《Wanted by the Billionaire and the prince》


 1.

    She makes a promise to herself


    You will be mine. You will always be mine.


    It all started on Monday morning when I came into my ssroom to see a red note on the floor beside my desk, which read, ¡°How long before you see me?¡±  I had thought it was weird but quickly dismissed it. On Tuesday, a new red note had read, ¡°It¡¯s just a little more time.¡± Then today this. I was starting to worry, firstly, because I didn¡¯t want the note in the hands of anyone other than myself, especially a student or a teacher. I don¡¯t want my name to be used as lunch gossip. Secondly, I had no idea who the culprit was. Could it be my ex? Micheal is not one to hide. He¡¯s one to step into my life like an avnche and then proceed to ruin it. A secret admirer, maybe? I¡¯m single. He should do himself a favour by justing to me. Guaranteed, he would most likely be rejected because I¡¯m not emotionally avable to be in any rtionship now. But at least then, he would have spoken his truth.


    The temptation to resign from my job would have been stronger if I didn¡¯t love kids so much. So so much, it¡¯s a burning sting. Unlike most of my attributes, this is not hereditary because my family does not share the same sentiments with me. But, my desire to be a teacher was stronger than the desire to obey my parents or to do right by them, morepelling than my need to be the perfect daughter. So, despite their persuasion and threats to disown me, I still found myself working as a nursery school teacher, just like I always wanted.


    With all things being equal, they should be proud of me. I followed my heart,nding a good-paying job at ST LAWRENCE school-the most prestigious High School in New Everest. I was treated with respect and paid well. I considered myself lucky. We all know that there are not so many people who work their dream jobs and still earn pretty well. My life wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was good. I was one of those people who did not consider having so much money as ¡®the¡¯ major aspect of life which every dream or aspiration must surround and concern.


    Perhaps because I was born privileged, I knew I could always find a fallback in my parents or older brother Elijah.


    However, it would be better if I finally let go of my fears and get to publish the children¡¯s novels I¡¯ve hidden away safely in my closet out of prying eyes, which included mine, when I get over my impostor syndrome and ept that I¡¯m a good enough children¡¯s writer and illustrator. Perhaps, then, my parents, who had always wanted me to be awyer, would be proud of me.


    Elijah was already a Pilot, and he married early. He¡¯s the perfect child. Why can¡¯t I be rebellious?


    Law was not my thing, but I did as they said. I came out with a good result, too. However, while my friends struggled to get intow firms, I drew closer to children and farther fromw. The thing is, I hate arguments so much, except when it is necessary. So, the thought of my feeding being based on how well I could argue in court did not in any way appeal to me. I know there are other aspects ofw, but I wasn¡¯t interested in any. Child protectionw is the only aspect I might consider in the far, far future.


    The sound of pencils being dropped from the desks and loud whispering pulled me from my thoughts. I saw Hond, my favourite student, drawing amidst all the chaos. I squeezed the note and threw it in the dustbin where others were, happy I found it before anyone else. It was closing hour already. I found the letter toote today. I guess I was distracted by a lot.


    ¡°Hond, what are you drawing dear?¡± I asked. I adjusted my skirt and shirt before walking to her chair to give her maximum attention. I loved every one of my students, but I loved Hond the most. She was so beautiful and so small and so so fragile, but that was not what drew me to her. Hond was mute. She had a different and older aura than all the other five-year-olds. Her big doe eyes were always searching, her hands always shaking.


    At first, I was doing it out of pity, specifically favoring her in everything. After a while, I came to love her as I would love my child. She became my Achilles heel. She was brilliant! And it hurt me when I would see sadness in her eyes many a time. I started to wonder what a little girl like her had to be sad about. I wanted so much to know her.


    I love children because they are always so happy. So free with the world and with themselves, and I loved this influence on me. At her age, she was supposed to have nothing to worry or care about. When she called my name for the first time with her tiny voice, I was so pleased. I carried her on my shoulders and spun her around until we were both so dizzy I almost copsed. I shed a tear and kissed her all over.


    Hond finally gazed upward with a smile on her face. She pointed to her painting of a red bucket.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful. One day, you will grow up to be a painter.¡±


    She giggled as if she knew I was just buttering her. I smiled and went over to separate the brewing fight between Cami and Sebastian. They were always fighting.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°I will report you both to your parents if you don¡¯t stop fighting now,¡± I said, standing between them.


    ¡°Sorry, teacher.¡± They said in unison. They both faced their drawing, but I knew they would soon start fighting again. I sighed, exasperated from all the teaching and shouting of the day.


    The Bell rang, and each parent was waiting to pick up their kids except Hond¡¯s father. Thirty minutes after every child had gone home, Hond was still drawing.


    I was tired of standing, so I pulled the next small chair across hers and sat on it. ¡°Hond baby, what are you drawing now?¡± She didn¡¯t respond; she kept her face down. Her hands moved back and forth in symphony. I knew she would be very sad if she didn¡¯t even acknowledge me because I was always the center of her attention when I was close to her.


    I was mad, too! I should be in my crib binge-watching Game of Thrones. But I¡¯m still here babysitting Hond again because her father alwayses to pick her upte. It was bing more annoying and frustrating as the days went by. The man was unrepentant, and it vexed me so much. Sometimes, he woulde sote that I was tempted to take Hond home with me so that I could leave the school. Yes, I loved her, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to be alone in school after closing hours, especially when no one was around.


    ¡°Today, I am going to speak to him about it.¡± I resolved it within myself. He needs to hear from an adult how this affects his child. I will speak my mind to Hond¡¯s father today so help me God! so help me God!

 2.

    She doesn¡¯t remember her promise.


    Other children had gone home an hour ago, but Hond was still here by 3 pm.  Her father was not a caring dad. Even If he was so busy, I wondered what stopped him from sending someone over to get her. Formerly, her driver used to take her home. Even though I didn¡¯t quite like the driver and thought him to be fishy, it was better than now. At least then, Hond went home early. Since her dad started taking her home alone, she started going homete. I hadn¡¯t seen the man yet, but I did not like him.


    The funny part of the whole thing was that it was still the same driver who came out of the car to pick up Hond. Her dad would remain in his tinted Jaguar, not bothering toe down. So I wondered what difference it made whether he joined the driver or not. It just wasn¡¯t right, but then again, maybe he didn¡¯t care. I wondered if Hond¡¯s mother was alive; perhaps she was dead. It was probably the cause of the little girl¡¯s sad eyes. Losing a mother could be heart-wrenching, especially if you have an irresponsible, busy father like I presumed Hond did.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    It broke my heart to see how miserable she was. I wished that I could do something, anything, to be by her side always. If I were allowed to be a mother to her or maybe even a caretaker, it would give me so much joy and peace. But that would mean me either getting married to her father or being employed by him, and I didn¡¯t see any of those options happening in this lifetime.


    Pushing my sad thoughts aside, I poked her nose, making a funny face. Sheughed a little, but her face remained buried in her drawing book. I lifted her and took her to my chair across the door so we could know when her Father woulde.


    I nced at the wall clock and inhaled deeply. I was getting impatient.


    I carried Hond on my legs and ced her book on the table. Then I raised her chin with my pointer finger to see her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dad will soon be here, alright, and if he doesn¡¯t show up, I¡¯ll take you home with me. Would you like to go home with Teacher Samantha?¡± Her eyes lit up as she nodded in the affirmative.


    I smiled, trying to sound and look as cheerful as possible. ¡°Yeh! So don¡¯t be sad, ok. I know Daddy wille soon.¡±


    She didn¡¯t smile back, which was unlike her. She looked like she would sob, as though my words had upset her instead offorting her.


    I immediately felt guilty.


    I pulled her into a warm embrace, feeling the urge to protect her. She rested her head on my shoulders and sniffed while I yed with her hair.


    She was so small and so beautiful she was an Angel. A sad Angel and I didn¡¯t know why that was.


    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± A deep voice greeted startling me.


    I whirled my head around and jumped to my feet, not letting go of Hond¡¯s hand.


    The man standing in front of me was not Hond¡¯s driver. Honds driver doesn¡¯t greet me. He usually dashes in, takes Hond, and dashes out without acknowledging my existence. All the more reasons why I didn¡¯t like him. I sometimes felt like he didn¡¯t want me to know him, which made me suspicious of him. Maybe I was overthinking things, but he was shady.


    Before me stood her father, a striking figure whose gelled-back hair framed a face that bespoke refinement, d in a wlessly tailored ck suit. He exuded amanding presence, tall and athletically built. His clean-cut appearance, adorned with a shiny goatee and bristle eyebrows, entuated his deep grey eyes, reflecting an alluring charm. With a devil-may-care outlook and a captivating smile, he held mepletely enthralled.


    ¡°I see the secret of Hond¡¯s beauty and smooth golden skin now,¡± I muttered.


    He blinked at me, and God, all I could think of was why men haveshes they didn¡¯t need.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Good afternoon, Sir.¡± I greeted.


    He nodded, then looked away from me to nce at his daughter. ¡°Hond baby. Come.¡± He said with those perfect plump pink lips and a smooth baritone voice that made my heart skip.


    Hond immediately left me and ran to her dad. She was feeling rather shy. She hugged his legs, and he lifted her from the ground with a chuckle and kissed her. I thought she flinched, but it must have been my mind ying tricks on me. He settled her on his hips and stared at me curiously. ¡°You must be the famous Samantha?¡± He asked, quacking a perfect brow up.


    ¡°Y.. y.. yes.¡± I stuttered. I took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly through my mouth. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I repeated, clearing my throat.


    ¡°Thanks for looking out for my daughter.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat, and a lump formed in my throat. I swallowed. ¡°It¡¯s my duty, Sir.¡±


    He starteding closer, so I stood up, adjusting my skirt.


    Samantha tell him he has been a shitty Dad! Tell him!


    He smiled, patting me softly on the arm with his free hand. ¡°You are doing it well. Do take care of yourself, alright? It was nice meeting you.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°The pleasure is mine, Sir.¡±


    He turned to leave. Only then did I release the breath I didn¡¯t even know I was holding.


    I watched through the ss window as the car that conveyed them drove off.


    I stupidly forgot to tell him to look into picking Hond up on time. I facepalmed, embarrassed at how I was dazzled by him. He wreaked of power, wealth, and affluence and smelt like mystery. He was the perfect man to sweep me off my feet if only he were a better father to Hond.


    You got the opportunity to pour your heart out to him, and you stupidly lost it, Samantha!


    I wanted to believe I had forgotten what I had nned to say to him while he was standing before me, but I knew better. It was more than that. I knew that my heart stopped beating at a normal pace when my eyes met his.

 3.

    Extra vor


    Damien De Lores is the man your mother warned you about. He is a Tsunami. Hees, he takes, he leaves. At 33, he is the Country¡¯s most renowned Bachelor and most famous yboy. He¡¯s rich, tall, drop-dead gorgeous, with ocean-blue eyes that could steal your breath. I am Damien¡¯s next Target, and I¡¯m determined not to fall for him.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You look beautiful today, Sammy.¡± Damienplimented, gaping at me. I did not dare peer in his direction.


    I was in the school¡¯s morning assembly, and my focus was my babies ying around while singing. The morning was sunny and beautiful. I already felt that today would be great if I didn¡¯t have to deal with Damien, but he was the owner¡¯s son and the only heir to the St. Lawrence Empire.


    Every day for the past month, he stood beside me in the assembly. Only so that he could remind me of how much he supposedly was in love with me.


    How long can I fight? How far can I run?


    No matter how many times I told him I wasn¡¯t interested, he still found a way to bother me, and it was bing increasingly annoying because Damien had a voice that made you want to fuck him- smooth and silky and domineering.


    ¡°Still ignoring me?¡± He asked, chuckling. Damien got off from pissing me off, and I was not going to give him that pleasure today.


    I smiled, but I didn¡¯t dare look up at him. I moved away from him, and my focus returned to Hond.


    Your heart is racing hard, Samantha.


    I will never be one of Damien¡¯s toys.


    Hond kept quiet throughout the assembly, as always. I was happy and relieved when the assembly finally ended. Damien made me so anxious and angry. I brushed Damien off my mind immediately after I walked into the ss. He was an asshole, and I wanted nothing more than to kick him in the groin, but I restrained myself every time.


    He was Lucky that I respected his mother so much.


    ¡°Let¡¯s be on our best behavior today, okay?¡± I announced to my students as they ran into the ss excitedly.


    I looked down to see Cami stepping on a paper. ¡°Cami baby, can I see what you are stepping on.¡±


    She moved aside, and I picked up the letter.


    How far can you run?


    It was the only thing written on the paper. I threw it away, determined not to let anything spoil my mood.


    Today, I smiled in ss more than usual, and after the bell rang, I was happy to wait longer for Hond¡¯s father. Even though I doubted her father woulde out of his car today.


    I kept reminding myself that yesterday was just a one-time thing, but my heart was not convinced. I wondered why he came out of the car yesterday and if he would do the same today.


    Suddenly, I didn¡¯t me her father so much. He was a busy man, after all. Like all the pupils in my ss, Hond¡¯s dad was very wealthy since it was the school for the rich.


    I won¡¯t deny that I put more effort into dressing up today than ever since I started teaching. Damien must have thought I dressed for him, hence the smirk.


    ¡°Teacher Samantha,¡± Hond called. Her tiny voice interrupted my trail of thoughts.


    ¡°Yes, love,¡± I replied with a half-hearted smile. I pulled her cheeks and kissed her forehead. ¡°What is it? Tell me.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply. She looked down at her book and smiled broadly. Then she showed me what she had drawn. The sketch had two big eyes, one hand, and a nose. It was the only thing human about the drawing. The head was a big circle, and the legs were so thin, but they were spread wide apart.


    ¡°Wow.¡± I blushed. I bit my lips in a futile attempt to stifle myughter. Her eyes beamed. ¡°This is so beautiful.¡± I praised.


    She jumped up, squealed, and hugged me. Iughed when she wrapped her tiny hands around me. I tickled her, loving the rich sound of herughter. Her brown curly hair bounced as she jumped.


    She wiggled out of my embrace and started to run. I sighed. When she was in the mood, Hond loved to y a lot. I pursued her around the ss while she kept on squealing and giggling. Herughter would increase any time I got closer to her.


    When exhausted, I stretched my hands and caught her by the waist. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Iughed.


    I was panting and heaving, but it didn¡¯t take away my joy from seeing her happy.


    ¡°Hond baby, I¡¯m tired,¡± I said, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± The same deep voice from yesterday greeted me. My heart almost stopped.


    I turned around, dropping Hond down on her feet.


    I was wearing a green gown today that matched my amber eyes, unlike the suit I always wear. The dress was tight around my curves, and a little cleavage showed from the V-neck. I forgot to drop my long blonde hair from the band, which I used to hold my hair up in a ponytail. Even with that error, I knew I looked better than yesterday. My hand involuntarily went to my choker just to hide the cleavage leaking out more from ying with Hond. I felt embarrassed. Yes, I wanted to seduce him, but I didn¡¯t want it to be that obvious.


    You look so good he can¡¯t resist you.


    It is against school rules to befriend a parent; remember Samantha. What if you are caught?

 4.

    His offer


    My eyes did not leave him as he stared at his daughter lovingly. I poked her, ¡°Hond, your Dad.¡± She hesitated a little butter went to him.


    He carried her, threw her up, caught her, and kissed her chin. ¡°Baby girl, go to Aaron.¡±


    Hond gazed at me with an expression hinting at the verge of tears. I felt the impulse to pull her away, to shield her. Something felt awry.


    She was so happy just now. Why was she suddenly sad?


    Hond ran out, dragging her bag on the ground.


    ¡°My daughter calls your name always. It is the only thing she says now. It sometimes feels like you are taking her away from me.¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± I cut in. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡±


    ¡°You are a good teacher; I am happy you care for my daughter. The school is also lucky to have you.¡± He continued.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I blushed.


    My heart felt warm from hearing him speak so kindly of me. It felt so surreal in a beautiful way.


    ¡°I am Julian St ire.¡± He outstretched his hand for a handshake, his smile unwavering. I shook him, smiling, too, even though I still felt uneasy about Hond.


    I havee to love her like my own.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Samantha, like you already know.¡±


    I gestured for him to take a seat. The teacher¡¯s table here resembled an office table. It was a huge oak wood table with one chair for the teacher and the other for visitors of the teacher. The chairs were, however, used by parents who came toin about one thing or the other. Some parents can never be satisfied, especially when paying considerable school fees.


    The windows were all closed, so the air conditioner was on. I was starting to feel chill, but I¡¯m sure Julian felt just good in his brown coat.


    ¡°So, are you nning to take Hond away from me?¡± Jillianughed, unbuttoning his coat so he could sit.


    However, I heard the insecurity in his voice.


    ¡°I share a close bond with my pupils, that is all. I definitely will not want to take her away from you. You are her father.¡± My heart was racing hard now.


    Where¡¯s this conversation heading to?


    ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t take her away. I was only kidding.¡±


    ¡°That I am aware of.¡± I grinned.


    Julian looked exhausted, and I was too. I tried my best to look into his grey eyes as it is required of a professional.


    ¡°Hond is like a child to me, just like all the children I teach. I love them all so much. Although I won¡¯t lie, Hond has be very special to me, maybe because we spend the most time together because she goes hometer than everyone else. I must tell you I do not like that, Mr Julian.¡± I blurted out, immediately regretting it.


    I became anxious, even scared that he would hate me for reprimanding him and remind me of my ce as a mere teacher. I might love Hond and treat her as my child, but I was still not her mother.


    But you are her teacher, and picking her upte affects your work. Stand on business, Samantha!


    Julian¡¯s face betrayed no emotion.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I said something out of ce,¡± I said in a rush, eager to correct my wrong, ¡°but I love Hond very much. She¡¯s a special child, and special children need a lot of attention and love. I don¡¯t like to see her sad. I want her to get the best and_¡±


    He breathed out loudly, interrupting my rant. I was grateful.


    ¡°We both want that, and this is why I am here to offer you a job; of course, you can keep this one. It will just be an extra job, one that will give you more ess to Hond than you already have so you can show her all your love. I pray that for the love you seem to have for Hond, you do not reject my offer. We both need you.¡±


    I pressed my lips together, trying to restrain myself from blurting out again. I cleared my throat. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±


    I could hear the pounding of my heart in my ears.


    ¡°Hond needs a Nanny, and you seem to be the only one suitable. She loves you very much and has already warmed up to you. I¡¯ve always wanted to get her one, but she doesn¡¯t like people and always runs away from anyone who isn¡¯t me. Except for my driver, that is.¡± He confided.


    I believed him when he said all this because I knew Hond well. She wasn¡¯t one to socialize, not even with her ssmates. Her interactions with other children were minimal, except for her seat partner, Elizabeth.


    ¡°What do you say?¡±


    It was an offer that I could not in good conscience refuse. It would be so good to spend more time with Hond, and the added sry will do me great good. I will also get to spend more time with her hot father. What more could I ask for?


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it and give you a reply tomorrow.¡± I finally said.


    Julian exhaled. He appeared fatigued, as if he required a massage.


    I could help with that, I thought shamelessly.


    ¡°Thank you for at least thinking about it. I hope you say yes.¡±


    Staying in the same house with Julian would make me go insane with desire. What if he doesn¡¯t want me?

 5.

    A Bad  Night¡¯s Sleep


    Has it been fate all along? Maybe I was meant to be Hond¡¯s Mother.


    You are getting ahead of yourself, Samantha. This might just be wishful thinking. I¡¯m sure Julian has better women on his radar better than a nursery teacher.


    Reject the offer. Don¡¯t get too close to him, or he will break your heart. You are already going in with many expectations that might never be met.


    How can I reject such a good offer because of fear? I stay close to Hond and close to her father. How can I?


    I think he likes me.


    What if the school finds out about this? You know how rumours fly about in this town.


    You could get in serious trouble for this.


    ¡°Darn it!¡± I muttered, rising from my bed. ¡°There¡¯s no way I can sleep with my mind all over the ce like this.¡±


    I usually sleep every day between 9 pm and 10 pm, a habit I developed in school so I could wake up early the following day to read because I found that I was not a night reader like my other friends.


    My mum always said you cannot cheat nature. Sleep at night, Samantha, she would advise.


    I drowsilyid back on the bed to give sleeping another try. I turned and turned, and then I gave up trying altogether. I could not sleep, and I knew why. Instead of ignoring the problem, I decided to face it once and for all.


    I walked to the kitchen like a zombie to take milk.


    I was about to open the fridge when my phone rang. I hurriedly took out the gallon of milk before rushing to the bedroom to take the call, wondering who could be calling thiste.


    Elijah


    Why is my brother calling me sote?


    I sighed before pressing the green button on my phone. ¡°Hello. What is it, Elijah? Could you stop calling me by this time? I¡¯m not your wife!¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t changed Sam. I just called to check up on you. Stop being so grumpy. How are you?¡±  He chuckled.


    I could hear him making coffee in the background. I guess he just returned from a trip and wanted to talk to me. Now, I felt guilty for snapping at him.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Confused.¡± I sighed, sitting down on my bed.


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡±


    ¡°You know that girl I always told you about?¡±


    ¡°The mute one?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got a name, jerk!¡± I hissed.


    ¡°Well, I forgot her name. Chill out! You know I¡¯m bad at remembering names.¡±


    ¡°Her name is Hond, and better remember it this time.¡±


    I dropped my milk can on the table, careful not to spill it. ¡°She is just mute for now. I suspect it¡¯s as a result of shock or whatever. I don¡¯t even know why. Anyway, that¡¯s not what this is about. Her dad is asking me to be her Nanny.¡±


    Elijah startedughing. ¡°You are not joking, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡± I snapped. ¡°He told me today, but I haven¡¯t given him a reply yet. I¡¯m wondering what Mum and Dad will say about it.¡±


    He snorted. ¡°Oh,mon Sam. You know you don¡¯t care about what our parents will say.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that! I do.¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never disobeyed them. Well, except when I agreed to teach, but that¡¯s excusable. For once, I just wanted to do something for myself. To do what makes me happy.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± He chuckled softly. ¡°So what are you going to do? Say no or yes. Whatever your decision, you will still be the family¡¯s ck sheep, so if I were you, I would do what I want. You already started living for yourself. Don¡¯t stop.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a rebel, you know. But then I do need the extra money, and I really would like to spend more time with Hond.¡± I exhaled loudly. ¡°But if they found out I work as a nanny, that would make them lose their shit. A Brick¡¯s working as a nanny. That¡¯s not a nice thing at all.¡±


    ¡°Who cares! It¡¯s an honest job, Samantha. I¡¯ll always support you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, smiling.


    ¡°Always. Although, your love for that girl is suspicious.¡± My brother chuckled.


    I rolled my eyes. He says the most stupid things.


    ¡°No. Her muteness is suspicious, not my love.¡± I sighed. ¡°Something is wrong with her, something deep. I feel it in my bones.¡±


    ¡°Prophetess Sam. Since when did you be a therapist, huh? You probably have the hots for this guy. Her father, I mean.¡±


    ¡°Of course not silly.¡± I hissed. ¡°I just hate talking to you, ugh!¡±


    I was so d Elijah couldn¡¯t see my face now cause I was all red.


    ¡°You know you love me. But honestly, do what makes you happy, Sam. Really. A little more rebellion since you already started. It¡¯s much better to embrace the sin than to deny it.¡±


    I nodded, feeling a little better. I was surprised that he did not try to pick a fight with me tonight. Usually, he always tries to pick a fight with me. I hated him so much, but I loved him more than I did myself, more than words could describe.


    We ended up talking about his wife and work and how he found it hard to travel now that he has a family. He loves his job; he always wanted to be a pilot, to travel around the world, but now, with marriage, he suddenly wants to stay in a ce. At home with his family.


    I want that kind of love, you know, the one that bes a dream. My parent¡¯s love is perfect, and my brothers too. I¡¯m the only one left out.


    After I dropped the call, I knew my decision was made. I wanted to do so many things, things that fear had restricted me from doing for so long. I didn¡¯t want to continue to live in fear. Plus, I needed the money to add to my savings so one day, my dream of owning my school would no longer be a dream.


    Something was wrong with the ST ire¡¯s family, and I would find out what it was or be part of it.

 6.

    She epts his offerN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    No other man can love you the way I do. Your body belongs to me, Samantha.


    I threw the letter in the bin. No matter how I tried not to care, my heart did not get the memo. It started pounding hard against my ribs.


    ¡°These letters are bing unhinged,¡± I muttered. ¡°I need to find the person responsible for this.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Teacher Sam.¡± Camille, one of my most lovable pupils, bade me before running to meet her mother. Her short ck hair was already a tangled mess from fighting.


    ¡°I¡¯m going now, Teacher Sami.¡± Noah smiled, making me blush. He had these beautiful big brown eyes and high cheekbones that were just so cute, and his skin was wless. I so wanted to meet his parents, but he was a new student, so I was yet to meet them.


    ¡°A! Where is my Peck.¡± I pouted, bending down to his height.


    He squeaked. ¡°I was just going to get my bag first, Teacher Sam.¡± He said with a curt bow.


    I sometimes doubted his age. He behaved like an old British gentleman. His father probably was.


    As a teacher, you woulde to find out that most children, especially the little ones, picked a lot of their traits from their parents.


    He pecked me, and I embraced him tight. ¡°Do your homework,¡± I said to him sternly. He nodded and ran away; his age finally got the best of him. Children just loved to y.


    I sighed, expecting to wait again for another hour or two for Mr. Julian. I carried Hond and walked back and forth as she was starting to fall asleep. She had finally fallen asleep when her father walked in quite early today, considering histeness record. Maybe what I said yesterday did get to him. Hopefully, it did.


    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± He greeted, approaching me.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Sir,¡± I replied with a smile as I continued to pat Hond¡¯s back. For some reason, I desperately wanted her to sleep. She looked like she needed it.


    He walked even closer to me, a smile on his face.


    ¡°Let me have her.¡± He said. He held his hands out to take her from me. His hands grazed my breast subtly when he carried her to him. My heartbeat picked an audacious rhythm that I instantly missed Hond¡¯s head on my shoulders.


    ¡°So, have you decided?¡± He looked hopeful.


    I nodded, casting away all negative thoughts; nothing could go wrong. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.


    ¡°I¡¯ll start whenever you want me to. But I¡¯ll not be working on weekends.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no problem. I stay with her on weekends anyway. Thank you so much.¡± He smiled broadly. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful, and I¡¯m sure Hond is too. You are an Angel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m far from being an Angel.¡± I blushed. ¡°I just really love children, Hond in particr.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you.¡± He sighed in relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. I was happy to be of help to him-more than satisfied.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. When do I start?¡± I asked, not wanting to continue hearing him thank me. It made my heart feel things that were against the rules.


    I took in a deep breath.


    ¡°You can start tomorrow as it is the beginning of May. I honestly cannot wait to have you around.¡± He paused, his eyes widening when he realized what he said. I looked at him in shock.


    What did he mean?


    Did he feel the same way I did for him?


    ¡°I mean because of Hond.¡± He cleared his throat and smiled nervously. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have you around because of Hond.¡±


    ¡°Oh. I get. You¡¯re a good father.¡± I was disappointed, really, but I understood him. He just met me, and he definitely could not have fallen for me in such a short time. Unlike me, I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t fall in love with strangers because he is horny. He can get any girl he wants anyway.


    In my defense, I was not in love with him yet, just a little infatuated. He was so hot any woman would be captivated.


    Today, he was d in a grey-tailored suit that highlighted those eyes that looked like they could unravel all your secrets.


    ¡°I try my best, but I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good enough.¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°She still won¡¯t talk to me. She sometimes gets scared when I hold her and only warms up to the driver.¡±


    My suspicion again got the best of me. I wanted to know more about this driver. I haven¡¯t spoken to him, but my instincts told me I wouldn¡¯t like him. It was as if my soul rejected him even before It knew him. Something was wrong with him, and I was determined to find out.


    ¡°So, your driver.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°Is he by any chance rted to you?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°Of course not. He is just a boy who used to work for my Dad¡¯s factory before I took him up to train him. He is such a sweet boy you will like him.¡±


    I doubt that.


    ¡°Sure. I just want to know everyone I would be working with.¡±


    ¡°Hearing you say that feels good.¡± He admits, a sickly sweet smile on his face. ¡°You know I¡¯ve been willing to ask you for this Favour for a long time, but I was scared you would reject it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you finally did.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d. I promise to make your work easy by changing my ways.¡± He winked. Julian looked more at peace today, different from his stressed self, and I was overjoyed because I could offer him relief. My stomach fluttered with happiness.


    ¡°Indeed. I see the effort you are putting to change your ways.¡± I finally replied.


    He cackled, and I joined in, looking down to hide my blush. ¡°Can I have your number? So I can text you when my driver is ready to pick you up tomorrow. It would be best if you didn¡¯t have toe to my house alone. It¡¯s in the heart of New Everest; thus, it might be difficult to find.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± I licked my lips.


    I took out a card from my bag and gave it to him.


    ¡°You are awyer?¡± He smiled, looking impressed as he went over my card.


    ¡°Yea. Though not practicing.¡±


    He maintained eye contact with me for a second, which felt like a year. ¡°Would you like to walk me to the car, Samantha?¡±

 7.

    He threatens her


    Your heart belongs to me, so mind who you give it to because I¡¯ll collect something of theirs, too.


    I read through the letter over and over again.


    ¡°What does this even mean? What the hell?¡± I folded it and put it under the books on my bedside table. Today, one of the kids had found the letter and was about to put it in his mouth before I took it from him.


    It¡¯s about time you take this to the police, Samantha. This whole letter thing is no longer safe. It¡¯s gone beyond being weird, it¡¯s be unsettling.


    But the police may think it¡¯s just someone ying a prank on me.


    Just report it so they know about it. Should anything happen to you, they know where to start looking.


    The Lord Forbid anything happens to me.


    Don¡¯t let this ruin your afternoon. You still have to go to Julian¡¯s house, remember. His driver will soon be here.


    My phone beeped, and I picked it up from the bed. It¡¯s a text from Julian.


    -Samantha, pack a few clothes so you can spend the night with Hond. I just made her a promise that you would read her a bedtime story. You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want but I will appreciate it. I¡¯ll also triple your sry-


    The smile on my face turned into a blush real quick. All worries about the letter disappeared into thin air.


    I jumped up from my bed. ¡°Go Sammy. Go, Sammy!¡± I danced while rushing to my wardrobe.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    I packed a few things I would be moving to Julian¡¯s house in case he wanted me to stay longer. The clothes I packed were not much because my house was about an hour¡¯s drive from his, and I could easilye home to get the things I needed should I forget to pack any. Also, I didn¡¯t want to send the wrong signal.


    I ced my small grey box on the rug and sat on the bed. Then I started to repack my bag. Skincare, check. Lingerie, check. A cute nightgown, check.


    I looked up to check the time, and it was 5:00 pm.


    ¡°Time keeps flying today,¡± I said, closing the box hurriedly. ¡°I need to take my bath. Don¡¯t want to go there smelling like kids cereal.¡±


    **


    I had taken my bath and dressed in a simple ck polo and trousers when there was a knock on the door. I looked around my room to make sure I wasn¡¯t forgetting anything. My room was pretty much arranged as it always was.


    I hurried to the living room to open the door.


    I knew it was the driver as Julian had just texted me to tell me that he had already sent his driver to get me and that Hond was so excited she had been jumping around so much.


    I was excited, too. I wanted to spend more time with her. It was the first time I was going to see her after school. Today was a Friday, so I hoped to rx and be with her.


    The smile on my face disappeared when I opened the door and saw Aaron. He pushed himself into my house without waiting for permission from me.


    He made me feel very uneasy.


    ¡°Beautiful, beautiful, I¡¯m Impressed.¡± He pped, looking around my space. My living room was minimalist but very well decorated. My ck couch was a gift from my brother so I knew it was expensive and also he helped me with the decorations and the TV. ¡°You are not as wretched as I imagined.¡± He added.


    ¡°Excuse me, what do you mean by that?¡± I asked,ing to stand in front of him.


    ¡°When the boss said he was getting a nanny, I expected to see an old woman, but then it just happens to be the sexy teacher.¡± he gasped, facing me. He had this annoying smile on his face that I wanted to p off. ¡°So I guess boss finally found another fuck mate.¡±


    I bit my lips in anger, fuming. I was so tempted to hit him in the face just so that stupid smile could disappear, but I restrained myself. He was tall, with muscles that showed even in his loose-fitted grey sweatshirt, with brown eyes and dirty blonde hair


    And again, my instincts were right; I knew he was trouble-the arrogant man. Everything about him disgusts me.


    Who employs a mannerless, arrogant man into their household. Julian probably didn¡¯t know about this side of Aaron. I was sure he was the kind of employee who acted nice in front of their employer and rude behind him. I breathed in and out, deciding not to be tempted to react. I will not let the devil win nor stoop to his level. He was only a driver and of no importance to me. He wanted to discourage me from working as Hond¡¯s nanny, but I¡¯ll not let him seed. Something was up with him, and I was going to find out.


    His luck is over now. He doesn¡¯t know who he is dealing with. Unfortunately for him, he just got on my bad side, and I would get on his.

 8.

    I am not the one to threaten


    ¡°I am Samantha Bricks.¡± I smiled, holding out my hand for a handshake.


    He eyed my hand without taking it. I put my hand back at my side, happy he rejected it like I expected. Thest thing I wanted was for him to touch me in any way. I just offered my hand just to rile him up.


    It worked. However, not in the way I wanted it to.


    Aaron shoved me to the wall, ring at me with rage-filled dark brown eyes, cing his hands above my head topletely corner me. I stopped breathing so I wouldn¡¯t have to inhale his choking cologne.


    ¡°I can see through you. You only want his money and his cock. You don¡¯t love Hond, and she doesn¡¯t love you either. The only person she truly loves is me. The only one to be part of their family is me. Fucking slut!¡±


    I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut me off.


    ¡°Shhh.. I¡¯m not done yet. I know this is just your scheme, you pretending to love children. You were teaching Hond how to say your name and no other name so that you can find favour with Julian. You are just trying to scheme your way into his life, you gold-digging prostitute.¡±


    ¡°But,¡± he smiled, caressing my cheek. I flinched at his touch. ¡°You will not seed. Many have plotted before you, and many will after you. I¡¯ve stopped them, and I¡¯ll stop you. I¡¯ll be watching your every step, Samantha.¡± He drawled.


    I pushed him away from me with all the strength I could muster. I was tired of his bullshit, and I didn¡¯t care if he hit me as long as he was away from me.


    ¡°You are sick in the head. Very much sick. My instinct told me, so you know, That. you. are. sick.¡± I spat. ¡°Who do you think you are talking to, and who gave you the right to make baseless usations!¡± I hissed, taking in a deep breath. My eyes were starting to water from feeling so intensely frustrated.


    I looked around my crib to see if there was anything I could grab onto just in case this crazy man tried to hurt me. The only thing I could see was the flower vase on my ss table; besides that, nothing was strong enough.


    ¡°You are just silly and a psycho. So you know I¡¯ll be watching you too. Very closely.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him and frowned, my eyebrows creasing.


    My heartbeat elerated, but I kept a calm demeanor. I looked over to the right, where my kitchen was located behind a brown closed door. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t lock it, so I could easily get a knife.


    ¡°You just met the wrong woman, and you cannot intimidate me like you did the others. If that¡¯s what you have in mind, I suggest that, for your good, you back out because I¡¯ll destroy you. Don¡¯t even dare me! You won¡¯t treat me like you treated the rest. I am a Bricks. Go read about my family.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    Heughed and sped his hands together in mock amusements. ¡°So sluts now make threats.¡±


    ¡°No. Women now make promises.¡± I corrected. ¡°Take my bag to the car and do what you are here for. Drive me.¡± I quaked my brows at my bag and him, daring him to disobey me.


    My insides churned as we both gaped at each other, waiting for the other to be intimidated.


    He could hurt me. He could kill or rape me. Men.. Men were violent, and here I was, testing a man I didn¡¯t even know or like. An unhinged man.


    He frowned and picked up my box by the door with effortless ease. ¡°We will see who will win this Nanny Sam.¡± He grits. His voice dripped with hate and anger.


    ¡°Leave!¡± I ordered, pointing at the door. He opened it and walked out, allowing me to breathe.


    I was so shaken I had to sit down on one of my couches. I rested my head on my hand as my mind remained nk.


    After a while, my heart started to beat normally, and my fingers stopped shaking, but my mind remained nk. My phone beeped, and I looked over where I had dropped it on the edge of the couch. It was a message from Julian. I had saved his name as Boss.


    I opened the message with shaky hands, wondering why he was texting.


    Could the driver have already told him something bad about me?


    Are you guys on the way already? Hond is asking.


    I smiled at the text and stood up. That bastard Aaron will not get the best of me.


    I took my phone and my handbag and locked the door behind me, making sure to unplug all electricity. This was my one opportunity to have the family I always dreamed of, and I would not let it pass me because of fear. I would find out whatever Aaron was hiding.

 9.

    What is wrong with the St ire¡¯s?


    THE RIDE TO JULIAN¡¯S HOUSE WAS GRAVELY QUIET. A knife could cut the tension between me and Aaron. I was constantly checking my phone, the tiled road, the clouds now hiding the sun, the forests we drove past, the cafe, the¡­.


    The day was graduallying to an end, and my nerves were all over the ce, made worse by the sting Air conditioner in the car, which chilled me to the bones, but I would rather die from cold than ask the sick man near me to turn it off, and that was no exaggeration. He had purposely put the Air conditioner to the highest just to make me ufortable.


    What is his problem? Is he just a possessive employee, or is he in love with Julian? Do they share a secret?


    The gate to the estate was opened by two security men in ck suits, both Caucasian. As Julian had said, his house was really at the heart of New Everest. Aaron drives into the first house in the estate and packs by the huge water fountain in the middle of thepound.


    ¡°We are here now, Nanny.¡± He spat.


    He said nanny like a slur word, which was stupid because he¡¯s a driver.


    ¡°Thank you, driver.¡± I shot back with a smile I knew he hated. I was not about to y the bigger person.


    He eyed me angrily before opening the driver¡¯s door. In a second, he came around the car and opened the passenger door to let me out. I exited the Jaguar with as much grace as possible, considering my eagerness to leave Aaron¡¯s presence.


    ¡°So you know the boss will not believe you if you tell him anything. So desist from making yourself look like a joke.¡± Aaron warned, moving to the trunk. ¡°He just met you. He already trusts me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not fighting with you over Julian. What the hell!¡± I eyed him and hissed. ¡°You think I am going to tell him anything without proof? What do you take me for?¡± He didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°You are too unstable to be near a child like Samantha.¡±


    ¡°How about you mind your business.¡± He shot back.


    He took my box from the trunk and led me inside.


    ¡°Wait here. The boss will see you soon. Don¡¯t go moving around.¡± He said, then disappeared through the hallway at the right with my box.


    Julian¡¯s house was all concrete walls and tall ss windows. It was grand, with intricate designs, high ceilings, and a sense of modern flow, which must be the work of one of the best architects in the city-all-white bliss. I wanted to step on the white Persian rug that reminded me of the one my family used to have in our vacation house when we were little. For nostalgia sake.


    I was born privileged, so although I was impressed by the house, I wasn¡¯t wowed. What surprised me, however, was the beautiful frames of Hond on the wall. She wasughing in all of them, wearing a princess gown and a tiara. There were a few of Julian¡¯s pictures, too, and a few pictures of Julian and Hond together. Was he a single dad, a divorcee, or was his wife dead? I had no idea.


    This house is devoid of a woman¡¯s touch. It needs your touch, Samantha.


    The grand piano by the wide spiral stairs caught my attention, and I walked to it, trailing my hands on the keys. Though I didn¡¯t know how to y, I¡¯ve always wanted to be with a man who knew how to and could teach me.


    Does Julian y? Will he y me like the piano? That would be so sexy.


    ¡°Teacher Samantha.¡± Hond squealed. I looked up to see her running down the stairs with Julian right behind her.


    He¡¯s so hot!


    Focus on Hond.


    ¡°Hond baby, don¡¯t fall. Be careful.¡± I said, moving to the foot of the stairs. I opened my arms, and she happily ran into them. I giggled and threw her up, catching her as she reached my shoulder level. ¡°Look who¡¯s excited to see me. Did you miss me?¡± Iughed, dropping her down. I started panting immediately. She was getting heavier, and it was bing difficult to throw her up and catch her like I just did.


    She nodded and hugged me tighter.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± Julian greeted, his voice echoing in the vast space. His smile was so seductive it tugged at my heart. He looked breathtaking, standing on the stairs looking all yummy. It was the first time I saw him wear something casual, and he looked good in ck jeans and a polo.


    ¡°Morning,¡± I raised my voice so he could hear me from up the stairs. He nodded, smiling as he climbed down.


    ¡°She was so excited when she heard your voice. I couldn¡¯t stop her.¡± He said when he got to the foot of the stairs.


    Julian smelt so good and expensive. So dark andpelling.


    ¡°Your bag has been arranged in the guest room,¡± Aaron informed me,ing out of the hallway he had disappeared into.


    Immediately, Hond saw him; she held my hands tighter. I unconsciously did, too.


    Something was wrong with Aaron, and I wasn¡¯t just being a hater. There was just something about him that made me ufortable. Everything about him made me ufortable.


    Julian knelt and opened his arms. ¡°Baby,e.¡± He called her. She didn¡¯t move. She held me tighter, her hands shaking. Julian looked hurt as he stood up. He forced a smile, but I knew Hond¡¯s rejection deeply hurt him.


    ¡°Go to your Dad, baby,¡± I said, pulling her cheeks. She nodded and ran off to meet him with her tiny legs and flowery green gown flowing in the air.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    There was something wrong with the ST ire¡¯s, and it¡¯s just not about Aaron messing with my head.


    Aaron moved closer to me as though I summoned him with my thoughts. ¡°I see the way you look at him.¡± He whispered in my ear. ¡°This is yourst chance to leave. Don¡¯t say you were not warned, Nanny Samantha.¡±

 10.

    It¡¯s going to be a long night


    Aaron is the one writing those letters to me. I have no proof of this yet, but I¡¯ll find it. He¡¯s the one.


    The best thing for me to do now is to ignore him till I find proof, and I will.


    ¡°Your house is beautiful, Mr. Julian. Can you please show me around?¡± I cooed.


    Aaron got the message and moved away from me.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Julian replied, lifting Hond to his hips. He held her in ce with one hand and stretched the other. I took it without hesitation.


    ¡°Aaron, please make double sure Samantha¡¯s room is clean. As the cleaners to go through it again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Aaron muttered, frowning. He scowled at me, and I red right back.


    I exhaled, relief rushing through me when Aaron finally walked away. I didn¡¯t even know that I was holding my breath.


    ¡°Samantha, you look worried. Aaron will make sure your room is well-cleaned. He does his job perfectly.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± was all I could bring myself to say. It was obvious that Julian trusted Aaron. I wanted to beg him to evaluate his trust in Aaron, but I said nothing.


    ¡°You like him, don¡¯t yo?¡± Julian suddenly asked as we made our way outside.


    ¡°So, do you have a library?¡± I replied, evading the question. I couldn¡¯t say yes cause that would be an outright lie, and it would churn my stomach till I threw up, and I couldn¡¯t say no because I didn¡¯t want to be the woman who starts hating on people when she hasn¡¯t even entered the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a reader, but I have one.¡±


    ¡°I want to see it.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go up then. It¡¯s in my office.¡±


    We reversed back to the stairs, with him holding my hand tightly. My palm started getting very sweaty from being in his.


    God! This is so embarrassing. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s noticed how sweaty my palms are. Is he ufortable?


    Anxiety chilled my blood. My heart was beating faster. It felt like it would tear away from my chest.


    When we got upstairs, the first door in the long hallway was his office. He gently dropped Hond down on the ground and opened it.


    ¡°Ladies first.¡± He smirked, holding out the door.


    I smiled and walked in. I whirled around just in time to catch him smiling at me. It made me feel many kinds of emotions, feelings I could not ce.


    The office was so beautiful the same wine-Persian rug in his parlor trailed the entire house. It was painted white with ck furniture adorning it.


    He had a book shelving on both sides of the wall with a ss table and chair in front; more books rested on his table. The air conditioner was on, but there was still some warmness in his office that made me want to spray a nket on the floor and have a pic.


    Hond rushed to me and hugged my legs. A sh of anger passed through Julian¡¯s eyes, but it immediately disappeared. I didn¡¯t think much of it. Even if he was angry, he had a right to be, considering how much Hond loved me. I didn¡¯t know anything about her mother, and I was really curious about it.


    ¡°So, your wife?¡± I blurted out.


    Julian¡¯s face paled instantly, but he quickly regained hisposure. I pressed my lips together, ashamed of my inability to shut my mouth.


    Samantha, you will drive him away!


    ¡°What about my wife?¡± He asked, taking Hond¡¯s hand.


    Aaron walked in. ¡°Hond, go with Aaron. Samantha and I want to have a chat. Okay?¡± He said to her, nodding at Aaron with controlled ease.


    Hond started to sniff and hold me tighter. Her small legs were practically wrapped around my left leg. She was holding my hand like it was her favourite toy.


    ¡°Let her stay with me, please,¡± I begged. The desire to speak up for my princess defeated my desire to be in Julian¡¯s good books.


    I blinked in a way I thought was sweet and capable of softening his heart. I wanted to add that Hond did not want to go anywhere with Aaron, but I refrained from doing so. I was only getting here after all, and I didn¡¯t know yet my left from right.


    But I still knew nervousness when I saw one, and Hond was anxious.


    ¡°Boss, you both need to talk. Besides, Hond hasn¡¯t eaten this evening. She needs to eat and go to bed.¡± Aaron interjected. Our eyes met, and he smirked at me.


    ¡°I can feed her.¡± I offered, nervously biting my lips.


    ¡°No!¡± Julian suddenly shouted, causing my heart to stop. I stared at him wide-eyed, and he quickly appeared regretful for raising his voice. ¡°Aaron always feeds her at night. I wouldn¡¯t like to start changing her routine suddenly. Besides, you need to settle in and get used to us. You are her teacher, not her mother. Hond, go with him now!¡± He instructed, facing Hond. I looked down to see that her eyes were closed shut tightly. She was shaking, but her hold on me had be weaker.


    ¡°Hond now!¡± He shouted. She jerked away from me and started to cry. ¡°Teacher Samantha.¡±


    Aaron decided then to step in and carry her away. She didn¡¯t struggle, but her tears didn¡¯t stop. I wanted to cry too, to take her away from that monster¡¯s hand and never return her, but then I could do nothing.


    She was not my child, and no matter how I wished she was, she wasn¡¯t.


    Maybe I should report to child protection services. But what am I reporting exactly?


    Jacob closed the door after him, but that was after he smirked triumphantly. I scowled at him.


    When he was gone, Julian returned to this sweet person I had known him as, and although I still felt ufortable and suspicious, especially now Hond was with Aaron, I just had to rx and trust him. No father would want to harm his child. I just had to believe it, to believe that no father could wish to harm his child. I had to hold on to the hope that I was right. Even though I knew some fathers were not good, I just hoped that Julian wasn¡¯t one of them.


    He couldn¡¯t be; he was so sweet and loving I doubted he had any evil in him. I just had to trust him and stop being paranoid.


    He held my waist lightly, leading me to the couch. ¡°Sit.¡± He said to me, and I obeyed. The room was quiet but not tense; we were both distracted by our thoughts.


    Julian sat close to me and put a hand on my legs, sending electricity through my body. ¡°Rx, Samantha. It¡¯s going to be a long night.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

 11.

    A glimpse into his pain


    Lust. That was what I felt for Julian-a consuming, intense desire. I¡¯ve never been sex-crazed. How he was bringing out this side of me surprised and scared me. My pussy was not one to judge a man correctly, so I feared I wasn¡¯t seeing the things I should be seeing, but how can I. When his hands were slowly rubbing my legs, even though it was through my jeans, I felt as though he was touching my bare skin.


    Julian looked like he knew what to do with a woman¡¯s body, and I wanted him to fuck me with all that knowledge. It¡¯s been a year since Ist had sex after my terrible breakup with Micheal, which left me picking the pieces of my heart for months.


    Julian cleared his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what just happened. Can we move past it?¡±


    I gave him a weak smile, not daring to look into his damning grey eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. Hond is your daughter, not mine. I know you will do what is best for her. I shouldn¡¯t stand in your way. After all, I am only her teacher.¡±


    I felt like I was speaking more to myself than to him.


    You are upset. Just say it.


    You know what else I am? Horny as fuck.


    ¡°I know you are upset¡­¡±


    ¡°No. No.¡± I cut in.


    ¡°You are Samantha, and you have a right to be. There¡¯s no use denying it,¡±


    I smiled wryly. His being so close to me has me dripping from my core.


    Please pay attention to what he¡¯s saying, Samantha.


    Be upset.


    ¡°I should not have spoken to you like that. It¡¯spletely uneptable. You¡¯ve been like a mother to her, a better mother than she had. My fiance left me with her. We never got married. She ran away with her lover, and since then, I¡¯ve been heartbroken. I have tried to be a good father, but it always feels like I¡¯ve failed. Until now, she won¡¯t speak or call me Dad. I¡¯ve tried a therapist, hypnosis, everything except the church.¡± He chuckled sadly.


    ¡°I¡¯m positive she would soon start speaking. She¡¯s just five. Some kids are like that. You are doing your best. It¡¯s difficult for a single father to care for a little child, especially a little girl. You are doing what you can for her.¡± I consoled, taking his hands in mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing my best.¡± He shook his head, looking down.


    I hope he likes my white nail polish.


    Focus Samantha.


    I need him to eat me out on that desk. I need him to fuck me hard. I need him to¡­


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t even like me, Aaron she likes, Samantha she likes but not her own father.¡± Julian paused. I didn¡¯t know what to say to make him feel better, so I just started ying with my fingers.


    What can I say to a father who feels unloved by his child?


    I doubted if she really liked Aaron or maybe she did, but she liked me more, hence didn¡¯t want to go to him because I was here. And she was shaking because she was scared of her father scolding her like all other kids are. Maybe things are that simple. Now, it all started to make sense to me, and I was relieved.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to do. I¡¯ve done all I could think of. I don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡±


    I noticed the tears that fell down his eyes even though he tried to hide them by looking away. He stood up, and I did too.


    ¡°Can I hug you?¡±


    He pulled me to him in a second. He held me tight around my waist, and I put my hand around his shoulders.


    ¡°It is all right. She loves you. Believe me, she does.¡± I whispered, rubbing his back.


    Do you care about his pain, or do you just want to fuck him, Samantha!


    ¡°I love her more than my own self.¡± He said, his voice breaking.


    He hugged me even tighter.


    I felt hot inside. It wasn¡¯t fair to me how he made all my senses evaporate. I could feel desire surge through me. I cleared my throat and focused on breathing.


    Shit, he¡¯s hard.


    His cock twitched, and I felt it on my stomach.


    Fuck! He¡¯s so hard.


    ¡°I hope you are right.¡± He said softly.


    Are we ignoring this need?


    ¡°She loves you,¡± I repeated. He withdrew from our embrace, yet his eyes remained on mine.


    He looked so vulnerable. The way he gazed at me like I was his savior turned me on so bad, but I didn¡¯t want to make any move on him. I wondered what Aaron must have told him, maybe that I was a gold digger who was after him. I didn¡¯t want to prove the bastard right.


    ¡°Thank you for epting this job. From my heart, I really cannot thank you enough. I just hope that with you around, my daughter will be able to love me. At least she can finally have something like a family now. I thought she would never speak, but then when she started to call your name.¡± He chuckled, his eyes lighting up in excitement. ¡°It was the best day of my life.¡±


    It must have been really exciting for him when he heard his daughter speak for the first time. Even if her words weren¡¯t ¡®dad¡¯. I could see the love for her in his eyes when he spoke. ¡°It gave me hope. I started expecting again that she would be normal, and it was all because of you. I have hope again because of you, Samantha.¡± He smiled at me with adoration in his eyes.


    I blushed, and my knees wobbled, almost giving in.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I loved how he talked to me as if I was an Angel. I¡¯ve never been seen in that way before. He raised my chin, his eyes not leaving mine. He leaned closer, breathing in me. Inhaling me, I became conscious of my perfume.


    My heart began to beat rmingly, catching a hint of what he wanted to do. He leaned close, and I closed my eyes, waiting for him to kiss me. But instead, he led me to his table.


    He¡¯s going to fuck me on the table.

 12.

    Sex with the boss


    This minute I was standing in the middle of Julian¡¯s office, praying he fucks me on his table, and the next, he was guiding me to his desk to fuck me. Julian¡¯s desk overlooked the garden behind his house. The full moon reared its head and poured into the office.


    ¡°Do you want the light on or off?¡± Julian lifted me and ced me on the table. ¡°On or off, baby?¡± He asked, raising my chin with his thumb.


    Just fuck me now. On. Off. I don¡¯t care.


    I was scared that if I spoke, my heart would fall out of my mouth.


    ¡°Off,¡± I whispered, my voice hoarse.


    ¡°Siri, turn off the lights.¡±


    I am switching off the lights, Julian.


    ¡°Thank you, Siri.¡±


    The bulbs went off immediately, and the moon became our only light source. Julian looked even sexier in the dark, almost like an otherworldly creature.


    ¡°You are so sexy, Samantha. Do you know that?¡± He ced a chaste kiss on my lips and grabbed both my legs, pulling me down from the table. He flipped me around so my back was turned to him. He started to touch my boobs from behind, squeezing and tugging at both.


    ¡°Fuck! Julian.¡± I moaned out loud.


    His breath on my neck caused me to shiver. I could feel his hardness pressed on my ass.


    Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!


    ¡°Yes, call my name like that.¡±


    He pulled up my shirt, my bra next, and pushed me face down to the desk. I gasped. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so hard and straightforward. I thought he would take his time. A man who would want to make love to you slowly, to kiss you all over while he whispered sweet nonsense into your ears. He never came across as one who would go straight into fucking without forey. But maybe he was just as horny as I was.


    And I was very horny.


    I need to feel him inside of me.


    He held my hands behind my back tightly with one of his. At first, I struggled to free myself, but he was much stronger. Soon, I had to rx. I decided to go with the flow. He smacked my ass hard, sending shivers down my spine. Blood started to rush to my head. I went limp. He leaned down and kissed my ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re an Angel. With a beautiful body and soul. There is nothing I want more than to be in you.¡± He whispered.


    He pulled my pants down to my legs and spread my legs apart. He quickly removed his belt and had his dick pressed against my walls in a second. He moved it up and down my hole without entering.


    ¡°Fuck, you are so tight, Samantha.¡±


    I was writhing and squirming, moaning loudly as my pussy juices flowed down my legs. I was close to begging him to thrust into me when he did without warning. A loud moan escaped my mouth. It felt so good, even if it was so wrong.


    Julian was still a stranger to me. A stranger! I didn¡¯t know the slightest thing about him, nor did he know anything about me, but here I was, letting him thrust into me without protection, moaning and enjoying it when Hond was downstairs with that sick man.


    Julian pulled my hair, forcing me to stand. I held onto his table for support. ¡°Fuck! I love your hair.¡±


    Julian groaned as he continued to thrust into me without rhythm, one hand on my hair and the other on my breast.


    My eyes watered as a result of the intense pleasure I was getting from his hard, steady thrust.


    He started thrusting harder and faster as he came close to a climax. After about ten minutes, my legs began to shake, and my pussy mped together.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Julian groaned loudly.


    I knew he loved the way my walls tightened around his dick. I loved it, too.


    I closed my eyes and gasped in pleasure as the first orgasm I had had in a year hit me.


    He thrust into me five more times before he pulled out, pouring himself on the floor. I was more than grateful for it. Although I wanted a child and loved children, thest thing I wanted was to get pregnant from a fling by a man who I barely even knew.


    I had stopped taking my pills since myst rtionship. Usually, I did not have sex unless I was in a rtionship and a serious one. I don¡¯t enjoy fucking men I have no emotional connection to. This was the first time I would be doing something like this, I mean have sex with a man I wasn¡¯t dating, and it felt so good, although a pang of anxiety still tore at my chest.


    I wondered if the pleasure was worth the indiscipline. I could get pregnant or get an infection.


    My parents would probably disown me if they knew what I had done, as they were devout Catholics. I was 23, yet they still treated me like I was 15. My brother was also guilty of this. That¡¯s why I had to rent my own apartment despite the many empty rooms in my Parent¡¯s house. I needed my freedom.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Maybe if Aaron knew my parents were rich, he wouldn¡¯t have said those things to me. But in this town, most people think teachers are all poor, forgetting that some of us might have the money but just want to teach. However, since I rebelled and my parents stopped giving me my allowance, I was not as rich as I would have been if I was still with them. Still, I would never be a gold digger, no matter my situation. After all, if things got hard for me, I could still go back home as the prodigal daughter, and my parents would ept me. I knew that for a fact. I was their only daughter, and they loved me as I did them.


    Perhaps my brother had a point; one act of rebellion seemed to cascade into others, like engaging in intimacy with my boss, a stranger. I just wished I was making the right choices, as typical rebels do. I didn¡¯t intend to rebel, only for it to have negative consequences. If it did, I¡¯d regret it deeply, as it should have been avoidable from the start.


    The post-nut rity is insane, Samantha.


    Julian zipped up his trousers, and I dressed up in a hurry. Feeling shy, I put on my bra and shirt and pulled my pants up. I didn¡¯t look at him for even a millisecond while dressing up. Although the sex was good, I still felt a little ashamed of myself. This was not what I was brought here for. I was here to take care of Hond, not to whore around.


    You just proved Aaron right, Samantha. You are a whore!

 13.

    Open your heart again


    I don¡¯t feel good. At 23, I shouldn¡¯t be reckless. This is not a romance movie. Also, with the way Julian just fucked me, it¡¯s obvious he doesn¡¯t care about me in the way I want him to. In the way, I want whoever fucks me to care about me. He didn¡¯t even bother cleaning me up. We both smell like sex, and I feel dirty.


    Shit! He probably thinks I¡¯m cheap or a gold digger, just like Aaron thinks. Maybe they both discussed it, or they had a bet about me. If Julian fucks me, then one of them wins. Shit! I feel so stupid. What was I thinking? I can never get him to love me now. Not when he probably thinks I¡¯m easy.


    I wanted to smack my head and cuss at myself, but it wouldn¡¯t be now, definitely not when I was still with Julian, who was staring at me now with curiosity in his eyes. If I did, he was going to think that I was crazy or, worse still, that I didn¡¯t enjoy the sex, which I did. Feeling stupid for it didn¡¯t change the fact that I did. Besides, Julian just made me aware of how Hond¡¯s muteness affected him. I didn¡¯t want to make him sadder than he was, nor did I want to mess with his ego. It was a consensual act, after all. It was right?N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    I would scream and cuss at myself, but it wouldn¡¯t be now, maybe when I go back home tomorrow. It¡¯ste now, and I feel sleepy even though I know that when I go to bed, after washing up, of course, I won¡¯t be able to sleep. First of all, it¡¯s a new environment, and secondly, I would be stuck thinking about the sex with Julian.


    Julian cleared his throat, pulling me out of my head. I looked up at him but not into his eyes. This time, I avoided his gaze like it was wildfire. Even in the dark, I could not afford to acknowledge them for fear of what I would see.


    That he doesn¡¯t give a shit about me.


    He is judging me.


    He is disgusted.


    He is triumphant.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He muttered.


    Okay, that was not what I was expecting to hear.


    My eyes widened, and my heart skipped a bit. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°For the sex.¡±


    ¡°Did you regret it?¡± I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    The tension between me and Julian could be wrapped and thrown as a bomb. We were both trying to avoid each other¡¯s gaze as we spoke.


    I bit my lower lips, my heart racing hard at the dy of his answer.


    Shit! Did post-nut rity hit him, too? Didn¡¯t he enjoy the sex?


    ¡°Julian¡­¡±


    He took my hands in his, ¡°I was thinking of the best words to tell you that it was by far the best sex I have ever had. Well, it is not as if I am a man with many experiences regarding women. I¡¯ve only ever had sex with my fia_ ex-fiance.¡± He quickly corrected, clearing his throat.


    ¡°She taught me everything I know. I¡¯m sorry if I was too hard on you; it¡¯s just that it has been a long time since I¡¯ve been in a woman.¡±


    ¡°Since my fiance shattered my heart, that is, I¡¯ve stayed away from women, but I just can¡¯t seem to stay away from you. You make me go crazy and so fucking hard. I just want you so much, and anytime I see you, I can¡¯t control myself. Being close to it is just so tempting. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Stop apologizing.¡± I blushed. ¡°It was a consensual. It has been so long I¡¯ve been with a man too, well, since my ex.¡±


    I paused, refraining myself from admitting that I loved the sex. I didn¡¯t want to start being too open to him. I didn¡¯t know him yet. Also, I believed he already knew.


    ¡°I know I¡¯m not in the best position to tell you this, but you have to let go of your ex. Just forgive her. It¡¯s what¡¯s best for you and your child. Hond needs a mother.¡±


    ¡°You can be that mother.¡± He blurted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that. Sometimes, I speak without reasoning.¡± He sighed, exhaling deeply.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± It was not okay; my heartbeat had stopped, and I was already having a migraine from all this. He was making me too hopeful.


    There is nothing I would like more than being Hond¡¯s mother. I love her so much.


    ¡°Sometimes I feel I¡¯m already like a mother to her anyway. But that¡¯s not what I mean. She needs a real mother. Forgive your fiance and open up your heart again.¡±


    ¡°She hurt me, you know. I¡¯ve lost all my trust in women. She was a liar, a cheat, and a thief who yed in my face for three years. I found out the truth about her on my 29th birthday a year after, and I still suffer from the trauma. I just feel all women are like that, too. Or maybe I always did until I met you. You are a saint.¡± He smiled, squeezing my hands.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really.¡±Iughed, but inside, I knew I was blushing hard.


    He smiled at me. ¡°Do you want me to rush out and get you after pills? I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t worry. I will get it myself. Thanks for offering. That¡¯s so thoughtful.¡±


    It was. It fucking was.


    He doesn¡¯t want another child out of wedlock; it¡¯s not like he cares about you. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Samantha.


    ¡°Alright. Your wish is mymand. You must be tired. Let me show you to your room.¡±


    ¡°How about Hond? I still need to read to her a bedtime story.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s sleeping now. It¡¯s already past her bedtime. How about we do that tomorrow, okay?


    I took his outstretched hands with my left hand and brushed through my hair with my other hand. Thest thing I wanted was to leave his office looking like a well fucked woman. Aaron could be waiting just outside the door.


    Julian led me to my room downstairs and insisted on opening the door for me. When I got in, he stood by the doorframe, watching me with a smile


    ¡°So you know. I have already opened my heart to another woman.¡± He said when I gathered enough courage to look into his eyes.


    You are going to fuck him again, Samantha, are you not?

 14.

    He gives an order


    I DID NOT FUCK JULIAN AGAIN. Let the church say Amen.


    Ok, I did.


    No, I did not.


    I did not.


    He stood by my door for some minutes, and we talked about nothing important. After he left, I ran to the bathroom to wash up, and unlike what I had thought, I slept almost immediately I got on the king-sized bed. I was so exhausted. I was still exhausted.


    The curtains are closed, but I could tell it¡¯s morning. But I was too tired to get up and open them. The bed was veryfortable. Julian¡¯s guest room is nice. Purple and white themed. It had a living room and a bed at the other end. Also, I had an empty walk-in closet with just my box in it. When the curtains are opened, I will be introduced to a beautiful view of the pool.


    I wanted to get up and open them so I knew how to start my day, but¡­


    ¡°Teacher Samantha!¡± I heard Hond screaming from down the hall. That¡¯s all she can say for now, I guess. Why do children wake up so early?


    I picked up my phone from the bedside table and pressed the power button to switch it on. It¡¯s 8:00 am. I usually wake up by 7:00 am. I must have been really tired yesterday, or my brain was protecting me, knowing when I awoke, I would have to think of my actionsst night.


    You need to get an after pill as soon as possible, Samantha!


    Fuck, Samantha! You are really stupid. Your parents will not be proud.


    A Brick¡¯s has never had a child out of wedlock before. Do you want to be the first?


    I got off the bed and went to the huge vanity mirror across. The mirror was beautiful, square at the top and round at the button, clean and shiny. I should take a mirror selfie here, but¡­ it just looks like girls who go to their boyfriend¡¯s house and take a selfie. My social media friends would think I finally got over myst heartbreak and found myself a new boyfriend.


    Julian is not your boyfriend


    Not your man


    Not anything.


    The roots of my hair were getting browner, which meant my blonde dye would soon fade. My hair is dark brown, but I dye it blonde or brown sometimes, depending on my mood. But it doesn¡¯t damage my hair. I pay good attention to my hair, and I use the best products whiche highly rmended by my mum none of that social media bullshit. I Inherited my mum¡¯s exquisite hair genes, a blend of curls and fullness, which is truly a blessing. Much like her, I share the mix of a ck dad and a white mum (white mum, which is her because, just like her, our Dad¡¯s genes didn¡¯t stand a fighting chance, so we just looked white). My curly hair gracefully cascades down my back, almost reaching my hips. I was wearing a long white nightgown, so if Julian saw me in the morning, he wouldn¡¯t get the idea that I was trying to seduce himst night.


    Or you want to look innocent.


    The gown pronounces my amber eyes. Every dress I wear does.


    Colour has started returning to my skin because we were in autumn in New Everest. I was back to being light-skinned instead of looking pale. My cheeks were fuller, and my eyes were warmer this morning. I noticed that my body was starting to look better. I just prayed it was not my eyes, and it was really changing. Older women say it happens to our bodies when we get to twenty-three. My boobs which have always been small were starting to grow bigger, and my hips were wider. My hips-to-waist ratio, which was 14 before, should be looking to add an inch. I had lean shoulders and a thin waist, so Julian was right. I am sexy.


    Sexy like a whore!


    He didn¡¯t say beautiful, remember?


    He probably only uses that on good women, not women like you¡­


    ¡°Teacher Samantha!¡± Hond knocked.


    Control yourself.


    Fuck! I was starting to feel tears gloss my eyes. I rushed to the door and opened it. Hond immediately runs into my arms before I can fully bring myself to pretend I¡¯m happy.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t read me a bedtime story.¡± She said. She¡¯s starting to say even more words now. Julian approached my door, looking sexy in a designer shirt and ck jeans.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    No sex!


    Don¡¯t think of sex.


    ¡°Sorry, your dad and I were busy,¡± I said, kissing Hond¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Hond baby, I already told you your Teacher Samantha had to do something for mest night.¡± Julian had this mischievous smile on his face as he spoke that made me bite my lips.


    I looked away from him so I could hide my blush.


    I dropped Hond down, already exhausted. Breathing heavily, ¡°So, what will you do today, dear?¡±


    ¡°I have to take her to her grandmother¡¯s house. She will be back in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s nice,¡± I said, not knowing what else to say as I hoped to spend some time with Hond today.


    ¡°Hond baby,e to daddy.¡± Julian took Hond¡¯s hand and smiled at her. She was jumping and was too excited.


    ¡°What¡¯s got her so excited?¡±


    ¡°She had sugar, and she¡¯s going to see my ex fiance¡¯s mother. They spoil her.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s so adorable.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she?¡±


    He paused and just took me in. I knew in that instant he was rememberingst night. I could see it in his eyes


    ¡°Get dressed, Samantha. I¡¯ll be back in thirty minutes, and I want to show you around my house.¡± It was an order.


    I had a feeling we would be doing more than looking.


    Samantha, control yourself today. Please.

 15.

    The poolside


    Julian is still thinking ofst night.


    I know from how he¡¯s been acting.


    It is in the subtle way he tried to touch me whenever he showed me something around the house. The way he held me a little longer whenever he helped me get down a staircase. The way he stood close to me while we were outdoors. The way he looked at me when we got to the poolside.


    I was also thinking aboutst night as I fed my eyes with the beautiful view of his house.


    The exterior had an attractive architectural design, a gorgeous exterior colorbination of white and ck, and good ornamentation, which I knew was well tended to. Yesterday, I noticed some movements around the house, but today, it was quiet, as though I was just left with Julian-just he and I. I wish Hond were here, too. At least then, I¡¯ll know to stay away from Julian¡¯s cock.


    Fuck!


    Control yourself, Samantha!


    ¡°I must confess, your home is lovely.¡± Iplimented. We were now standing under a shade by hisrge swimming pool. The shade was a huge green umbre with two deck chairs under it.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He replied, smiling at me.


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    He said it like an order.


    I sat on the chair andid backward, and he did, too. I started feeling hungry but didn¡¯t want to tell him that yet. Rather, I wanted us to enjoy this time together-this beautiful cool autumn sun that blessed our Saturday.


    ¡°I love swimming.¡± He said with a cool countryside ent. ¡°It was the only sport I participated in in high school and college.¡±


    I chuckled and turned to him, ¡°What ent is that?¡±


    ¡°Texas. I was born there but grew up in New York, so I lost the ent. But sometimes ites out.¡±


    ¡°I like it.¡± I giggled. ¡°And I love swimming too.¡±


    Is this a sign that we are soulmates?


    Ohe on, don¡¯t be silly, there are a lot of people that love swimming. Are you their soulmate, too? Be reasonable. It¡¯s just sex, not a rtionship.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Julian said, patting the space on his deck chair.


    Fuck!


    My heart started racing hard.


    I stood up with shaky knees and obeyed.


    When I sat on the chair, he pulled me closer, holding my waist possessively.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He whispered in my ear.


    I shivered. My breath hitched in my throat. I could smell his aftershave and Cologne. There was also the vague smell of sex in the air. We were both emitting it. I blushed when my mind traveled back to his office.


    ¡°What are you thanking me for?¡±


    ¡°Staying the night and being a shoulder to rest on yesterday.¡±


    Or a pussy to fuck.


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± I shrugged.


    It¡¯s a big deal. He liked it. He likes you.


    His hands moved up and were now wrapped right under my breast. I know he could feel my heart beating hard.


    ¡°Where is everyone?¡± I asked, my voiceing out as a hushed whisper-almost a moan. Julian lifted me onto his legs.


    ¡°They are all on break today.¡± He turned me so my legs were on the floor, and he could see my side view.


    I¡¯ve always been insecure about that.


    y it cool, Samantha.


    I winked, ¡°On break, huh? Why?¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He chuckled, ¡°Okay, you caught me there. I wanted us to have this time together.¡±


    I looked away to hide my blush.


    You can¡¯t even manage to be cool for a minute.


    ¡°I can tell you are blushing.¡± He said, holding my hand, which only made my heart beat faster.


    I turn to look at him, unable to hide my Blush, still


    ¡°You maintain a routine?¡± I asked, trying to sway the conversation to a nonsexual topic.


    ¡°I live a boring life.¡± He chuckled. ¡°But you are spicing it up now. Thank you.¡±


    I blushed. ¡°Thank you for letting me into your life and Hond¡¯s life. And stop telling me thank you.¡±


    Heughed. ¡°I¡¯m just really so grateful.¡±


    I looked at him from the corner of my eyes and smiled. We both fell silent, enjoying the cool breeze outside. It was so peaceful. I flicked my wrist to check my watch and noticed it was almost 10:00 am. Which means I had been under the shade for an hour. No wonder I was so hungry.


    ¡°Hond ate breakfast before leaving for her grandmother¡¯s house, right?¡± I asked, exhaling; I was so ready to eat now.


    ¡°Aaron feeds her every morning.¡± He smiled at me. ¡°Why do you always have to worry? She¡¯s fine.¡±


    Aaron! Aaron! Aaron!


    I suddenly felt anger surge through me. Aaron! Aaron! Aaron! Why ask me to be her nanny if Aaron already cared for her?


    Not that I was jealous, but a sense of unease lingered. I don¡¯t easily suspect people, but I¡¯m not naive. Something felt off, and I needed to uncover what it was.


    Or you are jealous and covering it up with paranoia. A voice said In my mind. I quickly shut it up. It was speaking nonsense.


    ¡°I see you are famished.¡±


    I forced a smile. ¡°Very.¡±


    ¡°I can hear your stomach rumbling.¡± He stood up, holding me. I stood, too.


    ¡°That¡¯s so embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing to be hungry.¡± He held my waist and pulled me close, staring into my eyes. My anger was starting to fade. ¡°I¡¯m hungry too, but not for the food on my dining right now, but for you.¡±

 16.

    An ufortable silence


    I felt Julian¡¯s eyes on my butt the entire walk from his poolside to the dining. I loved it.


    Julian¡¯s dining was adjacent to the Kitchen, and it was very sophisticated. The table was already set with the tableware, and breakfast smelt delicious. I let go of my rage and anger for a second there when I heard my stomach rumble. The meal was of mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken ribs. And I could tell a good chef made it.


    Julian sat at the end of the table, and I sat by his side. We silently served ourselves, and although I wanted to eat a lot, I controlled my servings not to appear udylike.


    ¡°Are you sure that will be enough for you?¡± Julian asked, looking at my te before facing me. Our gaze connected, and I quickly shifted my focus to my te, apprehensive about the rapid beating of my heart.


    I need him to fuck me on this table.


    ¡°It is fine. I don¡¯t eat that much.¡±


    He smirked, and I didn¡¯t know if it was because he was pleased or because he knew I was faking it.


    I heard the shuffling of feet from upstairs and stopped eating. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say we were alone? I just heard someone moving upstairs. Should I be scared?.¡±


    ¡°Aaron is around. I like to have him around just in case I need to do something urgently. He is very helpful.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I uttered.


    I couldn¡¯t hide the irritation from my face that even as we conversed, I would give him a one-word answer. What was so special about Aaron, though?


    ¡°One day we will have a swimmingpetition, just the two of us. I know I¡¯ll win you hands down.¡± Julian boasted mirthfully.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    It was yet another attempt of his to steer up a conversation. I just realized that I was failing, really failing, to hide my feelings. He must have noticed something was bothering me, so he was trying to distract me from my thoughts.


    And I was engrossed in them.


    ¡°You win me?¡± I scoffed. ¡°I will so beat you hands down. I was the best swimmer in High school. I¡¯ve been swimming for years. You are no match for me.¡± I replied, thepetitive side of me taking over.


    Heughed out, and I did, too. I wanted to p for myself for finally keeping up a conversation with him despite still being very angry and distracted.


    ¡°You have no idea how good a swimmer I am. My friends call me the shark.¡±


    I giggled hard when he said that. He raised the arm off his shirt and yfully showed his muscles. His brows moved up and down while he did; the animated expression on his face was so funny. Iughed so hard I almost cried. ¡°Well then, I am a dolphin.¡±


    ¡°Sharks are faster than dolphins.¡±


    ¡°I beg to disagree. Dolphins are faster.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, way.¡± I chuckled. He gazed at me, faking amazement. I mimicked his facial expression, causing him tough.


    Aaron came downstairs. ¡°Good morning, Nanny Samantha.¡± He greeted, bowing like a gentleman.


    I rolled my eyes at him and sighed. He must be deceiving his boss into thinking he was a good person when we both knew he was anything but¡­ My feelings were not so justified, I know, but I couldn¡¯t stop feeling the way I did. He disgusted me. He stood still and nced at the both of us, then at me, and I swear I saw him smirk.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± I muttered a reply, stuffing my mouth with food so I didn¡¯t have to say anything else.


    ¡°I¡¯ should go spend some time with Hond.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be joining you at her grandmother¡¯s soon.¡± Julian replied while cutting his chicken


    ¡°Have breakfast with us, will you.¡± Julian offered.


    I immediately started to wriggle in my seat in difort.


    ¡°I already had breakfast, boss. Besides, Miss Samantha still needs to be briefed on her duties.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± With that, Aaron bowed and walked away, but not without winking at me. I scoffed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to get along well with Aaron,¡± Julian observed.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know him and don¡¯t do well with strangers.¡±


    Good reply, Samantha. It¡¯s best to be diplomatic until you find out the secret they both share. What did Aaron mean by I needed to be briefed on my duties?


    ¡°You don¡¯t know me either, but you fucked me yesterday. Double standards.¡± He mumbled under his breath.


    I was shocked by his words. My heart felt like a hand had squeezed it tight and ripped it out of my chest.


    My suspicion has been confirmed. They both had a bet on me. But who was winning the money?

 17.

    I think Julian is crazy


    Confront him, Samantha. Don¡¯t let him get away with disrespecting you.


    But I don¡¯t want to lose him.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I heard him right. I must have heard wrong.


    I don¡¯t care! Say something.


    ¡°What did you just say?¡± I asked, trying to sound stern.


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± Julian quickly replied. ¡°I meant that you don¡¯t know me either, but then we still get along. Just try to give him a chance.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to babysit Hond, not Aaron. What I feel about him is not important. It really should not be a topic for discussion.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you say so.¡±


    ¡°I say so,¡± I said firmly.


    The atmosphere became tense. We both went quiet. I focused on eating my food, and he did, too. He stopped trying to make small talk with me.


    You have lost him. He will never see you the same again.


    Better that than disregard.


    I didn¡¯t regret standing up to him, but I was not too fond of the fact that the first time we quarreled, it was because of Aaron. I just didn¡¯t like him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been willing to ask. What would I do as Hond¡¯s nanny since Aaron says you should brief me on my duties? You seem to listen to him a lot. So what will I be doing?¡± I asked, dropping my fork down on the table. I peeked at him from the corner of my eyes, then faced him.


    ¡°Oh, nothing much. You will just take her to school in the morning. Teach her after school for an hour, and then that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Then maybe sometimes you can read bedtime stories to her.¡± He winked at me.


    This man wants a live-in whore, not a nanny for his child.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°That¡¯s not what a Nanny does. I should be the one to bathe her and clothe her. I should also be the one to feed her, and I should be in charge of everything that has to do with her upkeep. If you need someone to care for her while she¡¯s at her grandma¡¯s, I can do that too.¡±


    ¡°Aaron does that already.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s best if Hond has a woman around her doing that. I think I¡¯ll be more helpful.¡± I said convincingly.


    ¡°I enjoy a routine, and I don¡¯t like changes. So let¡¯s just drop the topic.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°Okay.¡± I said weakly.


    We continued eating our food in silence.


    ¡°I just want what¡¯s best for her.¡± I blurted out, my attention still on my te.


    ¡°She¡¯s not your daughter! She is my Daughter. Mine! I get to decide what¡¯s best for her!¡± He yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t think because you and I fucked, you somehow have a say on matters concerning my daughter.¡±


    I grimaced.


    I looked up at him with tears in my eyes, my heart racing hard.


    Why is he suddenly so angry? What did I say wrong?


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that at all.¡±


    ¡°And I said drop the goddamn topic!¡±


    A teardrop fell on my cheeks, and with it came rage.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now because it seems you need an extracurricr teacher, not a nanny!¡± I shouted, getting up. He stood up immediately as I did and held my hands, stopping me from leaving.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He whispered. He was hugging me from behind. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s just that I see Aaron as a brother. He¡¯s such a sweet boy, and I trust him. I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me,¡± he begged. He spun me around and kissed my forehead. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for yelling at you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m to me, too. I just, I, I should not be quick to judge people.¡± I said softly. ¡°I forgive you.¡±


    He hugged me so tight my lungs lost the ability to take in air. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much. You can do whatever you want, Samantha. Anything!¡± he begged, breathing heavily.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Calm down.¡± I wrapped my hands around him and kissed his neck.


    ¡°Calm down, Julian.¡±


    His hands started moving from my waist down to my butt. He kissed my neck and bit it, causing me to moan out. Then he licked the spot.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about fucking you on this diner the whole time. You know what else? I want my dick in your mouth so bad.¡± He whispered.


    On the one hand, I was so fucking turned on, and on the other, I felt humiliated by him. What does he take me for? A whore?


    ¡°Julian, please stop it. That¡¯s enough.¡± As I begged, his hands were already finding their way into my gown.

 18.

    Pills and knives


    ¡°Julian, please stop it. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± I begged, determined not to be used by anyone-even him. Especially him.


    God, I was so fucking horny.


    If you want a man to respect you, you must learn to set boundaries, Samantha!


    ¡°Oh,mon Samantha, I can tell you are soaking wet already,¡± Julian whispered, trailing kisses from my neck to my chin, and then he kissed me.


    I put my hand on his chest to push him away.


    ¡°Give me your tongue,¡± he demanded, trying to dominate the kiss.


    I finally found the courage, despite my weak knees, to push him off me. ¡°No! I said I Don¡¯t want to fuck you this morning.¡±


    He looked surprised and angry, but he kept his distance now. I moved back a bit, trying to catch my breath.


    Avoid the temptation, Samantha.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to have sex with me?¡± Julian spat.


    ¡°Must there be a reason?¡± I shot back.


    ¡°Because of Aaron, right? But I already told you. You call the shots. You can do whatever you like. What exactly do you want? Tell me.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    ¡°What I like is to not have sex with you,¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Sorry if I pushed you too hard. You just make me so needy.¡±


    You do, too. Why do you think I¡¯m taking all your crap!


    ¡°Okay,¡± I muttered instead.


    ¡°Are you ready to go home now?¡±


    His question took me aback.


    Of course, you will go home, Samantha. You have to.


    Did you think you were going to move in?


    I need to go home actually to clear my head.


    Yes, you need to.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look like that, baby. I¡¯m not sending you away because you refused to have sex with me. Weekends are supposed to be your off days, when you rest and take care of yourself, so I just want you to enjoy it. You¡¯ve already spent Friday and Saturday morning with us. And we deeply appreciate it.¡±


    He is sending you away because you refused to have sex with him. Don¡¯t be fooled by what he¡¯s saying now. Judge a man by his actions not his words.


    Don¡¯t object, Samantha. It is for the best.


    I was tired and needed to recuperate in a familiar environment. My room would give mefort, and I could n better in my room.


    I won¡¯t deny I sucked at change-especially change of environment.


    ¡°I would drop you off,¡± Julian added, obviously to soothe me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. I can call a cab.¡±


    He took my left hand and enclosed it with both hands, ¡°I insist. I¡¯ll take you home myself. Let me be your designated driver today.¡±


    I smiled and nodded. ¡°But I can¡¯t afford you.¡± I joked.


    ¡°You can, with other ways.¡±


    My heart skipped a beat. I cleared my throat. ¡°Let me get my box.¡±


    ¡°I can help you with it.¡± Julian offered.


    ¡°I can get it myself, thank you.¡± I ced my hand on his hard chest to stop him from moving. I immediately regretted it because what followed was a shback of the sex we hadst night.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I said, hurriedly running back to the room. When I got to the room, I leaned on the door and exhaled loudly.


    ¡°That was close!¡±


    ***


    I was opening the door to my apartment when Julian held my hands. He had insisted on climbing up with me, and now I was nervous as to why he did.


    It¡¯s not like he cares about you that much. He had proven that with how he speaks to you.


    I hope it¡¯s not so he can make another move on me.


    I might give in this time.


    ¡°I will pick you up by 4:00 pm on Monday. Then you can start your job fully. I will have the contract ready by then, too.¡±


    I whirled around; my lips almost touched his. I didn¡¯t know he was leaning down to inhale my hair. ¡°What shampoo vor is this?¡±


    ¡°Lilies,¡± I replied.


    ¡°They smell nice,¡± he said, standing up to his full height.


    I cleared my throat. ¡°Tell Hond I¡¯ll be back, and I love her. And that next time, I would read her a bedtime story, and nothing will distract me from it.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Julian smirked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered firmly, but inside, I was mush.


    ¡°Is that all the message? ¡± He smirked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell her. What about me, don¡¯t you love me?¡± He pouted. He came closer, so he was only a few inches away. I could feel his breath on my face. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you too, not just her. You should tell me you miss me too,¡± He whispered.


    I moved back, stumbling on the door in the process. ¡°I will miss you too,¡± I mumbled, my voice shaking. I swallowed.


    He kissed my cheeks and hugged me. ¡°I know. Until Monday, Samantha.¡±


    I saw the look of intense lust in his eyes, and I knew he only controlled himself because he was afraid I would reject him again.


    I would have.


    Julian walked away without looking back.


    I watched as he left feeling all kinds of emotions.


    I wanted to stop him. There were just so many questions I wanted to ask, but I doubted he would tell me the truth. I no longer trusted him.


    When he drove off, I rushed to the supermarket to get a pill, and I also bought pepper spray and a pocket knife. Something was wrong, and I was going to find out tomorrow.


    No one will hurt Hond anymore, no one. Not if I can help it.


    I walked to the window to close the curtains, and I saw a shadow. A tall, brooding man looked up, and I immediately ducked, hiding behind the wall. My heart dropped to my stomach.

 19.

    He is a torn in my flesh


    Today, I would sneak into Julian¡¯s house to find out what he¡¯s hiding. It was decided. I was prepared.


    The problem now is that I need proof. Proof that I am not just being a nosy nanny. Proof that I am not just being delusional. I¡¯m standing in front of Amelia¡¯s office, but I¡¯m too scared to go in because I suspect Damien might be inside with her or, worse still, inside alone.


    Think of that man whom your mother likened to the devil. Who everyone knows is a temptation. That is Damien. If I go into this office, he will flirt with me.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Damien is a Greek god, and I¡¯m a horny woman, which is not the right mix. It¡¯s the kind ofbination that leads to disastrous sex. I am not ready to destroy my life yet.


    I¡¯ve been avoiding every contact with him because I don¡¯t want to be one of those women fighting over him on the news and in magazines. Rumors have it that once he makes love to you, you fall in love.


    His aura. His yfulness. His beauty. Damien is irresistible, and I was just about to fall into his trial by knocking on the door, but I did anyway. I had to.


    Damien opened the door and let me in. ¡°You are here. Did youe to see me?¡± He teased, putting his hands over my shoulders.


    I frowned. I did not expect him to be the one to open the door for me. Where is Amelia?


    I looked around the office, hoping to see Damien¡¯s mother, but it looked like she had taken a break, and Damien was taking her ce. I wondered how a nice woman like Amelia could birth a man like Damien. Annoying, childish, a thorn in my flesh.


    ¡°I did not.¡± I rolled my eyes and pushed past him. ¡°I have no reason to look for you, but since you are here, you might prove useful.¡±


    ¡°Finally! Like I told you, you will want something from me one day.¡± He chuckled, sping his hands. ¡°So what does high and mighty Sammy need from the low-life Damien now.¡±


    I hissed, ignoring his sarcasm. I walked past him and sat down on one of the seats at the director¡¯s table. Amelia¡¯s office was quite modern after she did the necessary renovations to itst year. It had light decor, minimal furniture, and a well-stocked library.


    Damien circled the table and upied his mother¡¯s chair. Intertwining his fingers, he rested them on his stomach, fixing me with the most solemn expression I had ever witnessed on him ¨C a rare sight, as he was never serious. ¡°Did the man you dressed up for on Friday pass away?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡±


    I was not expecting that from him, especially with how grave he appeared. Damien is insane!


    I wasn¡¯t dressed badly. Was I? I wore a long white skirt and red shirt, and my hair was braided back by me this morning. I looked like a teacher. Last week Friday, I looked like a teacher but one who wanted to star in porn.


    ¡°Just kidding. You look beautiful every fucking day, Sam.¡± He added.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± I spat.


    Damien chuckled, clipping a hand on his lips to stifle hisughter. ¡°Common, don¡¯t be mad, love.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for your jokes, Damien. You should know I¡¯m in a tight corner. If not, I won¡¯t ask for your help. Neither will I be in the same space with you.¡± I said angrily.


    ¡°So, tell me already, what is so important that mydy Samantha is willing to put up with me?¡±


    I sighed. I didn¡¯t know how he would take what I was about to ask of him, but I had to try. He was rubbing off on me with his levity, too.


    I haven¡¯t even thought about how I will make my request. I decided to just go with anything that my mind came up with. ¡°I need. I need Hond¡¯s file. Please, it¡¯s important.¡± I stuttered.


    He remained silent, his face devoid of any emotion, maintaining the same nk expression he had when he inquired about what I wanted.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to say anything?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± He snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t the request iplete? Usually, when a request like this is made, ites with an exnation, don¡¯t you think.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think.¡± I snapped.


    ¡°You are asking for a favor, Sam. Don¡¯t let your anger get in the way.¡± He said calmly. I rolled my eyes again, breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. Damien just knew how to get me on edge.


    ¡°Annoying piece of trash.¡± I cursed under my breath.


    He cocked an eyebrow and smirked. ¡°What was that?¡± The smirk on his face made me know that he knew I wouldn¡¯t dare repeat myself.


    Why does he have to be so annoying?


    ¡°Why are you being so difficult?!¡±


    ¡°Because you, mydy Samantha, have finally fallen into my trap, and I like it.¡±


    His blue, steely eyes met mine, and I saw something in them that I¡¯d never seen in any man in a year. Love.

 20.

    Asking for favours


    I should check myself into a psych ward because I¡¯vepletely run mad. Why else will I be seeing love in Damien¡¯s eyes if I¡¯ve not gonepletely insane? Damien is a yboy; yboys do not fall in love.


    ¡°You must tell me why you need the file, or I cannot help you. I am not making any promises, but if you tell me and you are honest, I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±


    Tell him the truth. He¡¯s the only one that can help you. This is a sensitive issue. Did you think Amelia would give you a student file? It would be best if you were grateful you saw him.


    Eww. Why should I be thankful for meeting him here?


    I couldn¡¯t be more grateful for seeing him.


    I hate him, and I don¡¯t even know why. Damien is a thorn in my flesh.


    If Amelia had refused, I would have found my way around it. One that didn¡¯t include Damien, for sure!


    You think it¡¯s that easy.


    It is. I¡­


    ¡°Are you fighting in your head?¡± Damien asked, his sweet, sultry voice pulling me out of my head. His voice is so sexy. So smooth. He¡¯s the only man I¡¯ve seen with the rich New Everest  ent I see only in movies. He talks like he¡¯s singing. I only just noticed it.


    That would be because he¡¯s the prince.


    Why are you suddenly paying attention to him?


    Damien is a yboy! Damien is bad news! Stay away from Damien!


    How did he know I was fighting in my head?


    ¡°Do I give you time to decide what to do?¡± Damien chuckled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.


    The annoying Damien is back!


    ¡°Please, I just need it,¡± I begged.


    ¡°As much as I love the tone of your voice when you are calm, that¡¯s not a good enough answer. If I¡¯ll risk my neck for you, I should know why I¡¯m doing it.¡±


    ¡°So that you know if it¡¯s worth it?¡±


    ¡°Exactly?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t doing anything that would make me happy worth it as you im that you like me?¡± I asked with the sweetest, most seductive smile I could muster.


    ¡°Oh no, no, no. You will not try to flirt with me when it¡¯s convenient. Although I think I just might be falling for it.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked hopefully.


    If there¡¯s any way I can avoid telling him the truth, I¡¯ll wee it with open arms-anything to throw him off my scent.


    ¡°No.¡± He replied.


    I rolled my eyes.


    There¡¯s no escaping for you, Samantha, and you do not have time. Get this over with.


    ¡°Look, I will be working as her nanny starting today. I need to know what I¡¯m getting myself into. Do you understand?¡±


    Damien tilted his head, cocking a brow. ¡°Why are you going to work as her nanny?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask? Do you want to report me to your mother?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡±


    He looked surprised that I dared to ask him that. That I even conceived the thought in my head.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never do anything to sabotage me getting to see you every day,¡± he added, a mischievous smile on his face.


    My heart rumbled, ¡°Look who is flirting now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I always.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to give me or not?¡± I asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from us flirting.


    ¡°Whatever your question, you should be able to ask her father. He would tell you since he employed you.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡°If it were that easy, do you think I¡¯ll be here? I can¡¯t stand you, and the only reason I¡¯m still talking to you is because this is important to me.¡±


    ¡°I love your honesty sometimes, but most times, it just pisses me off.¡± He cackled.


    ¡°I do not live to please you.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    He fake gasped, feigning hurt while standing.


    He walked to me, bent down to my ears, and whispered. ¡°What do I get in return for breaking the school rule? It¡¯s against thew, and no one makes an exception to thew without gain. You should know that, you are awyer after all. Mydy Samantha.¡±


    I wanted to smack him, but I quickly thought against it. I held the table firmly, my veins popping out.  He was making me very ufortable, and he pissed me off too. I was nervous and scared.


    Scared because my pant was soaked. If he made a move, I can¡­Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Tell me what I stand to gain?¡± He continued. His mint breath was a gentle chill that brushed the sensitive part of my skin.


    What if Julian walks in and sees us?


    Fuck!


    Have I be a French whore?


    There¡¯s a difference between the way Julian makes me feel and the way Damien makes me feel. With Julian, I want to give in because I think it¡¯s the right thing to do. With Damien, I fight every cell in my body because I know it¡¯s the wrong thing to do.


    I was about to lose.


    Every word he spoke sent shivers to my core. His breath on my neck caused goosebumps to decorate my skin.


    To think of having sex with Him, however, is to ept defeat. To ept being a toy. I could see a future with Julian but none with Mr. yboy.


    Control yourself, Samantha. Now!


    ¡°I¡¯ll hate you less. That should be enough.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll start seeing you as a human.¡± I continued. My hands voluntarily moved to my jeans pocket, where the knifey waiting to be used.


    I swear it would be used should Damien try to exploit me. I would rather go to jail than be one of his toys.


    He kissed my ears, and I flinched, the knife already in my hands. ¡°A kiss would have been better, but what you¡¯re offering can be managed till I think of something better.¡± He moved away and went back to his chair. I finally let out the breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.

 21.

    Hidden truths


    Damien had a smirk on his face as he pressed a few buttons on his mother¡¯s MacBook. ¡°You are lucky I¡¯m a good son, and can guess my mother¡¯s password.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°Oh, please!¡±


    He snickered, shaking his head. He leaned back on the chair and rxed on it. In the room¡¯s silence and with my nerves all over the ce, I finally gave in to the desire I had stopped myself from having for a long time. I looked at Damien. I really looked at him.


    His long dark hair was packed in a ponytail today, and I just now noticed his defined cheekbones and soft red lips. His eyes looked like they could hypnotize a woman into doing anything he wanted. The sun seeping in through the window made his tanned skin glow. He was truly the prince of New Everest. Royalty.


    Though the people in New Everest  don¡¯t take it to heart, we have a Royal family-a celebratory throne. When Damien¡¯s mother divorced King Abel De Lores, Damien took her side and renounced his ce on the throne. Now, there was no heir to the throne because he had only a sister, and women couldn¡¯t sit there. I can¡¯t believe New Everest  still embraces such a patriarchal monarchy system.


    The added title of being the crown prince of New Everest  made Damien more attractive to everyone but me. Even as he was helping me with a smile, I still wanted to smack him badly. His grin was unsettling me.


    Why¡¯s he even grinning?


    Why¡¯s he happy?This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    We were both breaking the rules. I was dying of anxiety, and he just looked calm.


    Perhaps because he has more powers than you.


    ¡°I¡¯ve found her file. It¡¯s best you look it over from theputer. My mum will notice if the files are touched, and I don¡¯t think she will like it. I warn you, Samantha. Do not transfer these files, or you will get caught!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± I assured him.


    I exhaled loudly, standing up. I turned around so I could check the files. Unlike what I expected, he stood up to give me my privacy. He went to the library on the other side of the office and took out a book. I didn¡¯t think he read. I suspected that he was just flipping through the pages without reading it. I ignored him.


    I perched on the chair and turned to the MacBook.


    At first, there was nothing particr about her file; it was just like the other pupils¡¯ files, stating their name, blood group, infirmities, genotype, and all further details.


    An additional unnamed file on top of hers caught my eye.


    I opened it. It contained Hond¡¯s pre-nursery details.


    ¡°Seen what you are looking for?¡± Damien asked, startling me. I guess he read the surprised expression on my face.


    ¡°Ugh. I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Unlike the first file, where in the space of infirmities, there was the inability to speak and possible dumbness of the pupil, in this, there was no infirmity stated. That only meant one thing: she could talk when she first entered the school, and her muteness was not from birth like her father wanted me to believe.


    If her muteness was not from birth, what other reason did she have to be mute? Could it be trauma? Just like I had always suspected. I remember even telling my brother the same. The question hit me like a bomb. I was sure now more than ever that my suspicions were not unjustified. I closed the file, jumping up immediately after I was done.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now. Thanks.¡± I told Damien.


    ¡°I see you found what you were looking for,¡± Damien asked, closing the book he was reading. He nced at me, his eyes filled with questions and suspicion.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking for anything. I wanted to know more about her since I was hired to care for her.¡± I replied. I was so eager to leave now. My thoughts were all over the ce.


    I didn¡¯t need someone intruding into them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve taken quite an interest in Hond that you are willing to break so many rules. One might start to think she is your daughter.¡± Damien smirked, moving closer to me. ¡°That¡¯s what I love the most about you, the way you love children, especially Hond.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you love about me.¡± I hissed.


    He ignored me, continuing to look at me thoughtfully. The smug smile on his face infuriated me. ¡°Or maybe you have an interest in being her mother or her stepmother, as the case might be. Is Hond the one you are going to babysit or her father?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up.¡±


    He chuckled. I was fuming, and he found it amusing. How annoying!


    I¡¯ll never understand how he pulls women. He was the most annoying man ever. ¡°Stop saying nonsense. God, you are so annoying! I will babysit Hond, and I have no interest in her father. I love children, and she¡¯s a child, and I love her too. That¡¯s it! So stop seeing foul y where there is none. Not everyone is like you!¡± I ranted.


    Heughed, folding his arms. He watched me like some form of entertainment for him. ¡°Trust me, everyone has a little bit of me in them.¡±


    I scoffed. ¡± I don¡¯t. ¡±


    ¡°Believe what you must¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± I hissed, rushing to the door. If I don¡¯t get away from Damien now, I might fight him.


    In anger, I opened the door of the office. What I wanted to do now was to let out a gut-wrenching scream, but then I was still in school.


    As I opened the door, Damien closed it with a hand on the handle.


    ¡°I have thought about what I want in return for my favor.¡±

 22.

    The ckmail


    Damien had this refined, ssy aura and scent that was sophisticated and refreshing. It sifted into my nose the closer he came. I realized I was trapped between him and the door. His tall, huge frame was intimidating and overpowering.


    I swallowed. ¡°What do you want? As long as it¡¯s not a crime, I¡¯ll grant it.¡± I said in a low whisper, my voice hoarse. My heart was pounding hard in my chest. I just needed him far away.


    ¡°A date with you after school tomorrow.¡± Damien smirked.


    ¡°What!¡± I swallowed, ¡°I¡¯m not going on a date with you. Never!¡±


    He moved back and folded his hands, and I released the breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding.


    ¡°Then I just have to tell my mum and Julian what you were doing in this office.¡±


    ¡°How do you know his name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It was in Hond¡¯s file,¡± Damien replied as though it was the most obvious thing.


    ¡°So what do you say? A date with me or trouble with my mum and Julian?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Are you ckmailing me?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to call it,¡±


    I scoffed,¡±That¡¯s what it is! Cheap ckmail!¡±


    He chuckled, ¡°What are you going to do about it then? The way I see it, I hold all the cards.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s selfish!¡± I fumed.


    ¡°Why¡¯s it selfish? You just said you have nothing to do with Hond¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°Well. Yea.¡± I stuttered.


    If I¡¯m wrong and Julian sees me on a date with Damien, that could destroy the rtionship we were trying to build.


    It¡¯s not like he was trying to develop a rtionship with me.


    But he said he likes me.


    It could just be that he didn¡¯t want to be rude to me after we just had sex, and he really needs my help with Hond, so he¡¯s trying to get on my good side.


    Or he is just a nice person


    Or a yboy. Fuck!


    Should I give Damien a chance? No, no, he¡¯s a fuckboy. I can¡¯t do anything with him.


    It¡¯s just a date, Samantha.


    But Damien is Dangerous.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Still waiting for your answer,¡± Damien said, summoning me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°Fine. I will go on a date with you, but it has to be in a discreet ce, and no one must know about it. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°Your wish is mymand, love.¡±


    I roll my eyes.


    ¡°I am not your love!¡±


    ¡°Am I allowed to leave now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡± He winked at me.


    I dashed out of the office as if it were aze. Upon stepping outside, my phone beeped, revealing a text from an unknown number.


    Julian is hiding a secret from you.


    My phone beeped again, and another text came in, this time from Julian.


    Aaron is going to pick Hond up from ss today. I just got called for an important meeting. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, then you can start working.


    Julian¡¯s texting after an anonymous message, told me to be careful of him, looked too much like a revtion.


    And he didn¡¯t even apologize for noting today as promised.


    What an asshole!


    ***


    Tuesday morning brought a level of internal conflict I had never experienced before. It was as uncertain as Summer in New Everest, where it rained heavily even as the sun scorched the earth. I was so deeply lost in thought that even children¡¯sughter, which used to be my greatest remedy, did nothing to bring me out of my reverie. I couldn¡¯t sleep wellst night because I felt the man hiding outside my house in the shadows would get in and kill me even though I checked to see if he was there, and he wasn¡¯t. Damien was also not at the assembly today, which I found weird. He was always there, at least to support his mother.


    It¡¯s not like I cared, though.


    I didn¡¯t.


    Throughout the day, I watched Hond like a hulk watched her chick. I was so determined not to let her out of my sight that I barely taught well. I didn¡¯t even pay as much attention to other kids as I used to before. I felt like a robot and behaved like one.


    I was indeed acting out of character and breaking so many rules.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Samantha.¡± Julian greeted, calling my attention as I had been engrossed in helping a kid paint while being lost in thought.


    The bell hadn¡¯t rung when he appeared in front of my ss in a ck suit. He was unusually early today, which made me even more suspicious.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Julian,¡± I replied with the same professionalism he had greeted me.


    If he wanted to be all professional, I think I can handle that.


    ¡°Hond baby,e.¡±


    Hond ran to her Dad, and I helped her wear her bag across her shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be picking you up by four, Alright. Then we can talk.¡± Julian said to me as he took Hond in his arms.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be ready by 4 pm.¡±


    I pretended to adjust Hond¡¯s bag so that I could sneak a book out of it. Today, she had seemed worse than normal. She didn¡¯t even call my name, nor did she let me touch her throughout the day. She looked like a ghost, and I was sure I did, too, even though I didn¡¯t look in the mirror all day, afraid of what I would see in my reflection.


    Maybe in another life, Hond would be my daughter. I felt connected to her.


    The textbook I took was my best shot if I wanted to see her before 4 pm when Julian woulde to pick me up. What excuse could be better than a good teacher personallying to return the book her pupil forgot?


    If something was wrong with the ST ire¡¯s, I had to find out, especially if it affected Hond.


    Julian turned back and smiled at me. ¡°I miss you.¡± He mouthed just before walking off.

 23

    Taking a risk for the truth


    After Julian left, I sat and waited impatiently for the bell. In ten minutes, the bell rang, and I could not be happier. I had ns today, and they can only start if all the other kids go home. I kept tapping my feet on the ground till it formed a rhythm while I waited for every parent to collect their kid. My acting skills should be apuded because no one noticed my distress, not the children or their parents.


    The only good thing about today is that I have not seen a note. Yesterday, I didn¡¯t get one, and today, too. I hope the messenger, whoever it was, has finally decided to leave me alone. Maybe they got an idea of my n to report the next letter to the police. Hopefully, tomorrow, I won¡¯t get any. I just need to find peace in my life again. I think my life is bing tooplicated, and I¡¯mplicating it more by being involved with Julian. But will I stop?


    I was so used to the routine of saying goodbye to all my kids that even subconsciously, I could emte it even while my mind wasn¡¯t there. After all the kids were gone, I grabbed my bag and Hond¡¯s book and immediately rushed out of the ss. God was on my side because all the parents came to pick up their kids early today.


    Well, Julian was the onlyter parent I had anyway.


    I called a cab, and when the driver picked up, and I gave him the location, I decided to text my brother.


    Elijah, I need your help urgently. You know what you said about me getting more rebellious. Well, I do believe you. I¡¯m about to do something very stupid, but what I want to do is worth risking my life, so I just have to. I didn¡¯t call because you will try to talk me out of doing this, but my mind is already made up. So if I don¡¯t text you in an hour, call me. I¡¯m sharing my location with you on Snapchat. Could you not call me before an hour, though?


    I clicked on send and immediately put my phone on silent. My brother would call when he got the text, even if it wasn¡¯t an hour yet. I was sure of that. The Bricks hardly listened to instructions. I am a Bricks, so I know.


    Am I being so dramatic? Yes. But will I ever stop being dramatic? No.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    I gged down my taxi and hopped in. My heart was beating at an rming rate when I entered the car, and I felt like my lungscked oxygen. Between, I need to get a car or fix my old Range Rover


    I sat still in the car while I concentrated on breathing. I needed my lungs to catch up on the air again. The taxi was cold, but I was hot. It didn¡¯t help that I was putting on a dark blue suit.


    At first, the driver, a young Mexican man, maybe in his forties, had no problem with my silence until it stretched to minutes. He turned back and faced me, frowning.


    ¡°Where am I taking you to?¡±


    Oh shit, I haven¡¯t given him the address.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Please take me to this address. I want to book you for two hours.¡± He wanted to object, but I raised a hand, silencing him. I dug my hand into my bag and brought out a hundred dor mint.


    ¡°Take this.¡± He took it and smiled.


    ¡°I will stay with you all day and even be your driver after today if you please.¡± He said.


    ¡°Please drive,¡± I replied with a smile.


    He faced the road and drove off.


    Iid my head on the window pane and shut my eyes. I had to go over my ns again. I prayed immensely that I would seed. If something was truly wrong, I hoped to take Hond away. The closer we got to Julian¡¯s house, the more terrified I became. I had be tired of my heart skipping anytime we passed a ce that looked simr to his, so I decided to close my eyes so I wouldn¡¯t die of a heart attack.


    ¡°This is the house.¡± The driver informed me. We had arrived already, and I didn¡¯t know until now.


    He didn¡¯t look back, but he watched me from the front mirror. I cleared my throat. I wanted to stay longer in the car, having been so afraid and close to chickening out, but then I remembered the text message from yesterday, and bravery returned to me.


    I got down from the passenger seat with my bag and Hond¡¯s book. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in thirty minutes,¡± I told the driver.


    I walked away immediately without waiting for a reply.


    Last Friday, there was no security man at the small gate which led to Julian¡¯s house. Today, there was, and he seemed pleasant.


    ¡°Miss wee! Good afternoon!¡± He greeted. He was holding a small bag, and he looked extremely excited.


    ¡°You look happy.¡± I probed, walking past him. He seemed to recognize me.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a good day.¡±


    ¡°I see. That¡¯s nice. I¡¯m here to see Hond. I just want to drop her book. She has a test on this subject tomorrow. And I¡¯m her teacher,¡±


    ¡°You are the new nanny, I¡¯m aware; however, Boss is not around, so I can¡¯t let you in.¡±


    ¡°He asked me to bring this for Hond. So you have to let me in, or we will both be in trouble. Pleaseeeeee! I need to get this to her.¡±


    ¡°But there¡¯s no one at home now. Hond is with her grandparents.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll drop the book in her room so she can read it when shees. I¡¯ll be out in an instant.¡±


    The security man looked convinced and said no more.


    ¡°Can I go in?¡±

 24.

    Sneaking in


    The walk to Julian¡¯s door had me feeling like I was walking to the gate of hell with no one in sight to help me. But my mind was made up.


    I will be brave.


    I will be brave.


    I knocked lightly on the door, and there was no answer. I carefully pushed the door open so no sound was made, exhaling quietly when I seeded in getting in. Then I stilled my breath, scared that even my breathing could alert whoever was at home and would inadvertently risk my mission. Being in this house only made my feelings of doom stronger. The atmosphere wreaked of secrets, and it was empty. No workers. No Hond, yet I felt someone¡¯s presence.


    I breathed in and out.


    ¡°Where do I check first?¡± I whispered under my breath. ¡°Do I go up or down?¡±


    ¡°Hond¡¯s room is upstairs, so I should go up,¡± I mumbled.


    It had been a long time since I talked to myself like this, but now I was so tense that I couldn¡¯t help it. I took off my shoes and slowly walked upstairs. I tried my best not to make a sound. Thest room on the floor was Hond¡¯s, although when Julian showed me her room while taking me on a tour around his house, I couldn¡¯t look inside because he got a call then and had to get something from the library, and he asked that I follow him.


    I opened the door to Hond¡¯s room slowly, trying my best not to make a sound. I slipped in and went straight to the window to check if anyone wasing upstairs. I was still in the clear.


    ¡°Just great.¡±


    I looked around the room. ¡°Where to check first?¡± I wondered to myself.


    I started to check her wardrobe and then the table across her bed. However, I found nothing out of the ordinary, just children¡¯s books, her clothes, her drawings, her toys, and other things a child should have.


    Her room was pink-themed, and it was really pretty. The colour of everything was so warm and calm. Julian paid attention to her room, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Fuck! I feel so stupid for doing this. I should have trusted Julian instead of wasting time trying to find something when there¡¯s none.¡± I sighed frustratedly. Being nosy was not a good look.


    I rushed to the window again to make sure I was still in the clear. The security guard was standing by the gate, but apart from that, no one wasing in. Where were the workers? Perhaps, Julian sent them away so we could spend time together, like on Saturday.


    I shouldn¡¯t have doubted him.


    ¡°Okay, time to go,¡± I decided. I was already at the door of the room when a thought hit me, and I stopped in my tracks.


    You should check under the bed.


    ¡°Yes, I should check under the bed. Why didn¡¯t I think of that!¡± I ran to the bed and got on my knees.


    The lights in the room were all off, and the sunlight seeping through the windows didn¡¯t illuminate under the bed. I removed my phone from my bag and put on the torchlight so I could use it to look under the bed.


    I couldn¡¯t make out anything.


    I slid my hand beneath the bed, nearly recoiling from the cold tiles and a sudden rush of fear. My fingers touched something resembling a card, and I swiftly retrieved it. It turned out to be a picture of a stunning woman, an uncanny resemnce to Hond and myself. Intriguingly, Hond had drawn candles over the photo.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Who is this woman, and why did she look like Hond.¡± I wondered. ¡°Why¡¯s this picture under Hond¡¯s bed?¡±


    Hond¡¯s mother left Julian right?


    No other part of the house had the picture of this woman, almost like she was forbidden.


    I took a photo of the picture and hastily got up-no need to try my luck too much. I would find out who this woman was, but for now, I had to return my debt by going on a date with Damien. I put the picture back under the bed and looked around the room to make sure it was in the same state I had met it. When I was sure, I sneaked out and closed the door. I rushed downstairs and dropped the textbook on the living room chair.


    That¡¯s when I had a knock.


    ¡°What was that?!¡± I gasped, looking around. The house was still empty.


    Goosebumps decorated my skin.


    Leave now.


    I wore my shoes and ran out.


    When I left the house, I looked for the security guard who had been standing at the gate just a few seconds ago.


    ¡°Where is he?¡±


    The security man came out from the boys quarters just in time, and I exhaled relieved.


    ¡°Miss, are you ready to leave now?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes. Yes.¡± I replied nervously.


    I took out a hundred dor bill and gave it to him.


    ¡°Miss, what¡¯s this for?¡±


    ¡°This is not to bribe you, of course!¡± I said nervously, ying with my fingers. ¡°I¡¯m starting something new with your boss, so I don¡¯t want him to have the wrong impression of me for any reason. So is it possible to just not tell him that I was here today, or even if you have to tell him. just tell him I dropped the textbook and left immediately? Is that cool with you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it if you¡¯re ufortable. It¡¯s just a suggestion.¡±


    ¡°Alright. But I hope I won¡¯t have to do this again. I don¡¯t like lying to my boss.¡±


    I sighed in relief. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t have to do this again. I don¡¯t like lying to your boss either.¡±


    We exchanged smiles, and just as the moment settled, a car honked.


    ¡°Oh my God! Is that your boss?¡± I inquired, fear gripping me to the core.

 25.

    Ambushed by Damien


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s the one.¡± Julian¡¯s security man announced. I could tell Julian¡¯s Jaguar anyway.


    My heartbeat increased to a vtile rate. His car was tinted, so I couldn¡¯t tell if he already saw me or if Hond and Aaron were with him.


    I could barely breathe. I looked around for where to hide, but there was nowhere except the fountain, greennd, and coconut trees. My only choice was to run behind the house, but that¡¯s too risky.


    ¡°This is a disaster!¡± I thought, blood rushing into my head.


    My head was pounding.


    Julian must have seen me already, except he wasn¡¯t paying attention. The white gate that led to his house was small, with iron rods spaced out enough that a little child could slip through.


    ¡°Come. I¡¯ll show you where to hide.¡± The security man said, pulling me out of my nervous thoughts that almost had been surrendering to fear. ¡°Over here.¡± He added, making a e with me¡± gesture.


    He led me to a pir across, which I hadn¡¯t noticed because of my anxiety. When I was safely hidden, he rushed to open the gate for his boss. Anxious not to get on his bad side. I mean, I¡¯m a total stranger to him; there¡¯s no way he would want to get in trouble just because of me.


    He swung the gate open, and Julian cruised in with his Jaguar.  He came out of the car immediately, looking every inch eatable in a white suit different from the ck suit he had won when he came to pick Hond up from ss.


    ¡°This man has good taste. And he also dresses so well.¡± I said admiringly. I realized then that I did admire Julian.


    He told The security man something and then waltzed into his house in a hurry. My guess is he forgot a document. He looked to bepletely oblivious to my presence. I could not be more thankful to God for that.


    As he entered the house, the security man hurried toward my hiding spot. His demeanor conveyed a sense of urgency, though he looked ready to help me out, and that touched my heart, not in the way that I love him or something, but just that I would like to be his friend.


    ¡°I think you cane out now.¡± He said. I looked for a name tag on his chest, but there was none. His ck suit was ironed to perfection, fitting his dark skin so well.


    ¡°Sure?¡± I asked him with a shaky voice and my eyes slightly wider than usual.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Can I know your name, though?¡±


    The request took him aback. He was happy about it yet suspicious.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°You want to know my name? Why?¡±


    I shrugged, ¡°Is there anything wrong with that!¡±


    He chuckled nervously, showing off a crooked front tooth. ¡°No, no, nothing is wrong with that. It¡¯s just that none of my boss¡¯s friends have ever wanted to know my name.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a nanny and a worker like you. So I think we should be friends. You help me, and I help you.¡±


    He was still skeptical, ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are going to know soon enough.¡± I joked.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± He said, which matched his facial expression.


    ¡°Ehh. I¡¯ll bring you lunch if that helps,¡± I said anxiously. Maybe I was wrong to think that we could be friends.


    ¡°Oh, it does.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± I shrugged.


    ¡°My name is Adrian.¡± He finally replied, outstretching his hands.


    I took it in a warm handshake, ¡°Mine is Samantha. Sorry if my hands are a little sweaty.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It just shows you are alive.¡±


    I shook my head in agreement. ¡°See. You are smart. I already know we will be best of friends soon.¡±


    Heughed, ¡°Alright, friend, you must leave now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sure,¡± I said at once, breathing hard.


    He just reminded you that you need to leave, really Samantha?!. ¡°I always get carried away and be forgetful.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡± He said, giving me a warm smile.


    I exited my hiding ce, and we both walked to the gate. He opened the gate for me, and I left.


    ¡°Bye.¡± I waved at him.


    ¡°Bye.¡± He waved back.


    The estate was very quiet. I looked around to make sure no one saw me, and no one was in sight. It is one of the most expensive estates in town, so I expected everyone to be all about their business.


    Rich people gossip, too. My mum, for example.


    I was just a few blocks from Julian¡¯s Home and getting ready to call a taxi when a car stopped before me. The ck Rolls-Royce looked all too familiar.


    ¡°Where have I seen this car before?¡± I was thinking when the driver¡¯s door opened, and Damien came out looking drop-dead gorgeous in a Grey overcoat. His long hair fell down his shoulders, and his lips looked even fuller.


    ¡°Damien! What the hell are you doing here?!¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for my date. Just to make sure she doesn¡¯t stand me up.¡± He replied. ¡°I like to take things I care about into my own hands.¡±


    ¡°This is crazy. You are crazy!¡± I replied, shaken from the narrow escape and Damien¡¯s presence.


    Damien walked around the car and opened the passenger door.¡± You can call me all the names when you are in my car. Get in.¡±


    I rolled my eyes at him and got into the passenger seat. He shut the door, entered the driver¡¯s seat, and pecked my cheeks before closing the door. ¡°I got you flowers. They are lilies. I noticed that. You use Lilly-scented shampoo. So I figured they are your favorite flowers.¡±

 26

    Lilies and smiles


    The yellow Lilly bouquet was a beauty. I put it to my nose, loving the intoxicating and gorgeous fragrance. I could feel Damien¡¯s eyes on me the entire time, watching me keenly as I admired the bouquet. He started the car, and we drove out of the estate while I focused on the flower so I wouldn¡¯t have to talk to him.


    ¡°In Chinese culture, lilies symbolize good luck and longsting love?¡± Damien said, smiling. I knew he would be the first to evade the silence.


    I dropped the bouquet on the back seat and folded my hands, wearing an angry expression. This made Damien chuckle, revealing his perfect set of white teeth unlike mine that was a little yellowish. ¡°I¡¯m still angry you ambushed me.¡±


    ¡°You look like a child whose sweets were taken from her.¡± He said, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°What you did is so annoying! You should not havee to pick me up! What if Julian had seen you?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had nothing to do with him?¡±


    My eyes widened, and my hands rushed to my mouth to cover it. Damn! Samantha, you have a big mouth?


    Damien snickered. ¡°No need to pretend. I have my eyes everywhere.¡±


    His words made me wonder how much more he knew. What¡¯s your secret, Damien?All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    ¡°Is that why you came? Why did youe? What if Julian had seen you?¡±


    ¡°Then he would know he has a rival for your heart.¡±


    I almost smiled.


    What is wrong with you? You better not smile.


    Why not consider Damien¡¯s offer? I mean, he doesn¡¯t have a child. He¡¯s a prince; he¡¯s wealthier and handsome. But he¡¯s a yboy.


    Julian might be a yboy, too. The devil you know is better than the Angel you don¡¯t know.


    Julian is not a yboy. He told me I¡¯m the only woman that has gotten him to feel something since his fiance left him.


    And you believe him?


    Absolutely. Why should I doubt him?


    What if he¡¯s lying? I mean, who is the woman in the picture?


    I don¡¯t care, but Damien is just not an option. He is a yboy!


    ¡°Are you having a full-blown conversation in your mind?¡± Damien asked, startling me.


    I nced down at my feet, feeling embarrassed that he had swiftly grasped the situation, much like he did in his mother¡¯s office yesterday. ¡°So what if I am?¡±


    My heels are starting to hurt.


    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s okay. I have no problem with it. My younger sister, Liz, does it, too.¡± He replied. ¡°I love teasing her about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice. At least now I know your mother has a reasonable child.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    ¡°That you are a headache!¡±


    Damien¡¯s face fell, and he put his hand on his chest. I didn¡¯t know if he was hurt or just pretending.


    Fuck! I think I did hurt him.


    Did I banter him too much?


    Be an adult and apologize, Samantha!


    ¡°Damien, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to. I¡­.¡±


    He burst outughing, ¡°Got you!¡±


    I hit his arm yfully. ¡°You did! That¡¯s why I don¡¯t take you seriously! You turn everything into a joke!¡±


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t y, you will develop high blood pressure. Not everything about life has to be madeplicated. One does not have to be serious all the time, you know. Sometimes, just loosen up and be happy. It¡¯s the Damien¡¯s ybook. Top of the list.¡±


    ¡°I think I agree,¡± I said, chuckling.


    ¡°Splendid. We can finally agree on something.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m still mad at you foring to pick me up. It could have ruined all my ns if Julian had seen you.¡±


    ¡°And it would have made my ns easier.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°What ns do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I n to have you as mine. I¡¯m serious about you, Samantha. I want you to be mine.¡±


    I looked at him, mouth agape, not knowing what to say. My heart pounded hard at the realization that this man in the car could be genuine about wanting me. I mean, he¡¯s good-looking and sweet, smart and rich, but he¡¯s already been cancelled, plus he¡¯s never really shown his interest in me so urgently before. Could he be doing this to keep me away from Julian?


    What if he¡¯s just using you to pass time, Samantha? Maybe he¡¯s just bored.


    ¡°Is this some of your jokes?¡± I ask him. ¡°Cause you do be joking a lot.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been more earnest, Sam.¡±


    ¡°This is not supposed to be a real date. Remember?¡± I finally said, knowing that it¡¯s better to y safe.


    This could be Julian testing you,


    I don¡¯t know, but nowadays, anything is possible


    My phone beeped, and I looked down to see a text from my brother.


    I¡¯m yet to hear from your dramatic ass. I know you are dramatic, but you are still my only sister, and I will do anything to protect you. So please reply to this text and let me know you are fine. Otherwise, I¡¯m sending the army to the address you gave me. Understood!


    I read the text message with a smile on my face.


    ¡°So who¡¯s making you smile?¡± Damien asked, ring at me from his peripheral vision.


    ¡°No one that you should worry about.¡±


    ¡°But I still want to know.¡± He insisted.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t have to tell you.¡± I shot back,


    ¡°Why do you have to be so stubborn!¡± He chuckled. ¡°I can make you talk, Sam. I will make you talk.¡±


    I took a deep breath and licked my lips, ¡°No need for all that. It¡¯s my brother Elijah. He just wants to know if I¡¯m fine. I kind of scared him.¡±


    ¡°Well, brothers are overprotective like that. I¡¯m very protective of my sister, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are?¡± I asked with a teasing smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t take you as the protective type.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you do not know me, Sam. I¡¯m very protective and possessive of the ones I love.¡±


    For some reason, the weight of his words almost sank my heart. I wondered what it would be like to be loved by Damien. To be chosen by him.

 27.

    Julian is here!


    Why is Damien better than Julian? There¡¯s no mystery with him. He¡¯s very open to you, and you know he¡¯s not lying, at least for the most part. You¡¯ve learned about him and his family since you were a kid. You know his history.


    That¡¯s because it¡¯s all over magazines and newspapers and was taught in my first year in college.


    That doesn¡¯t mean that he¡¯s better for you, Samantha.


    Julian could learn to be open to you, too. You just have to get him to trust you, and when he trusts you and opens up to you, you might just see that it¡¯s all worth it-being patient with him and all that. I mean, everyone likes a mysterious guy. Don¡¯t they?


    Not in this day and age. You just have to¡­.


    ¡°Having conversations with yourself again?¡± Julian asks with a teasing smile.


    I exhaled. ¡°Yea. I guess I¡¯m just crazy like that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. There¡¯s something liberating about knowing that you are insane and loving it.¡±


    I gave him a questioning re, and he faced me.


    ¡°Eyes back on the road!¡± I warned and burst intoughter, which he joined in.


    ¡°Do you want to change?¡±


    I examined my attire-ck trousers and a pink button-up long-sleeve shirt, fitting for a teacher. I removed my ck suit and left it on the backseat.


    ¡°I think I like what I¡¯m wearing. That way, you don¡¯t get any ideas.¡±


    ¡°I always get ideas.¡± He winked at me.


    I rolled my eyes but could not hide the smile on my face.


    Damien drove into an upscale restaurant in the heart of New Everest. The restaurant was the only five-star restaurant in the town and allowed ess to only the most influential people in New Everest. It took my Dad a year to get a reservation here for their 30th anniversary. My mum loved the surprise and could not stop telling my brother and me what a great time she had.


    As he drove further, I took the time to admire the architectural finesse and attention to detail it took to build something this beautiful. Impablendscaping, tasteful signage, and well-maintained decorated open Hall added to the sense of sophistication.


    Damien is genuinely serious about you for him to take you to a ce like this for a casual date he ckmailed you for.


    He¡¯s really on a mission to impress you. Will you fall for it?


    ¡°This ce is too nice for a casual date. Don¡¯t you think?¡± I said my thoughts out loud.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Nothing is too nice for you.¡± He replied, turning off the ignition when we entered the parking lot. ¡°You deserve the best, and I can give it to you. I¡¯m not a man who holds back on doing something my heart yearns after.¡±


    I swallowed, suddenly getting nervous.


    Why does Damien always know the best things to say? Why is he so smooth?


    He¡¯s a yboy, Samantha. Duh!


    ¡°How did you get a reservation so quickly,¡± I said, desperate to change the topic.


    ¡°You are talking to the crown prince of New Everest,¡± Damien replied


    I rolled my eyes. ¡°You denounced the thrown, remember?¡±


    ¡°Royalty will always be Royalty.¡±


    A security man, d in a ck suit, opened the driver¡¯s door for Damien. Another attempted to open my door, but Damien halted him with a raised hand.


    ¡°I can handle it,¡± Damien said.


    Oh my God, that¡¯s so hot. A voice in my head sang, and I quickly shut it up.


    Damien opened the passenger door for me, and I was led to the restaurant. He held my waist gentlemanly, his grip lose yet possessive.


    Upon entering, I was captivated. The restaurant¡¯s interior emanates sophistication and ss. Opulent decor, high-quality furnishings, and thoughtfully chosen artwork create avish ambiance. Thoughtful lighting elevates the overall mood. The tables are meticulously arranged with exquisite linens and gleaming tableware.


    We were guided to our designated table as the mellow R&B music in the background transitioned to country tunes. It seemed like the individual responsible for the music selection was made aware of my preference for country songs, particrly during meals.


    Damien drew a chair crafted from fine leather at our round table, and I sat. He gently pushed the chair back before settling in across from me. The table was hidden, but I could get a good view of the beautifulke outside.


    I appreciated the fact that Damien was able to get a discreet table withoutpromising the quality of my sightseeing.


    When we were seated, he put a napkin on his legs, and I put one on mine, too. Then, I continued looking around the restaurant. It¡¯s the epitome of ss.


    ¡°This ce is so nice!¡± Imented, truly impressed.


    ¡°Never been here before, I take it.¡±


    ¡°My ex was a bum,¡± I replied, and Damien chuckled.


    ¡°Oh well, it takes just one man like me who knows what he wants and knows how to treat a woman to get you to forget all about your ex who was a bum.¡±


    I tried to look at him, but I suddenly became shy. Now I knew why he had all the girls. I mean, I¡¯ve always known, but I knew better now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take that job upon yourself. You just might fail, I warn you.¡±


    ¡°I never fail. I warn you. You will fall in love with me.¡±


    Sun rays seeped through the windows and settled on Damien¡¯s frame, making his eyes deeper and sexier, highlighting the shade of green in his irises.


    ¡°You are insane!¡± I replied, shaking my head.


    ¡°For you.¡±


    I could not help the smile that formed on my face, which quickly faded as I instinctively nced back and noticed Julian entering with two men resembling those foreign investors often seen in New Everest.


    My heart skipped a bit, and I looked away.


    I was visibly shaken


    This is not happening!

 28.

    Hiding from Julia


    Why will Juliane here today out of all days? And at this time. This exact same time that I¡¯m here with another man.


    Did Damien n this?


    Did both of them n this?


    Had Julian been testing me all along?


    Was this Aaron¡¯s doing?


    Shit! I¡¯m so nervous.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed by your taste, Mr Julian. My partner and I didn¡¯t know a sophisticated restaurant like this could be found in New Everest.¡± One of the men said with a thick Italian ent.


    ¡°I agree. This is good dining.¡± The other man added with an equally strong Italian ent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, Mr. Anton, that you doubted my taste and promise to give you both a swell time while we walk over our pending agreement,¡± Julian replied.


    Hearing his deep, baritone voice made me weak in my knees. It¡¯s really him!


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡±


    ¡°You are a fine gentleman. We do trust in your taste,¡± Anton¡¯s partner added.


    ¡°Good to hear.¡±


    Julian was saying when he stopped close to my seat as though he had smelled my scent. His back was turned to me, but he looked to have sensed something. If he sees me with Damien, the consequences will be devastating!


    Shit!


    My heart started to beat rmingly fast, and I almost hid under the table if not for the fact that I knew it was toote. I could make a sound while at it, drawing Julian¡¯s attention. Damien looked at me, perplexed by my decision to avert my face, but his confusion dissipated when Julian continued walking, and he caught sight of him.


    ¡°Julian is here?¡± I whispered to Damien, my gaze fixed on my thighs. I loosened my hair from the rubber, letting it cascade down my face.


    ¡°Yeah, I can see that,¡± Damien replied with annoyance.


    I couldn¡¯t care less what made him annoyed. I just wanted to disappear into thin air so I won¡¯t have to deal with the drama of being here with Damien after fucking Julianst week.


    Oh my God, Samantha, now that I think about it. That¡¯s so messy. What was I thinking?!


    It¡¯s not like Damien gave me a choice, though. It was either this or getting exposed as a nosy teacher breaking all the rules. At best, I would have been sacked, and at worst, I could have been arrested. Damien had me in a tight corner. He had been right when he said he held all the cards.


    I was between the devil and the deep blue sea, and I had chosen the Devil.


    Yes, I had been enjoying the Devil¡¯spany, but¡­


    Everything would have been perfect if only Julian didn¡¯t appear here.


    This doesn¡¯t look like a coincidence.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look surprised? Did you know this all this while? Was this your n all along to make Julian see the both of us together so you can ruin whatever we are trying to build?¡± I asked Damien, getting angry. My voice came out louder than I expected it to be.


    All the likeness I have felt for Damien disappeared into the wind. He is a snake!


    ¡°That was not my n, but I don¡¯t see it as something that I would have rejected happening. I want you, Samantha, and I want him to know that.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want you. I want him.¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Wow!¡± Damien shot back. I could tell he was upset, too,


    He became quiet, and so did I. My face remained hidden for at least five minutes. I was too scared to follow Julian¡¯s movement.


    What if he sees me? It¡¯s better to keep my face down like this.


    Damien exhaled loudly, pulling me out of my head.


    ¡°Julian is upstairs now. He is not going to see us, okay? You can stop hiding your face like a wanted criminal now,¡±


    Damien¡¯s voice carried a subtle undertone of irritation that left me with a distinct sense of difort. I don¡¯t know how I felt exactly, but I know it upset me. I wasn¡¯t happy that I made him angry, even though I was pissed at him.


    I refused to lift my face.


    First, I did not trust that Julian was upstairs and would not see me like Damien assured. I mean, he had made it clear that he was Julian¡¯s rival. I couldn¡¯t trust his words when it concerned I and Julian. Secondly, my mood plummeted because I made Damien upset.


    I¡¯m such a confused woman!


    ¡°How can you be so sure of that?¡±Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Because I own this ce and built it so that one could have optimal privacy and be discreet if they choose to. That¡¯s why it¡¯s used mostly for top secret businessmen and government agencies. You asked me to take you to an inconspicuous ce, and Iplied. You either choose to trust me now or not.¡±


    I looked up at him, surprised, ¡°You own this ce?¡±


    ¡°Is that the only thing you got from what I said?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Well, yea,¡±


    He seemed to like the surprise in my voice. ¡°You thought I was a useless son just feeding off of my mother and the title of being a Prince, right? I¡¯m not. And I never felt the need to prove myself to anyone.¡± He paused. ¡°Maybe to you, but that¡¯s just it.¡±


    I swallowed, nodding, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for judging you harshly.¡±


    ¡°You only saw what I allowed you and everyone to see, and you made your judgments, so I don¡¯t me you. But I am more than what the blogs and magazines say about me. More than the renounced crown prince of New Everest,¡±


    Now, I feel stupid for judging him


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be too quick to judge. We can both agree on that.¡±


    Damien stayed silent.


    Presuming he was still upset, I nced up.


    Our eyes met, and my heart skipped a thousand beats.


    Fuck!


    His blue eyes are too intense. I just noticed how well-trimmed his beard was today, and then the temptation to touch it came out of nowhere.


    I swallowed.

 29.

    He is a gentleman


    Say something, Samantha! Stop staring!


    Do not fall for the temptation that is Damien, Samantha! He is bad news!


    Samantha! Samantha! Samantha!


    Oh dear, God, can I stop thinking?


    ¡°Now I know what D-DINE stands for. D, as in Damien. I can¡¯t believe it never urred to me.¡± I said with a lighthearted smile. It was my way of calling a truce. After all, I was the one who made the dinner awkward in the first ce,


    ¡°I understand. D could also have meant Dick.¡± Damien winked, causing my heart to skip numerous beats.


    How we could switch from upset to naughty in a minute had me in a chokehold. I want to be free like him.


    I wish I didn¡¯t have to overthink things.


    I wish I didn¡¯t always jump to conclusions only to end up hurting myself


    ¡°You are so smooth,¡± I muttered under my breath, but he heard me and chuckled.


    He grabbed my hand on the table and gently caressed it. ¡°Let¡¯s enjoy our lunch. If you still choose to go for Julian after this, I won¡¯t pressure you, okay?¡± He said, and it kind of hurt me a bit and kind of surprised me a bit. I mean, on the one hand, I wanted him to leave me alone, and on the other hand, I didn¡¯t want him to. So what do I want?


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t mind. You are the most eligible Bachelor in New Everest. Your choices for women are abundant.¡±


    ¡°The only thing that¡¯s abundant is the chances I¡¯ll give you until you realize I¡¯m the one for you.¡±


    Damien presses a button under the table, ¡°I ask them not to treat me like a regr customer-no greeting at the door and all that. Only to appear when I request. I hope you don¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    He smiles, ¡°Good.¡±


    A female waiteres at the nick of time, almost less than a minuteter. ¡°Good afternoon. Sir,¡± She turns to me, ¡°Good afternoon, ma¡¯am.¡± She¡¯s elegant.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Lydia. How has work been today.¡±


    ¡°Pretty good as always.¡± She replied with a blush. I could already tell that she had a crush on Damien. The East African woman was gorgeous. Her hair was gelled back, highlighting her full face and beautiful brown eyes. She looked pristine in her immacte white shirt and ck skirt.


    I could smell the passive aggressiveness in the air from her. Damien smiled at her, and I could bet they¡¯d fucked before. A little bit jealous, maybe, or just anxious. It was one of the reasons I didn¡¯t want to get with him. I can¡¯t live my life wondering who and who my man has Fucked. That¡¯s why I need to stay away from him.


    You are just overthinking things, Samantha!


    He¡¯s just a kind man.


    Or not.


    ¡°So what will you have?¡± Damien asked, smiling, ¡°Or do you want me to ce your order for you?¡±


    ¡°I can handle myself,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    He pointed to the button just on the side of my table that I hadn¡¯t even noticed. ¡°Press the button so you see the menu.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s new,¡± Imented, doing as he said. A square screen showed up on my side and another on his. The menu consisted of every delicacy in the world.


    ¡°This is truly elegant.¡±


    There was also an expensive wine list featuring some of the finest worldwide.


    ¡°Scroll on it and tap to see a video of the meal if the name of the meal strikes you, or it sounds like something you would want to try.¡±


    ¡°I think I will stick to meals I have a fair idea of.¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You should try something totally new. I rmend that.¡±


    ¡°Next time,¡± I said, waving off his suggestion.


    ¡°Does this mean you will agree toe here with me again? Is this you offering?¡± Damien asked, smiling wide. I could hear the thrill in his voice.


    ¡°Uhm. I cane here alone.¡± I replied, blushing.


    I averted my gaze to the menu, attempting to conceal my blush, yet Damien¡¯s intense stare on my face heated up my cheeks. I looked up as I sensed someone approaching our table.


    Oh my God!


    It was just the chef. He came to our table and was speaking to Damien.


    ¡°Sir, do you require any special meal for your date?¡± He inquired, and I stared at the chef and Damien, attempting to calm my racing heart that had skipped many beats, thinking it was Julian approaching our table.


    On the one hand, I loved the adrenaline rush of expecting Julian to catch me with another man, but on the other hand, I hated having to be in fear. All these contradictions had me staring at Damien and the tall but sexy Italian chef with confused eyes as though they weren¡¯t just talking to me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call you if she wants anything special, but for now, I think my date would want to order from the menu,¡± Damien said right on time to save me from embarrassment if I had dared to open my mouth and speak I would have either stuttered or said absolute rubbish andpletely embarrassed myself. I¡¯m grateful that Damien is insightful enough to know when to save the day.


    I closed my mouth and swallowed,


    The chef did a curt bow before leaving.


    ¡°Italian men. Always very gentlemanly.¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m a gentleman, and I¡¯m not Italian,¡± Damien said, and I rolled my eyes at him.


    I looked at the menus and at the waitress, who still seemed pissed at me being here with Damien.

 30.

    Caught by Julian


    ¡°For the appetizer, I¡¯ll have Brussels and Bacon. Brushetta and Saffron risotto with forest mushrooms for my main dish.¡± I finally ordered after twenty minutes of scrolling through the menu and ying videos to see if anything new would interest me.


    ¡°I will have the 1820 Jur Cuvee and get my date, Domaine de Romanee-Conti,¡± Damien ordered, his eyes on me the entire time, sending sweet waves of pleasure down my body. I loved the way he seemed to ce all his attention on me. It was satisfying. It made me feel so wanted and cared for.


    ¡°Very well, Sir.¡± The waitress, Lydia, replied. She had shown great professionalism by waiting for us to order while bantering, although I could sense her growing difort.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for you to try the wine with your appetizer,¡± Damien said. ¡°It¡¯s spectacr.¡±


    ¡°I trust your judgment.¡± I smiled.


    ¡°I will be back with aplimentary caviar,¡± Lydia interjected before she scurried away, and I rxed back into my chair. I was still nervous, but I was determined not to lose myself because of it.


    ¡°So, what is the worst thing that happened to you in college?¡± Damien asked, which took me by surprise.


    ¡°You are taking this date to heart,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I want to know you, Sam. And I want you to know me. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    I exhaled. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t expect me to open up to you on a first date?¡±


    ¡°A man can only try.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°I never wanted to be awyer. I always wanted to be a teacher. But my parents insisted that I go tow school. When I went, I felt all alone, as if the whole world had suddenly turned its back on me. It hurt so much.¡±


    My heart was on fire thinking back at it.


    I¡¯m engulfed by an avnche of emotions, on the brink of breaking and overwhelming me. Every aspect now echoes my ex from college; even the air I breathe serves as a reminder. It¡¯s a constant recall of the one who let me go.


    ¡°You need to stop zoning out, Samantha,¡± Damien said, pulling me out of my painful thoughts.


    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s just the memory is painful.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    I stared at him, unseeing, as tears filled my eyes. I immediately wiped it off. ¡°I¡¯ve never really processed how disappointed I am at my parents for making me study something I had no interest in and for cutting me off when I refused to push through with it after college. My dad was the guilty one, but my mum just watched him. On the one hand, I want to understand them. Sometimes I do. But on the other hand, I get so mad when I think about all the drama I had to go through. I mean, was any of it necessary? My brother was already a well-known pilot. Couldn¡¯t they just let me do me? I guess having one good kid isn¡¯t enough to get you where you want to be. I hated studyingw so much. I was surprised I came out one of the top 10 in my ss. I guess I didn¡¯t want to disappoint them just like they did to me, and I¡¯m scared of failure, too. I¡­¡± I took a deep, shaky breath. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m ranting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine.¡± Damien said with a soft smile. ¡°You can rant all you want, and I will listen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done. I don¡¯t want to ruin the mood again.¡±


    ¡°Do you believe that all great men die by their weaknesses,¡± Damien asked.


    ¡°Is that question supposed to make me feel better?¡± I sighed.


    He exhaled and leaned back on the chair. He was a beautiful man, even in his distressed state.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making you ufortable,¡± I said, smiling wryly.


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not your fault. I asked you a personal question which triggered you.¡± His full lips were curved straight as though he was thinking very hard. ¡°I just wanted to get to know you better on this date.¡±


    I knew he was tired of me already.


    Why am I so dramatic?


    I was possibly the first woman toe to this beautiful restaurant and let her past clog her mind.


    The Air conditioner kept blowing me from behind the wall, chilling me. The seat was supposed to givefort, with the soft Sofa and cool paints, all blue. There were flowers on the table. Everything was neat, ssy, andforting, but I was anything butforted. I wanted to rip my heart out of my chest so that I could stop feeling so much pain, a feeling that beclouds me anytime I think back at College.


    I wanted to rip my heart out of my chest so that I could stop feeling so much pain that thinking about Micheal brought me. It hurt so bad it was never-ending. It¡¯s been more than a year now since he left me, yet I was still as hurt as I was about it as I am now.


    ¡°What is going on in that head of yours?¡± Damien asked, breaking the silence.


    ¡°Maybe we never truly get over hurtful rtionships.¡± I blurted out, turning to the side so that she couldn¡¯t see my tears.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The rebellious Samantha, who had promised never to cry, has be a mess. This was not me.


    I guess I haven¡¯t really processed so many feelings.


    ¡°Happy endings are for books.¡± I sniffed, wiping my cheeks. I took in a deep breath and faked a smile before turning back to him. ¡°In real life, you just suffer.¡±


    ¡°I want to beat up that man who has made you suffer like this. What exactly did he do to you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± I said, clearing my throat.


    ¡°That¡¯s unfair. You¡¯ve piqued my interest already,¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was being too dramatic,¡±


    ¡°You were not. You are hurt, and you are allowed to express it.¡±


    ¡°So, do you bring other girls here and ask them this same question just to break off their walls and reveal their vulnerable side?¡±


    Damien chuckled, raising his hand in surrender. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve caught me. That¡¯s my scope.¡± I narrowed my eyes at him, and he snickered. ¡°I¡¯m joking. I¡¯ve never brought anyone here for a date. You are the first, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Well, I doubt that,¡± I said, even though I was blushing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you tell that to all the women you bring here.¡±


    Damien started to look around as though searching for something or someone, ¡°Where are they?¡±


    I chuckled.


    Just then, the waiter came to the table with my wine, which made me smile, a smile that died almost immediately as I heard a familiar voice call my name.


    Julian!

 31

    HE ENDS WHAT WE HAVE


    Julian was standing beside me. Damien saw the shock on my face and dropped the bottle of Champagne on the table. The waitress, Lydia, walked away. But it seemed very suspicious how she just eased out of the ce; either she didn¡¯t like drama or didn¡¯t want to be a part of it, or she had something to do with what was happening now. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not particrly eager to date men everyone wants.


    My heart was racing rmingly fast as I turned around and stood up. Damien did, too. I could feel all other eyes on us, as though they could smell the drama that would happen now from a mile away.


    ¡°Julian, Hi.¡± I stuttered.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true what they said that you¡¯ve been frolicking with all the wealthy men in the town? And I thought I was special.¡± Julian spat, rage evident in his eyes and demeanour.


    ¡°Julian is not what you think. I promise there¡¯s a reasonable exnation for this.¡± I started to say when he held a hand out, forcing me to keep shut.


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±


    I shook my head in the negative. ¡°Julian, just listen to me. Let¡¯s go outside and talk, please. I promise¡­¡± I tried to touch his hand, but he quickly pulled away.


    ¡°After I told you this is exactly what my fiance did that ended our rtionship. We haven¡¯t even started, and you are about to do the same thing. You deceived me with an innocent-looking face!¡± Julian said, his voice rising a few notches. He gave me a once over and shook his head. ¡°I guess you all are the same!¡±


    The venom in his voice tore at my heart. It hurt so bad that I could not stop the falling stray tear. My hands were shaking, my hands sweaty. Perspiration gathered on my forehead.


    ¡°Julian I¡­¡±


    Damien turned to Julian. I could tell that he did not like seeing me struggling. ¡°Chill, man. It¡¯s just a friendly date. Nothing serious is going on here, okay? Let the woman talk to you.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t speaking to you, man. How about you mind your own fucking business, huh!¡± Julian yelled, pointing at Damien.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Both men were already getting agitated, and it was all my fault. If I had not gone to the office to find out the truth about Hond, I wouldn¡¯t have owed Damien a date, and we wouldn¡¯t all be in this position now.


    ¡°This is a private restaurant. Do not cause a scene here!¡± Damien shot back; his voice was controlled, but I could hear the rage in it.


    Julian grabbed my hand, ¡°Samantha, let¡¯s go.¡± He was about to drag me away when Damien held my other hand.


    ¡°She¡¯s not going anywhere being dragged like that. Get your hands off her.¡±


    Julian narrowed his eyes at Damien, and I could tell he was about to pounce on him. ¡°Are you blind? Can¡¯t you see that she¡¯s mine?¡±


    ¡°Julian, it¡¯s not like we are dating or something. I¡¯m just a nanny to your daughter, remember? You don¡¯t own me.¡± I said, pulling my hand away from both their grips. ¡°Please, let¡¯s not cause a scene!¡±


    Julian grimaced, ¡°So what are you to him then?¡± He asked, pointing to Damien. Who also looked ready to wrestle him down.


    This is not happening!


    ¡°Nothing. It was just a friendly date.¡± I replied in a low voice, regretting that I had tosh out at him and tell him we were nothing. It was the truth, but maybe I didn¡¯t need to say it. Did I?


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go,¡± Julian said, grabbing my hand. He gripped my wrist with so much power pain surged through my body.


    ¡°Julian, stop it, please. It hurts.¡± I cried out.


    Damien held his hand and pulled it away from mine. ¡°She said to let her go!¡±


    Julian threw the first punch, and chaos ensued.


    My heart pounded hard as I tried to separate both men, ¡°Stop it!¡±


    Damien had Julian in a necklock, and Julian was trying to pull his hand away from his neck. The security men rushed to separate them almost immediately.


    ¡°Learn how to talk to a woman you see with me!¡± Damien said in controlled rage. It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen him look so mad. His voice, when loud, was very deep and intimidating. It shook me to my bones and went to my core.


    ¡°Everyone knows about your phndering ways. Don¡¯t pretend to be a saint!¡± Julian yelled. ¡°What do you want to do? Add her to your list of trophies?¡± Julian asked, and I turned to Damien. He looked at me as if to convince me that it was not the case of adding me to his trophies, but I did not believe him.


    ¡°I like you, Samantha. I do.¡± He said.


    Julian scoffs, and then he res at me with rage-filled eyes. ¡°I¡¯m out of here, Samantha, and I never want to see you again,¡± He warned. ¡°Go be one of his whores!¡±


    I could tell that he meant every word. He stormed out, and I wanted to run after him, but as what? I wasn¡¯t his girlfriend; I made that clear, and I hurt him.


    His business clients all left after him, but the other guest still had their eyes on me and Damien.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ask us to have this champagne together or to continue our date with what just happened, but I would like to take you home,¡± Damien said pleadingly. His tone goes back to being gentle and sweet.


    ¡°There will be no need for that. I¡¯ll call my brother toe get me.¡± I said.


    I brought out my phone from my bag, and with shaky hands, I dialled my brother¡¯s number. He picked up the first ring.


    ¡°Bro, pleasee get me,¡± I said, sniffing. I just realized that I was crying.


    ¡°Sis, what¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m at D DINE. Please use the map. Please hurry.¡±


    I dropped the call and walked out with Damien staring at my retreating back.

 32

    FAMILY TIME


    My brother and I hugged each other. Family was the only thing that hadn¡¯t failed me, and for that, I would forever be grateful. I slid into the passenger seat, and my brother closed the door before turning to the driver¡¯s seat in his white Range Rover Sports. He got in and shut the door.


    I knew he was curious as to what had made me call him to get me, why I had sounded so urgent, and why I was crying when he met me outside the restaurant, but I also knew he knew better than to ask me what was wrong now cause exining to him would just make me start crying over again. What I needed to do was to calm down.


    The ride was peacefully quiet, exactly what I needed. I tried my best not to think of what had just happened. It was evening, and the sky was purple as the sun hid behind the clouds.


    I just wanted to go home and sleep.


    By the looks of it, we were not heading towards my apartment. I recognized the road, and the signpost led to my parents, but against my better judgement, I decided to say nothing about it.


    ¡°Samantha, did you hear me?¡± My brother asked, causing me to break away from my reverie.


    ¡°Sorry, what did you say?¡± I sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to you for five minutes now.¡±


    Shit.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Sorry. What were you saying?¡±


    ¡°When mom offered to take me to Ocean Wave University, I could not have objected. Not only was it the best school around, but it was also not owned by a church or a pastor, so the difficulties which students who go to private school encounter in this town was not one I would experience. It made me so happy that I could have my freedom, the best life and education all in one.¡±


    ¡°I Know Elijah. I know the school you attended. Why are you telling me this, though?¡±


    ¡°So you know how I met my wife. I never told you this because we weren¡¯t talking much in college, but I had been a wild boy. I went to clubs every day, drinking and smoking. I worked hard for my grade so our parents wouldn¡¯t figure it out so I could maintain the image of being the perfect son. When Sarah came into my life, we were both unprepared and going through a phase, but I immediately knew she was the one. When you find the one for you. Don¡¯t let them go.¡±


    I swallowed, covered my face with my palms and blew out air. ¡°I know I have to fight for what I love.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you want to go home?¡± Elijah asked for what felt like the millionth time. ¡°You coulde home with me if you want.¡±


    I now looked at him, and I couldn¡¯t help but to admire him. ¡°You know what? You decide where you want to take me.¡± I said and closed my eyes, enjoying the voyage and trusting my elder brother to lead me to the right ce.


    ***


    I had been making silly decisions the whole week, and that¡¯s why I asked my brother to help me make one now, but what I did not expect was to open my eyes at my parent¡¯s house. Okay, I did expect it, and subconsciously, maybe I wanted it-anything to not be left alone with my thoughts.


    When I slid out of the car, I was weed by a family face-my mother¡¯s. Age did my mum many favours; her grey hair made her look more beautiful, and her skin was spotless. She was too fit for a woman her age. Too hot, I must say. And the gown she was wearing now made her even more alluring. It was no surprise to me why I was so beautiful; anyone born from my mother just had to be beautiful.


    ¡°My sweet girl.¡± My mother said, hugging me. Elijah was behind her, and I gave him a suspicious and warning re, wary because I didn¡¯t know why my mum was being so sweet to me because they were still angry at my rebellion thest time I checked, and warning because I was going to smack him for bringing me here.


    ¡°Good evening, mum. How are you?¡± I asked, hugging her even tighter. I was starting to feel the burden lift from my shoulders. Maybe Elijah was onto something when he brought me here.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, my baby. But you don¡¯t look fine. What¡¯s the problem? You know you can talk to your mother.¡±


    We disentangled from the embrace after a while and held onto each other¡¯s hands. My signature smile never left my face when talking to my mum.


    She had not stopped worrying about little things when it came to me, so I tried my best to hide my difort from her even though sometimes she could see through my smile. I wish she would be oblivious just this once, just like with my ex, but now I can¡¯t have that because Elijah had brought me here.


    And maybe I did need my mother¡¯sforting arms after all.


    I covered her hands with mine and pecked her cheek. ¡°I love you, mum. Don¡¯t worry, I am fine. I am OK. Trust me.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, my princess.¡± She smiled.


    ¡°I love you, mum!¡±


    I could never get tired of saying that I loved my mum, and she never got tired of telling me that she loved me, too, even when I was rebellious.


    My mum rxed a little after peck, letting out a relieved sigh.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in okay. Your Dad is on a business trip, but I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    ¡°You are always here for me, Mum,¡± I said with a chuckle.


    ¡°When you are not being very rebellious.¡± She replied, pinching my arm. I yelped but burst outughing. All thoughts of Julian and Damienplete disintegrated from my mind.

 33

    I WILL GET A BOYFRIEND IN DECEMBER, MUM


    My mum and Iughed like we never fought in the past, as though we had never once been so mad at each other we swore to never speak again. The walk from our garage to the house was a long one, but my family loves taking it cause it¡¯s a time to talk and just enjoy the cool air.


    After much talking andughing, my mum and I fell into afortable silence, leaving each other to her thoughts. Mine was wine. I wanted to get drunk. I wondered what my mum was thinking of. Did she want to get drunk too? Obviously not. My mum was still so prim and proper.


    We were entering the house now, and I was starting to feel weak. I wanted to change from the horrible clothes I was wearing. I didn¡¯t have much time to pick something good to wear since I was in a hurry in the morning.


    Men fought over you even with these clothes.


    I don¡¯t want to remember all the drama.


    ¡°Baby, why not move in with us? We miss you. And there¡¯s a man we would like to introduce you to. You will have to marry him if you can¡¯t show us your boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°Mum, what!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I and your father have decided.¡±


    Men! Men! Men! Can someone talk about something else?


    I stopped in my tracks and turned to face my mum. ¡°Mum, why would you and Das make such a decision without telling me.¡±


    My mum tried to touch my hand to calm me down, but I quickly moved back. ¡°Mum!¡±


    ¡°Samantha, you are already twenty-three. I know you are mad at me, but think about it. You¡¯ve never brought a man home. Don¡¯t you want to get married? I promise that the man we found for you is perfect.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need a perfect man, Mum! I need to find my own person by myself. I am not doing all that arranged marriage shit! Absolutely not! Please count me out!¡±


    ¡°So you are not ready to get married?¡± My mum asked. She sounded upset, but I just knew it was a way to ckmail me emotionally.


    Mothers!


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready, Mum,¡± I said more quietly, almost in a whisper.


    My heart was racing hard now. I didn¡¯t want to be those girls forced into getting married to a man they didn¡¯t know or they didn¡¯t love. I didn¡¯t want to get married now, either. Not when my head is still so all over the ce, and I don¡¯t even know what I wish for now, especially when I¡¯ve not achieved my dreams of owning my school yet.


    ¡°You never liked going out, Samantha. You always stayed home, avoiding boys and the world when you were younger. So your Dad and I just want to help__¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I tried to say something. But my mum did have a point. The Samantha she knew didn¡¯t like going out to parties and drinking; she didn¡¯t have many friends, and she hated boys. Samantha changed in college like my brother, but my mum didn¡¯t know that.


    ¡°Do you have a boyfriend?¡± my mum asked casually, trying to hide the curiosity in her voice. ¡°If you do, you can bring him home for dinner. Then your father and I can see that we don¡¯t need to get you a man.¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡±, I answered almost immediately. ¡°I don¡¯t have a boyfriend. You know me, mum, always the good girl. If I do, you will be the first to know.¡±


    ¡°But I am going to have someone soon. Very soon.¡± I lied, smiling. My mum looked at me like she knew I was lying through my teeth.


    ¡°I hope soon is soon enough¡­.¡± Her voice trailed off.


    ¡°I will get one soon!¡± I whine, wrinkling my nose. ¡°I will,¡± I repeat.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell her about the new men in my life because I wasn¡¯t even sure of any of them yet. I didn¡¯t trust Julian; I didn¡¯t think we couldst. I didn¡¯t even feel connected to him in any way except sexually and because he was Hond¡¯s father. I thought that he didn¡¯t feel the connection, too. At least not yet.


    We were both using each other for different reasons.


    He tried to fight for you, Samantha!


    But he hurt me while at it.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    You hurt him first! I think he likes you.


    But Damien?


    My mother dropped the topic when she realized I was entering my shell.


    Maybe I did like Julian a bit¡­


    ¡°I am worried about you, Samantha.¡± My mum said.


    ¡°Common, I am a big girl already, mum. I would be 24 soon, remember?¡± I said yfully, hitting her shoulder.


    ¡°So, are you ok with staying single?¡± my mum asks after a whole minute. There is still nervousness in her voice, and I want to wash it off.


    ¡°Mum, I will get a man before December,¡± I say, smirking. ¡°Your princess is now the queen, not a Queen, the queen, and she can handle anything. Trust me, I will be fine.¡±


    ¡°A man in seven months does sound impossible. But I trust you.¡±


    ¡°Yea. So tell Dad to back off from getting me a man. You too!¡±


    ¡°OK, ok. I will.¡± My mother said, raising her hand in surrender. Then she smiled, ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want me to help you get a man.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at her. ¡°OK, ok. I get you.¡± She said, chuckling.


    ¡°Baby, you are going to spend some time with me before you go to your room, right?¡± My mum said after a while.


    ¡°But mum, I¡¯m so tired.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since you¡¯vee home. You wouldn¡¯t even be here if not for Elijah.¡±


    I looked back at Elijah, shooting him daggers through my eyes. He had been silently walking behind us so I wouldn¡¯t remember his betrayal.


    ¡°OK, mum. I¡¯ll spend some time with you before I sleep.¡± I wanted to just retire to my room, but I couldn¡¯t fight with her anymore, especially when she started to y the mother card. I just gave up.


    ¡°Mum, you know I must go to work early tomorrow, right?¡± I asked as the butler greeted me. I waved at him and walked into our vast living room.


    ¡°Yes. I know, baby. But I won¡¯t keep you up.¡± She said.


    We both copsed on the couch, and my mum updated me about our favourite soap opera. It was all I needed to get my mind off my worries.


    I mouthed a thank you to Elijah, who sat on the couch across from us.


    I was engrossed in my mum¡¯s discussion until my phone beeped. It was a text message from Julian. I quickly opened it.


    You are no more Hond¡¯s Nanny. Stay with Damien!

 34

    JULIAN  COMES AROUND


    Whenever I remembered Julian¡¯s text message, I rolled my eyes at his disy or, rather, drama. I mean, I was wrong, but wasn¡¯t he taking it a little too far? Separating me from a child he knows needs me is so extreme. But I guess he never wants to see me again.


    All this rage he¡¯s feeling, is it justified? It¡¯s not like he had asked me out. We only just had sex. Sex doesn¡¯t mean a rtionship, does it? And I was on a tonic date with Damien. I mean, yes, I know Damien likes me and all that, but he¡¯s a yboy. There¡¯s no way I would reciprocate his love, but Julian doesn¡¯t know that. Also, I need to know who was gossiping with my name and telling Julian I was sleeping with all the rich men in town. For the love of God! Who can that be?


    My head was spinning like a roller coaster. I was surprised I didn¡¯t hit the gate, and this is why I shouldn¡¯t have taken one of my mum¡¯s cars, but she insisted I take it home with me to use till I bought my car. ording to her, no child of hers should be seen in a taxi. ¡®I¡¯ve been seen in a lot. I think it¡¯s toote to be concerned,¡¯ I wanted to say, but I shut my mouth and took the car keys. After all, it was for my benefit, and I needed my own car for so many reasons. For example, Look how the taxi man I had hired for two hours ran off without waiting for me toe out of Julian¡¯s house. What if I had been hurt? He obviously didn¡¯t care.


    I kept my gaze on the road and only averted my eyes when they started to water or when my thoughts became overwhelming.


    The big gates of ST LAWRENCE School opened, and I drove in. On the left side of the road was a garden and on the right a car park. Today, the kids were to do their PE very early, so I came by 7:00 am.


    When I packed in the parking lot, I took a deep breath. ¡°God. I don¡¯t want to face Damien today.¡± I prayed silently as I walked to the assembly hall.


    ¡°TEACHER WE ARE READY!¡± Mark, a cute little pupil of mine, said. All my students gathered in a straight line today, and Hond seemed so happy to participate in today¡¯s exercise, unlike other days when she would grumble about it and I would have to bribe her with early lunch.


    I took each of their hands individually and led them to the open field. We were going to exercise, then match around the area and also paint. I wanted to spice things up by ying music, so I came with my own beatbox.


    A lot of effort goes into being the cool teacher, I must tell you, especially when you are handling little rich kids.


    When we got to the open field, I arranged all my pupil¡¯s things beside their mat provided by the school.


    ¡°First, we will be doing Yoga,¡± I announced. ¡°Who¡¯s excited to start!¡±


    The kids jumped up excited to do something they¡¯d not done before, plus the name sounded cool. I¡¯m sure it added to their excitement.


    When I was about to leave Hond¡¯s mat, she stopped me, her little hands grabbing mine. ¡°Baby, are you okay?¡± I asked her, smiling and pulling her cheeks.


    ¡°Stay.¡± She said excitedly, jumping up and down.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I will stay. I know. I just want to show your ssmates what to do. Do you like this mat?¡±


    Hond nods happily.


    Seeing her happy just makes me so so happy.


    ¡°If you like it, you stay here, but if you don¡¯t, we change it. It¡¯s all up to you, dear.¡±


    ¡°I like.¡±


    ¡°Do you want to exercise today?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She nods vigorously.


    ¡°Stop nodding so hard. You will get a headache.¡± I told her, holding her head in ce. She looked up at me with puppy eyes. ¡°You are so adorable, baby,¡± I said, smiling. ¡°So so cute, and I love you.¡± I leaned down and pecked her cheeks, suddenly ovee by the grief of suddenly losing the opportunity to spend more time with her.


    What if Julian changes her school? Oh my God! I¡¯m not sure my heart can take it. I hope he understands how important I am to Hond and how important she is to me. Would he forgive me because of it? Deep down, I knew that there was no saving me. There¡¯s no way I can get Julian to forgive me. He seems like the kind of man to hold a grudge for a long, long time.


    I exhaled and stood to my height. Then I walked to the front of my students, all waiting for my instruction.


    Samantha! Do your job. Everything will be settled at the right time. Patience!


    ¡°Let¡¯s all sit on the mat. Today, we are going to learn about peace and tranquillity ¡­¡± My voice trailed off when a tall silhouette entered the field, Interrupting me. Julian stood beside the small stature of the oldest man in New Everest. He was dressed in a casual ck shirt and pants and looked very hot. His dark hair and grey eyes were such a turn-on today.


    ¡°Why is he here so early in the morning?¡± I muttered under my breath. I was confused about what to do.


    Do I go to him?


    What if he embarrasses me?


    Oh my God, I¡¯m so confused.


    I¡¯m still Hond¡¯s teacher, though, so I must attend to him. God, why is everything soplicated right now?


    ¡°Hond,¡± Julian called Hond¡¯s attention, and she turned back immediately to see him, her face lighting up.


    She rushed to him, ¡°Go get your bags.¡± He told her.


    ¡°Kids, sit on your mat, okay? I¡¯ming back right now.¡± I said, rushing to Julian. I didn¡¯t know what he was up to, but I didn¡¯t want him to make any hasty decisions. I just had to intervene no matter how scared I was. And I was really anxious.


    ¡°Hond baby. Go pack your bags and give me and your father some time.¡± I told Hond, who was still clinging to Julian¡¯s legs. I yed with her chin a bit and bent to kiss her cheeks.


    ¡°Okay!¡± She screamed excitedly, scurrying away.


    How much Sugar did she have this morning?


    When she was out of earshot, Julian looked at me with rage-filled eyes. ¡°What do you want, Samantha? I thought I asked you to stay away!¡± He spat.

 35

    JULIAN TAKES HOLLANDN?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    The tension in the air could be turned into a grenade. There was sexual tension, angry tension, anxiety, hurt, defiance, withdrawal, jealousy, desperation, vengeance all floating in the air between me and Julian.


    He had been rude to me, too, at the restaurant yesterday. Only Damien had looked out for me. I was supposed to be hurt, too! Right? But I could see in Julian¡¯s eyes that he did not know why I should be broken, nor would he acknowledge his fault.


    If he was so serious about me, perhaps he should have spoken to me better on Saturday and not driven me away because I dared to question Aaron. He should not have stood me up, either.


    ¡°Look, Julian! I know you are mad at me, but it doesn¡¯t have to affect Hond. You don¡¯t have to withdraw her from this school just because of me. I don¡¯t mean to sound so important, but Hond still needs me. I know you to be a good father, Julian. Don¡¯t change that because you are mad at me.¡± I spoke softly because Hond¡¯s well-being meant more to me than being right.


    ¡°Who said anything about withdrawing her?¡± Julian asked, a note of irritation in his voice. ¡°I know she still needs you, and that¡¯s what I¡¯m about to find the solution to. By the time I¡¯m done, Hond will not need you anymore, Samantha.¡± Julian said, his eyes boring into mine with intense rage.


    ¡°That¡¯s too petty..¡±


    ¡°Petty, you say?¡± He scoffs. ¡°How about the fact that we were having sex today, and the next, I find you with another man? And you dared to imply before him that I had no reason to be mad. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Did you ask me to be your girlfriend? Let¡¯s start from there. You asked for a nanny, and you wouldn¡¯t even trust me to do my job the way I wanted. How was I supposed to know you wanted exclusivity!¡± I almost yell out in frustration. ¡°How many times do I also need to tell you that my date with Julian was just a casual hangout, which he begged me for!¡±


    I looked back to check on my students and saw them all ying.


    I was so upset now my hands were shaking.


    ¡°And I had asked Aaron to step back because of you. The truth is that Jacob is my ex-fiance¡¯s nephew and the only tie Hond has to her mother. That¡¯s the truth. That¡¯s why Hond cares for him.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I said in sudden realization.


    ¡°Why not let Hond see her mother then? That could help?¡±


    ¡°Because she doesn¡¯t want to see her! My fiance has cut all ties with me!¡± Julian shot back, his tone clipped.


    I thought back to a lot of questions that I¡¯ve had. Could this be the answer to all of them? I still had the picture of the woman saved on my phone. A woman, I need to know who the hell she was and why Hond drew Candles on her frame.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to get my daughter to reconnect with someone else who isn¡¯t you. So you can be out of our life for good.¡± Julian said, and for the first time, I heard the hurt past the venom.


    I bit my lips and forced myself to look into his eyes, and I saw it, too. His grey eyes mirrored his disappointment, and he looked like he hadn¡¯t taken care of himself in a while. However, he was still undoubtedly very handsome.


    My heart ached as I finally epted that I was the only one to me for this drama.


    ¡°Julian, I¡¯m sorry okay¡­.¡± I started to say, but he cut me off almost immediately.


    ¡°Sorry cannot cut it. When I saw you, my heart broke into a million tiny pieces. And you made me embarrass myself in front of a very important client. I just hope I don¡¯t lose a half-a-billion dor contract I¡¯ve been fighting for for years because of you.¡±


    I started moving back and forth in nervousness, not knowing what to say or do. If to continue to look at him or not.


    ¡°What can I say to make this better? What can I do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! You¡­¡±


    His voice trailed off when Hond ran to him. ¡°Teacher Samantha. I¡¯m done packing my bags.¡± Hond said, holding her pink Barbie bag.


    ¡°Come, baby.¡± Julian gestured to her with his hands. She hugged him, and he lifted her to his waist. ¡°Say goodbye to your teacher. We will be spending the week in a whole new ce, okay?¡±


    What does he mean by that? I wanted to ask, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t answer. I¡¯ll just have to find out myself.


    Hond waved at me with a smile. ¡°Bye, Teacher Samantha.¡±


    I just realized how much I would miss her. I can¡¯t be away from her for a whole week.


    ¡°Did you get permission from the principal?¡± I asked Julian just as he was about to turn and leave. ¡°If you didn¡¯t, I can¡¯t let you take her.¡± I confined.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± He added.


    I nodded as I helplessly watched him take Hond away.


    Immediately, he was out of sight; I took out my phone from my pocket and texted my brother.


    Elijah, please, I need a Favour from you.


    What is it?


    Elijah replied almost immediately.


    I need you to trail someone.


    I walked back to the centre of the field to continue from where I had stopped before Julian interrupted me. I didn¡¯t want my other students to feel left out.


    As I instructed them on what to do, I waited patiently for Elijah¡¯s reply. My brother could be prom and proper like my mother, so I was anxious to know if he would ept to do me this very hical favour.


    My phone beeped, and I took it out of my pocket immediately.


    Who?


    Does this mean he¡¯s ready to do this for me?


    Julian. I want to know where he¡¯s taking Hond to.


    Okay. I¡¯ll get back to you. I hope I do not get in trouble for this, Samantha.


    I bit my lips, knowing we might both get into trouble for this. But I was willing to take the risk.

 36

    BLOGS ARE GOING ALL OUT ABOUT ME


    When I asked my brother to find out where Julian was taking Hond, I did not expect him to say the church. Most of the families in New Everest  were very religious, especially the founding families like the De Lores, which is why I wonder why Damien is the way he is. He is so different from everything known about the royal family.


    This overt religiousness wasn¡¯t in a good way most of the time. In the 70s, families in New Everest  would take their mute, autistic and stubborn kids to the church for exorcism. Nowadays, those practices have been abolished, but I had a feeling that they still happen in the confines of some churches. I never thought Julian was religious, but since he said he had tried a therapist, maybe he¡¯s trying the church next. I did not feel good about it.


    Hond now spoke even more words than before. Yes, she only said them to me most of the time, but the way to go about it is for Julian to spend more time with her and maybe even consider homeschooling her. Yes, he was a busy man, but she was his only child. He can make such sacrifices for her. What can the church really do? A therapist is much better and more reliable. I am much better and more reliable, but I don¡¯t count because Julian is still mad at me, and he¡¯s desperate to cut off Hond from me.


    I feel like a mother about to lose her child.


    All my concerns and scepticism overwhelmed me till Elijah said he had found a way to get me to stay with them through the week. I did not expect that. I don¡¯t know yet how he pulled it off, but ording to him, he called favours from one of his close friends.


    I love my brother so much.


    I had just the evening to pack. After ss, Elijah came around, and we had a quiet ride to the church. He just knew not to start asking me questions because when I was in the mood to begin revealing things to him, I would without him needing to ask me anything.


    Elijah pressed the horn immediately when we got to the gate of the Parish house.


    A white fat man in his mid-forties came in sight. His head protruded from a small space in the gate to see who it was, which amused me. He opened the gate for us after affirming that we were no danger to the chaincy.


    My brother drove in while we looked around New Everest  CATHEDRAL.


    I was the first to break the silence. ¡°This ce is nice,¡± I uttered solemnly as we drove in.


    The parish house was beautiful,bining ancient and modern architectural sophistication from years of refurbishing and building. I know most parish houses in the town were really nice, but this one is exceptional, no surprise as it was the cathedral.


    The house was a two-story massive building withrge windows towering from ceiling to ground. It had a garden on both sides and a tiled space in between that served as the road. The statue of Saint Monica stood in front of thepound¡¯s second gate. ¡°Laudatedominum¡± was boldly written on the rooftop in italics.


    My brother also shared the look of amazement that I had in my eyes, which made me suspicious of him. ¡°I thought you said this was your friend¡¯s parish. Why do you look just as surprised as I am to see it?¡± I ask, giving him a suspicious re.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say my friend was the priest. I said I had a friend who knows the priest.¡± He corrected.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°I wonder why we never thought to visit the Cathedral,¡±


    ¡°Because Mum and Dad are not religious,¡± I answered the obvious. ¡°Neither are we.¡±


    ¡°But we go to church sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I shrug. ¡°I guess it never just urred to us. If I knew this ce was this beautiful, maybe I would have visited.¡±


    ¡°The ce is breathtaking for a church,¡± Elijah added, a small smile on his face. The sun seeping through the windows fell on his brown hair, which made it glow, and his brown eyes mirrored his emotions. My brother was more like my dad, just like I was like my mum. He had a long face, curly brown hair and was very fit even though he didn¡¯t exercise like ever.


    ¡°You see, I always give you the best, sis,¡± Elijah added.


    ¡°Oh, please.¡± I rolled my eyes, smiling. ¡°What did you tell your friend that made the priest ept to invite me?¡±


    ¡°I just might have called the priest and told him that you needed a ce to clear your head and you wanted to go closer to God, but being in your own home doesn¡¯t do it for you, and you wanted to be within the view of the Lord.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± My eyes widened in shock. ¡°Are you kidding me? You know I don¡¯t do well with churches and all that Christianity stuff.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Elijah purred. ¡°You acted desperate to be wherever Hond and Julian were. I just helped out. Be grateful.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, bro,¡± I scoffed, rolling my eyes. ¡°If I wanted to clear my head, I know where to go.¡±


    He threw his head back,ughing. ¡°You literally don¡¯t know anywhere. Besides, with the trouble you¡¯ve caused, I think it¡¯s a good idea youe to the church. You need to be purified by our Lord for real!¡±


    ¡°What trouble?¡± I asked, surprised by the usation.


    My brother took his phone from his pocket and punched the password before giving it to me. On his phone was a picture of Julian and Damien caught on camera in a brawl.


    The article read:


    Title: ¡°D Dine¡¯s Five-Star Restaurant Erupts in Chaos: The Battle for Love and Power Unveiled¡±


    In a startling event on Monday, eyewitnesses recount a dramatic altercation at D Dine¡¯s prestigious five-star restaurant, unfolding into a fierce brawl fueled by a heated argument. The epicenter of the turmoil? A woman caught in aplex love triangle between two prominent figures: Julian, the president and heir of the esteemed St ire Dynasty, and Damien, the enigmatic prince of New Everest.


    The witnesses describe a scene of tension escting into a full-blown confrontation as emotions red over the woman who allegedly yed a double game with these powerful men. The sh not only unveiled personal animosities but alsoid bare the struggle for both love and influence between these two influential personalities.


    As the dust settles, the focus shifts to the mysterious woman at the center of this storm. Despite the absence of any visual reference, the quest to identify and understand the motivations of this key yer intensifies. The article calls upon readers to share any information they might have about this elusive figure by reaching out via email.


    The narrative implies that the woman¡¯s involvement has far-reaching consequences, sparking a battle between love and power that transcends personal boundaries. The intricate dynamics between Julian and Damien, each holding a significant position in New Everest¡¯s social hierarchy, amplify the stakes in this gripping tale.


    In closing, the article encourages readers to stay updated on the unfolding drama surrounding New Everest¡¯s most eligible bachelors by subscribing to ¡°THE VOICE OF New Everest.¡± As the story unravels, the publication promises to deliver timely and exclusive insights into the lives of these influential figures, ensuring that readers remain at the forefront of the captivating events within the realm of New Everest¡¯s high society.

 37.

    THE MOST WANTED WOMAN IN New Everest


    ¡°You are now the most wanted woman in New Everest. How do you feel about that?¡± My brother teasingly asked, but my anxiety spiked to the roof because of it.


    I could hear my heart pounding hard and my nerves rising like tidal waves.


    ¡°Oh my God! This isn¡¯t good. This is very bad.¡± I eximed, heart racing. I scrolled through the blog post over and over again. The picture attached was of Damien holding Julian in a necktie; it was blurred, but I could see the feral look in Damien¡¯s eyes. It reminded me of how quickly he hade to my rescue.


    Fuck! Memories of that night made me wet and scared.


    I need to be fucked like right now!


    ¡°I wonder if Julian has seen this? This is probably why he¡¯s so mad at me. Fuck!¡± I muttered, looking up at Elijah.


    Elijah took his phone from my hand. ¡°The news is all over the inte. Start using your inte for a change.¡±


    I licked my lips, ¡°This is very bad.¡± I repeated, like a broken record.


    ¡°You better be on your best behaviour as we go to this church. If you like Julian and want to fight for him and be part of his and Hond¡¯s life, be a Christian and love God.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I negotiate the Christian thing?¡± I pout.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I whined. We bothughed.


    ¡°You need God¡¯s intervention in your life, Samantha.¡±


    I exhaled. ¡°What choice do I have?¡±


    Ever since my ex, who was a devoured catholic, hurt me, I have never been to a church. This will be my first time after the rtionship ended. I wonder what it holds for me. Will I really see Julian in there? Can I get him to forgive me after the huge embarrassment I¡¯ve caused him, especially now that it¡¯s all over the news?


    Who could have taken that picture? I suspect the waitress, whatever her name was.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    Maybe it was one of the other guests. In life, enjoying drama is universal, no matter a person¡¯s standing in society and wealth.


    My brother packed his car in the car pack when we reached the main building. A white Range Rover and a ck Hignder were packed close to our car.


    ¡°Who owns these babies,¡± I mutter to myself. Recently I started falling in love with cars, one day I¡¯ll learn how to drive really fast and maybe start a car race or join one.


    I need to start doing something fun other than being a teacher so I don¡¯t end up being so boring and grow to have no friends, no life and no fun experiences. Teaching is fun for me, but I just need more.


    From afar, the house is beautiful. Up close, it is amazing.


    My brother and I got out of the car, and he took my hand in his, and side by side, we walked to the door where a man stood smiling nervously at us. His hands were tucked in his pant pocket.


    The man is tall, very, very tall and huge. A walking giant with a pointed nose, grey eyes and short brown hair. He reminded me of someone. Someone who was initially a turn-off to me but turned around to be everything.


    I swallowed.


    My ex.


    Anger, pain, anguish and sadness were just a little bit of what I was feeling as I stared at the man standing before me. I instantly hated him for reminding me of someone I wanted so much to forget.


    I clenched and unclenched my fist as I took in deep breaths. I had to control my emotions. I didn¡¯t want to go back to having a therapist invade my thoughts.


    I took in a deep breath and spoke.


    The man, for some reason, couldn¡¯t get his beautiful eyes off me. His eyes were so beautiful. They reminded me so much of Julian¡¯s. I could see so many simrities in both men.


    ¡°Elijah, let¡¯s ask him where the priest is instead of having a stare-downpetition with him.¡±


    My brother nods, and we walk to the man in steady but confident steps.


    ¡°Good day, we have an appointment with the priest. My name is Elijah, and this is my sister Samantha, who I told him about. He¡¯s expecting us, and we would like to see him.¡± My brother exins to the giant standing at the door.


    He was blocking the entrance, so I couldn¡¯t take a peep inside the house. He nces at the both of us and watches us with kin interest. He looks at my brother with amazement, then he looks at me like I was some fucking goddess. I blushed and smiled.


    ¡± I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­ The priest.¡± he stammers, blinking. Oh, my fucking gosh.


    Someone, please call the ambnce. I¡¯m going to have a heart attack; I¡¯m going to die. He can¡¯t be the priest.


    ¡°Hmmm!¡± was the only thing I could mutter.


    ¡°Reverend Father Mario Jose Daniel_,¡± he said, stretching his hands. My brother took it, smiling.


    ¡°It is my pleasure, Father. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know you were the priest.¡± My brother apologises. ¡°My sincerest apologies, Father.¡±


    Jose did not reply; he simply nodded, and with that, he ushered us in, not before he took another nce in my direction.


    ¡°How was the drive here? I hope it was fine?¡± He asks, turning back to re at us, his baritone voice cutting through my thoughts. He was talking to my brother, but he was looking at me.


    ¡°The drive was good, better than I expected.¡± my brother replied. ¡°This side of the town is nice.¡±


    He nods.


    I looked around the living room with interest. The sitting room was amazing. It was filled with paintings upon paintings and sculpture upon sculpture. A spiral step was at the left side of the living room. Father Jose started climbing the stairs, and we followed behind him, not having enough time to look around.


    We stopped on the second floor. There was a huge door just as we entered the hallway. A huge sign was ced in front of the door.


    Do not disturb


    Father Jose pushed the door open nervously.

 38

    WHAT¡¯S MY BROTHER UP TO


    I could hear a familiar voiceing from inside the library, causing my heart to be restless. The voice belonged to Damien.


    That¡¯s impossible. What¡¯s my brother up to?


    Seeing how the priest stuttered and blushed when he saw us, I immediately knew he was introverted. There used to be a time when I was so attracted to introverts like my ex Micheal, but not anymore.


    The house was nice. I could stay here for a few days. However, if it was Damien in there instead of Julian, then I don¡¯t know what I would do.


    What if both of them were here?


    ¡°Elijah! I hope you are not ying any games with me?¡± I whispered to my brother, who just shrugged.


    He shrugged what! This can only mean I¡¯m right, and he¡¯s up to something.


    I became eager for us to get into the library so that I could confirm my suspicions to be true.


    Father Jose took one whole minute to open the door. His hands were shaking, so he spent one minute putting the key in its lock. I was starting to get annoyed with how scared he seemed to be. Which only fed to my suspicions.


    I looked at my brother to see if he felt the same way, but he looked rxed.


    This is some kind of punishment. He is trying to tame me. He sees I am losing myself and is trying to bring me back. But how could he tame me with someone who reminded me so much of the one who made me wild in the first ce? He didn¡¯t know that, though.


    We got into the library, and God, it was huge. As a Catholic, I¡¯ve been to the Library of other Priests, but never had I been to a library like this.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    It had eight rolls up and six rolls down, each filled with books: a ss table and three ck chairs were in the middle of the room.


    Sofasy on the side of the wall behind us. Everything in this room was painted ash-the rug, wall, chairs, except items that can¡¯t be painted.


    There were more paintings than sculptures here, Mostlyndscape drawings and flowers. One picture stood out from the others. It was the painting of a boy drowning underwater. It looked so real I got lost in it. The painter must have been feeling a lot of pain or was used to pain. Goosebumps decorated my skin the more I studied the painting.


    There was a piano at the side and a violin on the table. He¡¯s a fan of music, too.


    There was one thing missing. Damien! I was sure I heard his voice.


    ¡°You can both sit,¡± Jose said, motioning to the chair in front of us


    ¡°Thanks.¡± My brother said.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I murmured.


    We both sat first, with Jose sittingst. He looked unsure of whether he should sit or stand.


    How did he be a priest? How did he survive seminary? Was he bullied? What was he scared of? Me?


    ¡°I know we already agreed my sister would stay here for a week, but If it will inconvenience you in any way, don¡¯t hesitate to decline. I can easily find another alternative.¡± Elijah paused and looked at me, urging me to add to his words.


    ¡°My brother is right. I really do not want to inconvenience you in any way.¡±


    Elijah kept her gaze steady on Jose, but Jose kept shifting his eyes.


    I didn¡¯t want to think he was scared of my brother; there was no reason for him to. No logical reason.


    If he wasn¡¯t afraid of him, who was he scared of?


    His fear was bing annoying and unsettling. We made eye contact once, and he looked away.


    ¡°It is no inconvenience. This is the lord¡¯s house, and the children of God cane in at any time.¡± He finally replied. Elijah breathed out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Father, thank you. We are devoted Catholics, and my sister here is a very good girl, an angel even. I know she won¡¯t disturb you in any way, and she will obey you. She can be stubborn, but it¡¯s always for a good cause. Please don¡¯t take any of her attitude to heart. She has been through a lot in recent times.¡±


    I fought the urge tough. Elijah did not believe a word of what he said, but he sold it so well I almost started believing him. If I didn¡¯t know myself, I would have.


    Jose smiled slightly. He looked convinced.


    ¡°Yes, Father Phillip has spoken so much about her. He says she is really good and obedient. I will take his word for it since he is your parish priest. He is also a very good man. He is like a father to me.¡± Jose adds.


    Father Phillip was my priest when I was still a little girl. He hasn¡¯t seen me in so long and doesn¡¯t know I¡¯ve changed. How can he vouch for me?


    To not worsen my bad mood, I shifted my eyes to something interesting-the paintings. I started remembering how I always wanted to be painted like an angel. I moved that dream to the corner of my mind. They were no longer part of me. The side of me that longed for silly dreams like that was a fool. A big joke! She paid the price of her foolishness in full. The door was pushed open, and someone walked in. I can recognize that light but fast feet from anywhere. Anytime.


    ¡°Teacher Samantha?¡± Hond asked rhetorically, for she could already see that it was me. She ran to me, and I stood up to hug her.


    Julian walked in and caught sight of me. He was so shocked he stood at the door motionless with his hands in his pocket. He was wearing a white shirt with the first three buttons open, which revealed a very sexy hairy chest. He was neatly shaven now, and his short hair looked fuller and darker.


    Fuck!


    This man might make me do something silly in this church. That¡¯s if he lets me near him at all. I can still see the anger in his eyes, but there was something else too. Lust.

 39

    JULIAN FINDS ME


    ¡°Father, you didn¡¯t tell me you would receive another guest today. I was under the impression that my daughter and I would have your maximum attention this week. So we could have enough time to pray over what I talked to you about.¡± Julian said,ing in, taking up all the air in the room with his sexy cologne that was melted into the air like wood and masculinity and mystery. He didn¡¯t spare me a nce.


    He¡¯s still so angry at me. God! I hope Damien isn¡¯t here.


    ¡°I did say that I always receive guests.¡± Father Jose replied, looking at Elijah. They were giving each other knowing nces. I wanted to know what they were about. But I would ask my brotherter.


    ¡°Is this the woman who is Hond¡¯s favourite teacher?¡± Jose continued, feigning ignorance, but I had a feeling he already knew who I was.


    ¡°Yeah, and she¡¯s the reason we are here. So can I speak to you outside, Father.¡± Julian said. It was meant to be a request, but I could hear finality in his voice.


    Julian loved to order people around a lot, even in bed.


    ¡°After I¡¯m done with my guest.¡± Father Jose replied with a smile.


    I could feel Julian¡¯s rage-filled eyes boring into the back of my head.


    ¡°Hond baby. Let¡¯s go.¡± He said to Hond, who was still clinging to my waist while I yed with her hair.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you, baby,¡± I told her. Saying it out loud made my heart crumble. I just realized how much I had indeed missed my favourite student ever. So much that all I just wanted to do was be with her. This would be the first time in a year since I started teaching that Hond wasn¡¯t in ss. I didn¡¯t like that at all.


    ¡°Hond, didn¡¯t you hear Daddy? I said let¡¯s go!¡± Julian snapped.


    Hond shook her head defiantly and started crying. ¡°Daddy, please, I want to stay with Teacher Samantha.¡±


    I turned to face Julian with pleasing eyes.


    Julian looked at me with anger and frustration. ¡°Father, this is what I didn¡¯t want!¡±


    ¡°Julian, how about you calm down and give them some time together, okay? You don¡¯t separate people like that.¡± Father Jose imputed.


    ¡°Please.¡± I mouthed to Julian, rubbing my palms together. ¡°You are mad at me. Don¡¯t take it out on her.¡±


    Julian exhaled, which seemed to calm him down. ¡°Fine. But I will need her back in thirty minutes.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Cool.¡± I said almost immediately.


    Julian nodded, then faced Father Jose. ¡°Sorry, Father, for my attitude. I¡¯ll just wait outside.¡±


    Father Jose nodded his eptance, and Julian walked out, closing the door after him.


    When he did, he kicked the door hard, letting out his frustration.


    ¡°BANG!¡±This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    My heart skips a thousand beats. Julian is really mad at me, and if Damien is here, he¡¯s about to be angrier. Oh my God!


    I forced a smile on my face. ¡°Father, these paintings are extremely nice. Did you buy them?¡± I ask, trying to steer the conversation from the drama that just happened.


    My voice came out hoarse, indicating I was extremely tired and frustrated. But I wanted to say something, anything to take me away from the misery I was feeling. I also didn¡¯t want to be alone, or I might feel tempted to call my therapist, whom I had stopped seeing for a while now, or to rush after Julian, who was still mad at me.


    I lift Hond and ce her on my thighs. She hugged me and put her head on my bosom while ying with my dress. I wore a flowery long gown that hugged my waist with a belt I tightened behind. She was pulling on the strap and giggling. I couldn¡¯tin. She¡¯s just five, anyway.


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t__¡±he answered blushing


    I cocked my head to the side, raising my eyebrows in obvious confusion.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t buy it because I painted them,¡± he added.


    ¡°You painted them? ¡°I asked, surprised but impressed.


    ¡°Yes, I did. I painted every painting in this house. It¡¯s my escape___¡± he stopped talking, a hint of sadness evident in his eyes.


    What¡¯s his story? I really wanted to know.


    ¡°They are really nice,¡± I say with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He smiles. ¡°Yourpliment means a lot to me.¡±


    I nodded and returned my attention to the picture of the boy drowning. ¡°You know, one day, I would love to paint too,¡± I murmur. ¡°I¡¯m not very good at it myself, but it¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to do. I also illustrated my own kid¡¯s book, but I¡¯ve been too scared to publish it.¡±


    ¡°I think you can and should publish your book. Whatever you paint with joy always turns out good.¡± Father Jose advised.


    ¡°Yea, sis, why didn¡¯t you tell me about it? I would have published it myself.¡± My brother interjected.


    ¡°Because I want to do it in my own time, and I know you will add to the pressure,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯ve always been a good painter.¡±


    I shrug, ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°Samantha!¡±


    ¡°Let me take you to the room you will be staying.¡± Father Jose said, calling I and Elijah¡¯s attention back to him.


    ¡°I was just about to suggest that,¡± Elijah interjects, standing up. I got up, too, with Hond in my arms, who was already almost falling asleep. ¡°Lead the way, Father,¡± Elijah adds.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    When we went outside, he led us to the stone stairs. ¡°Your room is on the third floor. The third floor is where all the guests stay.¡±


    I clear my throat, ¡°Does Julian stay there too?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes, across your Room. Would that be a temptation for you?¡± Father Jose asks, stopping in his tracks to look at me.


    I didn¡¯t even know what to say to him cause the answer to the question was obvious. Of course, it will be a temptation to me. Although all I wanted to do was rest and find out what my next course of action would be.


    ¡°Teacher Samantha. Will you tell me bedtime stories?¡± Hond asked drowsily.


    Fuck! I almost miss when she was mute.


    I don¡¯t mean that, I promise. It is just I find it hard to say no to her.


    Does she know telling her a bedtime story means I¡¯ll be alone with her father when she falls asleep?


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