he was going to test her skills, he needed a genuine ailment to see if she could actually fix it.

Through the thin privacy curtain, he could faintly hear Sarah speaking with her next patient.

She was endlessly patient with an elderly woman who kept asking the same questions over and over, her tone remaining warm and steady without a hint of frustration.

Without realizing it, the hard lines of Killian's face began to soften.

The twenty minutes flew by, and the curtain was pulled back with a sharp swish. Sarah stood by the bed once more.

"I'm removing them now. Stay still."

She pinched the ends of the needles, gave them a gentle twist, and pulled them out so smoothly he barely felt a thing.

"The strain isn't severe. Just try not to sit for extended periods and do some light stretches. You won't need another session."

As she worked, Sarah couldn't help but notice the sculpted lines of his waist and hips. It was obvious he spent a lot of time at the gym; the strain was located exactly where he would pivot during heavy lifting.

Putting the last needle away, Sarah closed the curtain again.

Killian sat up, quickly fastened his belt, and stepped out to see another patient already waiting.

Her clinic was surprisingly packed.

He glanced at Sarah, who was already immersed in her work, and left the room without a word of goodbye.

Jared had been instantly captivated by her in her bridesmaid dress and pursued her relentlessly.

But his fiery devotion hadn't lasted. Less than two years into their relationship, Jared had cheated on her with her half-sister, Samantha Vance, shattering her completely.

At the thought, a flicker of cold mockery flashed through Sarah's eyes, quickly masked by a light laugh.

She walked down the hospital corridor, teasing, "Asking me out of the blue? Do you have some big news to share?"

"This isn't my phone, it's my husband's. Mine died," Nina laughed, deliberately keeping her in suspense. "I do have good news, but I have to tell you in person!"

Sarah stopped at the elevator, hesitating for a fraction of a second.

If it was good news about Nina and her husband, had they invited Jared, too?

"I'll text you the address! You have to come! Oh, Dante's getting a call, I have to go!"