《The Billionaire鈥檚 Babysitter by Essie》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°Gisele!¡±, a sharp voice called from the next room. I shook with a start and frowned in confusion. I was on break and didn¡¯t understand why ine was calling me. Still, I went to her office. I stood in front of ine¡¯s office and knocked timidly, then went in when I heard the muffled ¡°Come in¡±. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Yes, boss? You called¡±, I said, opening the door and standing in front of her desk. ¡°Sit, please¡±, she said, making me raise my brows in confusion. Since I had started working here, ine had never been polite to me. Nevertheless, I pulled the only other chair in the room and sat cautiously, making sure not to let any expression cross my face. ¡°How are you liking working here?¡±, she asked, making me sit upright in my chair. Was she going to fire me? Was that why she called me into her office for the first time since the 5 months I had been working here? ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed¡±, she chuckled, seeing my scared expression. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fire you¡± I rxed visibly and smiled tightly, too tongue tied to speak. Sheughed out loud, very creepily. I didn¡¯t understand why she was so nice all of a sudden. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared¡±, she continued, cing her hand on top of mine. I looked at our hands in bewilderment, not really understanding what was going on. ¡°My dear Gisele¡±, she started, making me look up at her. ¡°I know this is strange. You¡¯ve been working here for almost 6 months and today is the first day I¡¯m calling you into my office¡±. She chuckled and I smiled tightly again, wondering where the heck she was going at if she didn¡¯t want to fire me. ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you and I¡¯ve noticed how hardworking you and how much you enjoy working here¡± ¨C that was not true ¨C ¡°You impress me a lot Gisele. That¡¯s why I have a proposition for you¡±, she paused again, making me want yet to shout ¡®what the heck do you want?!!¡¯, but of course I couldn¡¯t. Even though the job didn¡¯t pay all that well, it still helped me a lot. ¡°What proposition?¡±, I asked, before I lost my nerve. She smiled, then said,¡±Gisele, I would love to take care of you, if you let me¡±, all the while caressing my hand in a very disturbing manner. ¡°Take care of me, Mrs. George? I don¡¯t really understand what you mean by that¡±. I had understood what she meant, but I just didn¡¯t want to ept it. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Gisele, don¡¯t be na?ve. I know you have lots of boys running after you but I have so much more to offer if you give me a chance to show you¡±, she exined, drawing weird random patterns on my hand. I withdrew my hand and kept it in myp, making her press her lips together in annoyance. ¡± Mrs. George¡±, I started, ¡°Aren¡¯t you married?¡±, I asked. I was someone who believed that rtionships were supposed to be sacred andpletely monogamous. ¡°Mr. George is not a problem. I can even convince him to join us¡±, she said, smiling suggestively, making my insides turn over in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. George. Not only is your proposition indecent and disgusting, it could also be considered as s**ual hara**ment if taken to court. So, it is with deep regrets that I tell you that I cannot ept it¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 ¡°She fired you?!¡±, Lizzie screeched, shaking her head in wonder. I was currently at Lizzie¡¯s ce and I had told her everything that had happened. ¡°Yes, Lizzie. I¡¯ve said like 120 times before¡±, I answered, worn out. I loved Lizzie, but sometimes she was annoying, not going to lie. ¡°It¡¯s just really surprising. And you don¡¯t want to sue. Are you out of your damn head?!¡±, she eximed again, making me rub my forehead. I sensed a headacheing on. ¡°Lizzie, no one would ever believe me. And how much will I get out of it anyway? It¡¯s not worth it¡±, I answered. ¡°Can I at least go and beat the crap out of her disgusting and ugly a**?¡±, Lizzie asked, ¡°You know I have a blue belt in Taekwen-something¡± Iughed, ¡°Does blue belt even exist? But no, sweetheart. I know you would love to but I don¡¯t want want you to get into any trouble¡±. ¡°You¡¯re way too forgiving. Anyways, what do you say we go out tonight? You drown your sorrows in the club for awhile and maybe even find a hunky guy and drown your sorrows in a totally different way¡±, she proposed, smiling hopefully. ¡°Lizzie¡­¡±, I sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t right now. I¡¯m too stressed out¡±. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°And going out will be the perfect way to relieve your stress. Come on, please¡±, she said, making her most adorable face. ¡°Lizzie¨C¡± ¡°Say yes, please! S¡¯il te it, b¨¦b¨¦, dit oui. Pleeeeaaaa**sseeee¡±, (please baby, say yes.) ¡°D¡¯ord, d¡¯ord. T¡¯as gagn¨¦. On y va.¡±, I said tired of refusing. (Okay, okay. You¡¯ve won. Let¡¯s go.) ¡°Yaay! I promise you, we¡¯ll have the time of our lives¡±, she said, dragging me to her bathroom. I was so going to regret this. *** ¡°Talk to him! Go ahead!¡±, said Lizzie, trying to push me into the lion¡¯s den. We had reached the club about an hour ago and she was pressuring me to go talk to a guy who had been looking at me for the past thirty minutes. ¡°No. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s in uni and what will you want us to talk about?¡±, I asked, refusing to budge. ¡°Party pooper¡±, she grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for forcing me here¡±, I retorted, ring at her. My head was spinning from all the noise and my legs were hurting in the incredibly high heels she had forced me to wear. ¡°Ugh, Gisele, let¡¯s go back then¡±, she said, making me smile broadly. ¡°Fine with me¡±, I said eager to get out of here. Soon enough, we were in a cab. I sighed andy my head on the backrest of the seat. ¡°Gisele, I¡¯m sorry I forced you toe out here, but I thought it would be fun. I thought you¡¯d enjoy it.¡±, Lizzie said, looking at me with an apologetic look. ¡°It¡¯s fine, b¨¦b¨¦, I know you had nothing but the best intentions. It¡¯s not your fault I¡¯m a party pooper¡±, I joked, making both of us chuckle. ¡°But now it¡¯s back to job searching. Ugh!!¡±, I said, annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, b¨¦b¨¦, I¡¯m going to help you¡±, Lizzie said, hugging me tight. I was blessed to have a friend like her. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°Giseeellllleeeee¡±, Lizzie shouted, happily, getting into the my one-room apartment. I sighed. It was in moments like this that Lizzie managed to irritate me and I asked myself how I became friends with her. I stood up from the bed and opened the window. I might as well just wake up because Lizzie was an unstoppable force and I was in no way an unmovable object. ¡°Gisele! I have great news¡±, she shouted, making herselffortable on the one and only chair I had. ¡°Vas-y. Make yourselffortable¡±, I muttered sarcastically, making Lizzie throw me her special death res. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°Okay, so¡­ Oh my god, I¡¯m so excited!!¡±, she said, squealing very loudly and happily. ¡°Will you tell me what you have to so that I can also be excited?¡±, I asked, a bit sourly, I admit. I was definitely not a morning person so her cheerful mood automatically made me sour. ¡°If you¡¯re going to be a sour puss, I¡¯m not going to tell you anything¡±, she said sullenly. ¡°Sorry, Lizzie. I¡¯m so excited, I can¡¯t wait to hear you news¡±, I cheered, even though it was killing me on the inside. Then I gave her a look that screamed ¡°better now?¡± and sighed, pa**ing my hand through my hair. ¡°Okay, so remember how I said I was going to help you look for a job?¡±, she asked. I definitely remembered. It was like a week and a half ago and I was already even more broke. The only thing I had left in my fridge was leftover pizza. ¡°Yeah Lizzie. I remember¡±, I said, leaning back on my small and worn out couch. ¡°Well, I did!¡±, she screamed excitedly, bouncing up and down in her chair, like a little kid. ¡°Seriously?¡±, I asked, the day bing suddenly brighter. ¡°Yess!! And guess who you might be working with¡±, she asked with a huge smile on her face. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Erm, Leonardo DiCaprio?¡±, I asked, humoring her. ¡°Oh my god that would be huge!!! But no¡±, Lizzie answered in the same cheerful tone. ¡°Who then?¡±, I asked, getting impatient. Well, told you I wasn¡¯t a morning person. ¡°te Hendrick!!! And yes, the te Hendrick of the Quest Corporation.¡±, she said, jumping up and down, fully expecting me to join her. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the Quest Corporation but I have no idea who the owner is¡±, I said,pletely clueless. ¡°Of course because it¡¯s like you live under a rock¡±, she joked. I smiled, because by this time, I knew how Lizzie¡¯s humour was. ¡°Anyways, let¡¯s just Quest him and you¡¯ll see¡±, she said, taking out her phone and typing te¡¯s name into it. Ironical using someone¡¯s website to search him but cool, let¡¯s move on. *** Born September 23 1989 in Harbour , te Kevin Hendrick is the only child to Whitney Hendrick and David Hendrick. He grew up simply, preferring to spend most of his time reading and watching educative programs. When he was just twenty, te Hendrick came up with the idea for Quest, an idea deemed stupid and unprofitable by most investors who refused to invest. te Hendrick kept going and in 2012, when he was twenty three,unched Quest with his savings. ADVERTISEMENT It soon became big and he branched out and officiallyunched the Quest Corporation in 2014, at the age of twenty five, making him one of the youngest millionaires ever¡­ Click to see full article *** ¡°Do you see why he¡¯s such a big deal now?¡±, Lizzie asked, as we finished reading the article, preferring not to continue. ¡°He sounds really intimidating. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get the job¡±, I said, sounding discouraged. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t say that¡±, Lizzie said, flicking my forehead, ¡°You are an amazing person. And you¡¯re so pretty too. I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t even have to open your mouth for him to hire you, haha¡±, she continued, laughing. Iughed with her, but I was still not convinced. Anyways. i was going to give my all because, for me, a job like that was going to be heaven. ¡°The interview is tomorrow at 9.30 AM, so I¡¯m going toe and help you dress¡±, she said, looking at me through the corner of her eye. I was already feeling positive. I hoped the interview was going to go well. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡°Wakey, wakey!¡±, someone ¨CLizzie¨C screamed. I picked up my phone and saw that it was just 6.30 AM. I felt like strangling Lizzie. ¡°Lizzie, it¡¯s freaking 6.30 AM and the interview is at 9.30, why did youe this early¡±, I asked, getting up tiredly from my small bed. ¡°Um, Gisele, we have roughly two hours, which is not even enough for all this. I wanted you to get enough beauty sleep, but for now, shower¡±, she said authoritatively, dropping a bag that looked sus***iously like it was from Princesse (fake mark, deal with it) ¡°What¡¯s that¡±, I asked curiously, going towards her. ¡°It¡¯s your surprise. Go shower then I¡¯ll show you¡±, she said, pushing it so I couldn¡¯t reach it. ¡°Fine¡±, I said, taking my towel and toiletries and walking to the shared bathroom. Soon enough, I had finished showering. I rushed back to my room, pretending I didn¡¯t hear myndlord catcalling me. By the time I reached my apartment, or rather room, Lizzie hadid an outfit out on the bed. I turned and looked at her. ¡°Lizzie, I know you got this from Princesse and I also know how freaking expensive their clothes are¡±, I said, reproachfully and stopped when Lizzie red at me. ¡°Can¡¯t you ept a gift from me for once, Gisele? Swallow your pride¡±, she said. I started to speak but she cut me off, ¡°No, Gisele, you know I¡¯m telling the truth. I asked you to be my roommate, you refused. My parents proposed to help you finish college but you refused. Any f***ing thing I offer to you, you reject it. I¡¯m not taking no for an answer this time around¡±, she said stubbornly, silently daring me to protest. I hung my head. I knew what she said was true. I didn¡¯t like taking help from people. As an Aries and as a person, I knew pride was my weak point, so I did something unexpected, I apologised. ¡°Lizzie, bestie¡±, I said, to b***er her up a little, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, okay? I really am. I didn¡¯t know I had been hurting your feelings and I didn¡¯t mean to hurt them just now. I just¡­ I just really don¡¯t want to be indebted to people¡±, I said apologetically. ¡°But I¡¯m not people Gigi, I¡¯m your best friend. I always want to be there for you. And you¡¯re not going to be indebted to me because I¡¯m not doing it with a hidden agenda. I¡¯m just doing it because I love you, okay. Never forget that, mon b¨¦b¨¦. Okay?¡±, she said hugging me. I smiled and wiped the tears that had managed to escape, then said excitedly, ¡°So what¡¯s on the menu?¡± I stared at the house in shock. It was really big but had a homely feel to it. I had arrived at Mr. Hendrick¡¯s house and was really nervous; my palms were already sweating. ADVERTISEMENT I looked professional, or at least I hoped so. I was wearing a white cotton shirt paired with a knee length teal skirt and ck three inch high heels. Lizzie had gone natural on the makeup, with just foundation, a n*** eyeshadow, a thin line of eyeliner and a peach mouth. I took in a deep breath and waited calmly for the housekeeper to show me to my, hopefully, future boss¡¯s office. As if my thoughts had summoned her, she came to me, smiling. She was a buxom woman and she looked so nice and motherly. I knew that if I got the job, I was going to get along well with her. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She asked me to follow her and she left in front of the boss¡¯s office. I took in a deep breath and put my hand up, ready to knock. I hesitated, then just did it, trying to swallow my fear. A deep and masculine voice saide in and taking my courage with both hands, I opened the door and went in¡­ Chapter 5 Chapter 5 I entered the office slowly. My heart was beating like crazy and my mouth and throat were dry. ¡°Close the door¡±, the voice said, and I finally looked at him and I did not regret it. He was standing next to the window and this time my went dry not because of nerves. He was even more intimidating and more handsome than I had realized. He was really tall, had really broad shoulders, and man could he wear a suit?! I realized I was staring and looked down, blushing. I heard and small chuckle then he said, ¡°Sit¡±. I sat and few secondster, he sat too. He looked straight at me for a few seconds then asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Gisele¡­ Gisele Durand¡±, I answered, swallowing, a bit unsettled with the way he was looking at me. If you were in my ce, and a hunk of a man was staring at you with his charming and bewitching blue eyes, you¡¯d feel unsettled too. He asked for my file and I handed it to him silently, taking advantage of the fact that he wasn¡¯t focused on me to study him. His brown hair was tousled, giving it a coiff¨¦e-decoiff¨¦e look that was so s**y. I went down to his neck. His Adam¡¯s apple moved, as if it sensed me looking at it. And his lips. Gods, his lips. They were pink and they looked so soft and kissable. He had a beard, not full-grown, just there to give him a roguish and s**y look. I continued my scrutiny to his hands. His nails were well groomed and his hands looked to be really bigger than mine. My eyes drawled back to his face and I blushed furiously when I noticed that he was looking at me, a small smirk resting on his lips. ¡°Are you done?¡±, he asked, looking like he was fighting augh. ¡°I-I w-w-, s-sor-ry, I-I d-didn¡¯t me-mean t-to stare¡±, I stuttered, twisting my hands together. Heughed. I blushed even more. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°It¡¯s okay. So tell me a little more about you. What was yourst job?¡±, he asked in his deep voice. ¡°I was a waitress at a coffeehouse, Mr. Hendrick¡±, I answered, knowing that it was going to seem a bit strange that I was fired when I was simply a waitress. ¡°And you were fired. Why?¡±, te asked, looking at me keenly. ¡°A-actually, I-I¡±, I stuttered, trying to stall, so as toe up with a convincing lie. ¡°Tell me the truth¡±, he said, cing his hand on mine. I was squealing and screaming like a fangirl interiorly. ¡°My boss, she propositioned me and I refused so she fired me unjustly¡±, I answered, hoping he didn¡¯t think I was some attention seeking girl. ¡°Hmm¡±, he said thoughtfully, then asked, ¡°Why did you not take a case against her?¡±. ¡°Because, Mr. Hendrick, I don¡¯t think anybody would have believed me. And she would surely invent lies about me that would put my earnings in jeopardy so I preferred not to¡±, I answered, really hoping he believed what I was saying. ¡°Hmm. Tell me about your work experience. Do have any history with kids¡±, he asked. I¡¯d like to have history with you, I thought, then blushed furiously. ¡°I¨C yes sir. After high school, I enrolled myself in a child care program¡±, I said, hoping that was going to count for something, ¡°And I¡¯ve also babysat in the past. My former employer rmended me¡±, I continued, my heart beating very hard. He nodded thoughtfully, looking back down at my files. I sighed internally then berated myself for it. I had had feelings for boys in the past, but my reaction to Mr. Hendrick stunned me. I wanted to spend every second listening to his voice. It wasn¡¯t love at first sight, no I was not stupid. He just made me feel alive in a way I couldn¡¯t understand. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°So, Gisele ¨CCan I call you Gisele¡±, I nodded, ¡°How old was the child you were babysitting?¡±, he asked. ¡°She was 5. I babysat her till she was 7 but unfortunately, her family had to move out of state¡±, I exined, looking at him and willing myself not to blush at the prolonged eye contact. He smiled at me and I melted. His smile was beautiful and made me feel weird. Mr. Hendrick asked me a few more questions concerning my experience with children. I answered as best as I could, being both descriptive and vague when needed. Then he pressed a b***on on the Inte and asked an Edith to bring Callie to his office. The first thing I heard were screams, making me jump in my chair. A cute but snotty nosed girl with a tear-stricken expression was dragged in by a beautiful woman with dark silky hair. ¡°Let me gooo!!! Leave me alooone!!!¡±, the child wailed and managed to escape from the hands of the brte woman, running straight into her Daddy¡¯s arms. ¡°Edith, you can leave¡±, Mr. Hendrick spoke up, cradling his daughter in arms. She left and closed the door behind her, leaving me with Mr. Hendrick and his daughter who was looking at me keenly. She gasped, ¡°Miss, why do you have fire on your hair¡±. Aw, she was too adorable for words. Mr. Hendrick and Iughed at the same time and I blushed, hearing Mr. Hendrick¡¯s beautifulugh. ¡°Should I tell you a secret?¡±, I asked smiling. She scooted closer and nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone this okay? I am secretly a fairy, a fire fairy¡±, I mock-whispered conspiratorially, winking at her ADVERTISEMENT She gasped and turned and looked at her dad with wide eyes. ¡°Daddy, can she stay and y with me?¡±, she asked, turning her weapons of ma** destruction, her eyes at her Dad. ¡°Sure, honey. But go meet Edith. I¡¯ll call youter, okay¡±, he said, winking at me. All I can say is, at this point, my cheeks were matching my hair. Callie skipped out happily, yelling, ¡°Edith! Dad said toe get me. I won¡¯t be ying with you no longer¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Iughed a bit at that one and sobered up when I saw the look of Mr. Hendrick¡¯s face. ¡°Gisele¡­ Congrats, you¡¯ve got the job. Callie connected to you instantly and you did not let my status cloud you mind and make you forget you were speaking a child like any other¡±, he said smiling, making jump and squeal in excitement. ¡°Thank you so much, Mr. Hendrick, I promise I won¡¯t disappoint you!!¡±, I eximed, smiling as widely as I could. ¡°I hope tomorrow will be okay to move into the house? I¡¯ll send my driver toe and pick you up¡±, he asked, c***ing a brow. ¡°Yes sir¡±, it was going to be small but I wasn¡¯t going to tell him that. ¡°Can I leave now¡±, I asked him, smiling. ¡°Yes. Oh, one more thing, Ms. Durand.¡±, he added. ¡°Yes, sir?¡±, I asked, bing nervous again. ¡°Call me te¡± Chapter 6 Chapter 6 ¡°Lizzieeee!!!¡±, I squealed through the phone. ¡°Yes baby¡±, Lizzie answered. I¡¯m sure she was puzzled.?¡±Come over¡±, I said ndly, dropping the call. About thirty minutester, Lizzie came in. I was lying on the couch, eating ice cream.?She rushed towards me, looking concerned.?¡±Are you okay? Ice cream is a code for deception, right?¡±, she asked, touching my forehead.?¡±Lizzie-¡°, I started but she interrupted me.?¡±Shush! I know you¡¯re hurt and I¡¯m really sorry. I had no idea¡­ I thought he was just gonna see you and offer to give you the job. Mon dieu, quel con!¡± (My god, what a stupid man!) ¡°Lizzie¡±, Iughed. She was getting really worked up over nothing.?¡±C¡¯est vraiment un imb¨¦cile de pure esp¨¨ce! Je vais lui dire ce que je pense vraiment de lui!¡±, she fumed, making me burst into laughter (He¡¯s really a fool of the highest order. I¡¯m going to tell him what I really think of him)?She looked and angrily and said, ¡°It¡¯s not funny, Gisele¡± ADVERTISEMENT ¡°It is because I actually got the job¡±, I said smiling, then sent my ice cream towards her. ¡°Peace offering?¡±?She looked at me murderously then startedughing, ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you Gisele. How could you?!¡±?She jumped on me and started a tickle war, then we ate ice cream while she gave me tips on how to seduce a billionaire.?¡±You should be **y but not too much. He might think you¡¯re a prude. Smile pretty much all the time. Compliment his abs and giggle¡±, I looked at her at thest one andughed.?¡±Lizzie stop!¡±, I said, almost choking on myughter.?¡±No, I swear. I always see these girls at these gs doing it. It seems to work for them¡±, she replied, giggling. Iughed along with her, then forced her to help me pack.?*** ¡®Tomorrow¡¯ had arrived already and I was all packed, just waiting for Mr. Hendrick¡¯s, or rather te¡¯s driver toe and pick me up. I was casually, in a simple knee length dress and low heeled sandals. There was a knock on the door and I jumped up, eager to reach the beautiful house that was Mr. Hendrick- pardon me, te¡¯s house. ?To my greatest surprise, when I opened the door, it was te Hendrick in person standing there.?¡±Mr. Hend- I mean te! What are you doing here?¡±, I asked bewildered, not even thinking that I was being impolite.?He smiled, ¡°I was free today, so I decided to pick you up instead¡±?I smiled in return. He really was a nice guy. He was the head of a multimillionaire corporation and he had made time just to help me move in.?¡±What will you do about your furniture¡±, he asked me when I finally let him in.?I looked at the sofa that also served as a bed, the scruffy low table and the desk that housed my books and cringed. I tried to see it through the eyes of a billionaire and it really did not look good. Since the furniture didn¡¯t belong to me, I wasn¡¯t going to do anything about it.?¡±Nothing sir. It doesn¡¯t belong to me¡±, I replied.?He nodded, looking around thoughtfully.?¡±te¡±, he said abruptly.?¡±Huh?¡±, I asked, confused.?¡±te. I told you to call me te¡±, he repeated with a smirk.?¡±Oh sorry¡±, I said, blushing even more. Sometimes I really hated my quick-to-blush skin. ¡±Next time you slip, I just might have to punish you¡±, he said, smirking even more broadly.?¡±Punish me?¡±, I asked, not sure I wanted to know what he meant by that, my cheeks heating up more. I had discovered that the extent to which I could blush was unlimited, thanks to Mr. Hendrick.?¡±Punish you¡±, he repeated cryptically with a smirk.?I¡¯m sure I looked like a tomato, so I turned my face and put my hands to my cheeks. I heard himugh lightly and I was mesmerized. The sound was beautiful. It was deep but not too deep, just perfect.?¡±Where are your bags?¡±, he asked, and I gestured towards my clothes that were packed in three bags and my books in two crates.?I looked over to Mr. Hendrick, who was already walking towards the bags. As I wanted to pick up a bag, he stopped me with a re. I had noticed something about Mr. Hendrick. He could say anything with just a look. When I tried to justify my actions, he raised his eyebrows, making me shut up for good.?Finally, Mr. Hendrick had stacked everything in his car, a luxury SUV, and we were good to go. The first part of the drive was a bit awkward though it did notst long.?I was silent, lost in my thoughts, when Mr. Hendrick asked, ¡°So where are you from, Gisele¡± I shook, momentarily surprised. Then I realized that he had asked me a question. ¡°Oh! My dad is French and my mom is from Texas¡±, I answered, still looking out of the window. I really didn¡¯t feel like talking about my family at that moment.?¡±And you¡¯ve lived here all your life?¡±, he asked, wanting to keep the conversation going, not realizing my current mood.?¡±No te. I moved here with my parents when I was 3. I¡¯ve lived here since then¡±, I answered, looking at him.?¡±And how old are you?¡±, te continued with the interrogation. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know, sir? After all you¡¯re the one in possession of my file¡±, I said, jokingly, trying to lighten the mood, but he took my question seriously and was silent until I said, ¡°I was joking¡±?He let out a huge sigh of relief and we startedughing along with each other. ¡°You should have seen your face sir¡±, I gasped out in betweenughs.?¡±What did I tell you about calling me sir?¡±, he asked, smirking.?I grew quiet as I remembered his words. ¡°Are you really going to punish me, te?¡±, I asked, not wanting to admit that I was a bit scared. ¡°Not all punishments are bad¡±, te answered cryptically, stopping in front of the gate of his house to type in the code and went straight to the garage.?I was left wondering what he meant by that when he led me into the house.?¡±Wee to my home. Or as you say in French, bienvenue chez moi.¡±?¡±You speak French?¡± I asked, impressed, raising my eyebrows.?¡±Je fais de mon mieux¡±, he replied, making me giggle and p. He spoke quite well and his French did not have an ent.?He bowed, making meugh even harder, before going on to show me where I was going to be sleeping. We went upstairs and he opened the door to a beautiful and huge room. It was decorated with mostly pastels and I¡¯m sure the bed was a queen. This room could fit my former apartment in it and still have space for Lizzie¡¯s dressing, and trust me, it was huge. ¡°Wow¡±, was my simple remark, upon seeing the room.?¡±I hope you like it¡±, Mr. Hendrick said, smiling kindly. ¡°I love it, Mr. Hendr¨C te. It¡¯s wonderful¡±, I gushed, slipping once more on his name.?He smiled, a genuine smile, making me smile as well. Then we went to the room next door. He pushed the door open and my breath caught in my throat. ADVERTISEMENT The room was the dream of every girly little girl out there. Bright, beautiful and made for a princess. The main color was baby pink, a color in my opinion, that could do no wrong. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The bed had been designed as a castle but had enough light so that it was not too stuffy. On one part of the room was a small tea table with four chairs around it. I suppressed a smile; I was sure te had spent a moment too much on that table.?On another side was a pretty stic mirror along with a vanity table. On the table a brush and toy makeup. I smiled. Callie herself was in the centre of the bed, napping. I smiled. She was too adorable.?¡±I¡¯ll give you a tour of the houseter on. Or if you wish, you could ask Mrs. Jones¡±, he said smiling.?I definitely knew which option I was going to take. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 It was the day after I had moved in. Callie had already warmed up to me and was not as fussy as the first day. We were in the living room after I had picked Callie from school. I was now friends with the Indian driver who was teaching me Hindi. Presently, she was telling me about her day at school which made me start asking myself questions. Where was Callie¡¯s mother? I did not ask anything at the interview because I did not want to seem nosy. But now I was so so curious. Callie went on, oblivious to my inner pondering. ¡°¡­And then She said I should push Lou and call herself a fat popotamus.¡± ¡°Did you do it, hun?¡±, I asked. ¡°No¡±, the kid replied proudly. ¡°That¡¯s good¡±, was my reply. Then I ruffled Callie¡¯s hair From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Stop that¡±, she said ¡°I¡¯m not a kid¡± ¡°Oh, then what are you?¡±, I asked intrigued ADVERTISEMENT ¡°I¡¯m a wiman¡±, Callie replied haughtily. Iughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re one funny ki- I mean woman¡± And Callie graced me with a smile. * * * After dinner, I put Callie to bed. I kissed her head and said, ¡°Sweet dreams, mon ange.¡± Then went to my own room. I was woken up by screams at night. I was startled. The day had been great so I didn¡¯t understand who was screaming. Soon, I realized they wereing from Callie¡¯s room and I rushed there. I flung the door open and was met with one of the most pitiful and painful sights I had ever seen. Callie was writhing in bed, her face contorted in agony. She was so little to be this hurt. I rushed to her bed and shook her gently awake. I ced my hands on her hair and smoothed it, praying that she didn¡¯t start screaming again. I was after all, unfamiliar to her and thest thing I wanted was to scare her. ADVERTISEMENT I cradled Callie in my arms and woke her up and started murmuring nonsensical words offort. ¡°Shh¡­ don¡¯t cry honey. It¡¯s Okay. It was just a horrible dream, Okay?¡± Callie burrowed herself into my arms and sobbed some more. ¡°Please, promise you¡¯ll never leave me¡±, she said brokenly. ¡°I promise.¡±, I said solemnly.¡±What did you dream of, honey.¡± ¡°I dreamt you were gone just like my mommy¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, honey, I¡¯ll never leave you, Ok?¡± ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Promise¡±. I said while hugging Callie closer to her body. And I was even more intrigued about what had happened to Callie¡¯s mother. * * * te got up to the screaming of his daughter as he did every night that this one had a nightmare. He presumed Gisele would be there but he knew it will be of no use. He went to the room and stopped suddenly as he opened the door. Callie was there calm and in Gisele¡¯s arms. He watched her smooth Callie¡¯s hair utter words offort. At that moment he felt profound admiration for Gisele but that didn¡¯t mean that he wasn¡¯t still lusting over her. s***. What was he saying? She was his daughter¡¯s nanny. He did not have to have desire and want for her. He took a deep breath, closed the door as quietly as he could and went to his room Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Gisele got up the next morning before Callie. She carefully went out of bed so as not to wake the kid. But unfortunately, her n failed because Callie woke up at that instant and stretched. ¡°Hello, mon chou, did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re going to stay with me forever¡±, Callie said while hugging her tightly. ¡°Honey, you know I won¡¯t be here forever. I¡¯ll have to go¡±, Gisele said softly. It was as if a dam burst. Callie started screaming and shouting ¡°Noooo, you promised, you said you were never going to leave. You said you were gonna stay with me. Don¡¯t leave me Gisele.¡± She was already sobbing by now. Gisele bit her lip and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sucre d¡¯or I¡¯m never going to leave you, Okay?¡± ¡°Really?¡±, asked a teary eyed Callie in a squeaky voice. ¡°Yes, really¡±, Gisele smiled while smiling. ¡°Yippee¡±, Callie shouted which made Gisele cringe a bit. * * * te was taking his daily coffee when his two smiling angels¡­ Wait, where the hell did he get that? Gisele was not his. Gisele was not his. He repeated this mantra until he was sure the cursed thought was out of his mind. ADVERTISEMENT He had not gotten up as early as usual this morning, he usually woke up at 5. 30 a.m. for his morning gym session. But he had woken up at 6 .30 a.m. that morning which was very strange and earned a quizzical eyebrow raise from Mrs. Hale, the housekeeper. ¡°Good morning, Daddy¡±, Callie said in an extremely loud and bright voice. He smiled and ruffled her hair and was surprised when she said, ¡°Stop, Daddy. I¡¯m not a kid , I¡¯m a wiman, right, Gisele¡± Gisele nodded but te saw her trying to control herughter. ¡°Dad, Dad, I slept with Giselest night and she promised never to leave me¡± Gisele was embarra**ed and put her face in her hands. te removed her hands from her face¡­ * * * Gisele put her face in her hands, extremely ufortable. She felt hands removing her own hands and looked up into the grey eyes of te Hendrick. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, you were good with her.¡± ¡°Thanks¡±, Gisele said shyly. This man was confusing. One minute, he did not talk to her and the other he¡¯s beingforting. She did not have a lot of experience with men, so she didn¡¯t know whether this was normal. ADVERTISEMENT As she lifted her face up to his, she was mesmerized. It was like electricity that went to her bones. He has the most beautiful grey eyes, she thought. She heard a chuckle and realized that he had released her and that she had said that out loud. She blushed to the roots of her hair and proceeded to make Callie¡¯s breakfast. ¡­¡­¡­ Later in the day, when Callie and te had already gone, Gisele was in the kitchen helping Mrs Hale. She was curious so she asked, ¡°Mrs Hale, have you worked here for long?¡± ¡°Oh honey, since Mr Hendrick got married to the young mistress.¡± Her curiosity was still not quenched and she asked, ¡°What happened to her?¡± Mrs Hale seemed shaken for a moment then said, ¡°It¡¯s not my story to tell¡± Gisele waited patiently because she knew in the two months she had been working at the Hendricks that Mrs Hale liked gossip and could not resist sharing a tidbit of information. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Oh, what happened was that¡­¡± ¡°Mrs Hale¡±, interrupted Mr Hendrick in a cold voice. Mrs Hale froze and continued chopping onions. Gisele chanced a nce at Mr Hendrick and saw he was scrutinizing her with cold eyes. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She bent her head, blushed and felt like a fool. She was not a great talker but her curiosity usually got the best of her. She felt stupid and cursed her great sense of curiosity. * * * After she finished making lunch with Mrs Hale, she went to te¡¯s house office. She knocked tentatively and heard gruff, ¡°Come in.¡± She went in and stood in front of his desk and he said impatiently, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I wish to apologize. I should not have asked that because it wasn¡¯t my problem and I shouldn¡¯t have been so curious¡­¡± She was rambling as testified the slight smile on his face. She smiled but it was wiped off when she saw the serious expression. ¡°Please, never repeat that, Okay? I like to keep my business private¡± ¡°Okay, te¡±, she said and went out when he told her to. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Gisele came out of te¡¯s office with a relieved smile on her face. That¡¯s thest time she was gonna do something like that. She sprinted to the kitchen to meet Mrs Hale. ¡°Mrs Hale, I¡¯m so sorry. What I did, put your job on the line. I¡¯m really very very sorry.¡± ¡°Oh honey, it¡¯s Okay¡±, Mrs Hale replied good-naturedly, ¡°Just my big mouth that put me in trouble¡±, she added whileughing. Giseleughed a bit then said, ¡°I¡¯m going to pick up Callie, Okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, sweetheart¡±, Mrs Hale responded absently. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Giseleughed internally and thought to herself, I¡¯ll definitely have to call Lizzie to keep her updated. * * * The next Callie was not going to school and Gisele discovered with much pleasure that Callie loved water as much as she did. ¡°Callie, do you want to y in the pool today?¡± ¡°Goss(gosh, Callie was trying to maintain her ¡®wiman¡¯ image), yes I want. Yay, we¡¯ll have lots of fun¡± After breakfast, they went to the pool. Gisele was dressed in a one piece swimsuit because she felt ufortable revealing much skin. ADVERTISEMENT Callie was in the shallower end of the pool and was sshing Gisele with water from the pool and laughing. They were enjoying themselves greatly when they heard a shrill and grating voice calling out, ¡°Hello? Ugh, where the f**k is everyone?¡± Gisele got out of the pool and covered Callie¡¯s ears in case there was more cussing. ¡°Gisele, what does ¡®f?ck¡¯ means?¡± ¡°Mean.¡±, Gisele corrected her automatically after removing her hands from the kid¡¯s ears. ¡°Yeah, what does it mean?¡±, she asked again with the persistence of a four year old. ¡°It¡¯s a bad word, a very very bad word and you don¡¯t say it okay?¡± ¡°Why? That wiman said it.¡±, Callie said as they were going into the house. ¡°Don¡¯t just use it.¡± ¡°Yeah but¡­¡±Callie broke off when she saw the woman She was very beautiful and had a to-die-for figure. She had on a dress from a very famous fashion mark that Gisele only dreamed of having but could not afford it. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Where the f?ck were you, b****? And just who the hell are you?¡±, the pretty woman asked. D¨¤mn, the woman was unpleasant, scratch that she was a b****. ¡°Callie, hun let¡¯s go upstairs, Okay? It¡¯s time for your nap.¡± Callie followed obediently and they went upstairs to Callie¡¯s room. Gisele tucked her in and said, ¡°I love you, mon p¡¯t** chou¡± ¡°I love you too Gisele.¡±, Callie murmured sleepily. * * * Gisele came back downstairs and saw the b****y-pretty woman ring at her and clicking her nails on the mantle. ¡°Hello, ma¡¯am, who are you and how can I help you?¡± The woman smirked at Gisele and said with a smug look, ¡°Do you live in the Middle Ages or what? I am E Hepburn and the future Mrs Hendrick.¡± When Gisele heard that, she felt like her world was crumbling down. te didn¡¯t even look at her that way so she didn¡¯t understand her reaction. It was probably distaste at this b¨¬tch being Callie¡¯s stepmom. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Actually, I am ¡­ I mean Mr Hendrick¡¯s daughter¡¯s nanny. And ma¡¯am I¡¯d appreciate it if you made my work easier by avoiding to cuss in front of the kid.¡± ¡°Who the hell do you think you are? I am practically your boss so you¡¯d better not stick your smelly ?ss in problems which f?cking don¡¯t concern you, just take care of that bratty little pest and keep your mouth shut, piece of sh¨¬t.¡± Waoh, scratch that, the woman was aplete, utter and first-** b¨ªtch. ¡°Just because you are engaged to my employer doesn¡¯t give you the right to insult me in that way.¡± Gisele tried to hold her temper. She didn¡¯t want to risk her job over this b¨ªtch. She took in a deep breath and said, ¡°By the way Mr Hendrick¡¯s noting back now. He¡¯s on a business trip¡± The smug look on E¡¯s face faltered a bit(making Gisele doubt if she really was te¡¯s fianc¨¦e) but she picked it right up and said, ¡°I knew that. I just came to see my future daughter. I definitely have got to have a talk with te, this woman¡¯s aplete airhead and a total b¨¬tch at that, I don¡¯t care if I lose my job, Gisele thought to herself while walking out. * * * That girl is a threat, E Hepburn thought to herself, I¡¯m going to have to do something about her¡­ Chapter 10 Chapter 10 We turned on one another deep, drowned gazes, and exchanged a kiss that reduced my bones to rubber and my brain to gruel ¨C Peter De Vries. Two dayster, Gisele decided to call Lizzie. ¡°Hello, stranger.¡±, Lizzie said as she answered. ¡°Hey, Liz.¡± ¡°Yeah just ¡®hey¡¯. No ¡®Lizzie, I missed you so much!! How are you. I wish I coulde stay with you''¡± ¡°Lizzie¡­¡±, Gisele started. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I get it¡±, Lizzie cut in. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°You do?¡±, Gisele asked, surprised. Lizzie never let stuff like that go. She¡¯ll rant, scream and sulk. ¡°Yeah, I get that I live in some faraway vige with no modern amenities¡±, Lizzie said sarcastically. ¡°I said I was sorry, Jeez¡±, Gisele eximed then continued, ¡°So many things have happened and I realize I need you so much¡± ¡°Oh dear. Don¡¯t worry call me at any time and I¡¯ll call you too, Okay¡± ¡°Yay. I have a free day sometime soon. I¡¯lle see you¡± ¡°Okey Dokey. I¡¯ll be waiting¡±, Lizzie said and hung up. ADVERTISEMENT *+*+* It was lunchtime and Gisele was trying to get Callie eat. ¡°Come on, mon ange, you need to eat¡±. ¡°I don want to eat, I want Daddy¡±. ¡°You want Daddy?¡±, Gisele asked and Callie nodded with big sorrowful eyes. The expression on the kid¡¯s face was funny but Gisele controlled her urge tough. ¡°Then eat, if not daddy will get mad at you and he won¡¯te back. You want him toe back? So eat.¡± Callie looked at her the started eating like she was in a race. Gisele couldn¡¯t contain herughter this time, sheughed out loud and told Callie to eat a bit slower. Callie was obstinate about the fact that she could feed herself and didn¡¯t want anybody else feeding her. Before Gisele realized what was happening, Callie was halfway across the kitchen, screaming ¡°Daaddyy¡±. Gisele turned, startled and met te Hendrick¡¯s incredible eyes. *** te parked his car in the garage and pa**ed through the adjoining door into his home. Home. Funny, he had lived with Jessie his ex wife for close to four years but had never considered their townhouse as home. He still remembered the day he realized love was just a stupid emotion. ADVERTISEMENT Two years ago¡­ ¡°I admit it. I do! And? You¡¯re the one responsible for all this!! First, you knocked me up, then you abandon me under the pretense of business meetings. You think I don¡¯t know you do?!!¡±, she said like a mad woman. te looked at the ceiling and said, ¡°Jessie¡­¡±, he started but she cut him short. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your stupid excuses! You leave me here all alone and you expect me not to look forpany?¡±, she said, almost on the verge of tears. ¡°You are responsible for this. Don¡¯t try to me your unthinkable behavior on me. You broke the promises we made to each other by gettingfortable with my business rival. And not even once did you consider Callie. Have you no self-respect?¡±, te asked with calmness and coldness that was lethal. ¡°h, h, h. So cold, so unemotional, so detached. And do you know why I had s** with Rodrigo? Because I realized my feelings for him were more than my feelings for you! So you better say goodbye to Callie because I¡¯m relocating to Italy and with her. I¡¯ll just go pack¡± As she turned to go, he held her hand and said, ¡°You can to any f¨´cking country you want but you are going to leave my daughter with me, okay¡± They argued, or rather she b¨ªtched and he answered back coldly, calmly. She took her car and went out under the heavy downfall and it was only the next morning he was notified of her instant death. Present¡­ te was brought out of his reverie by a soft feminineughter. He followed the sound and found himself in the kitchen. He rarely came here. He was looking at his kid¡¯s nanny, all the while imagining how her long legs will feel around his waist when a small force hurtled him and a little voice screamed, ¡°Daaddyy¡±. He hugged her back but found himself lost in Gisele¡¯s eyes. His fantasies started once more. Her, with no st**ch of clothing except for some spiky heels, sitting on his bed and peeking at him through her thickshes. ADVERTISEMENT It was then that he realized that Callie was tugging his shirt. ¡°Daddy, daddy! Are you listening?¡± te looked down at his little girl and scooped her up in his arms. ¡°Yes Callie I¡¯m listening¡± ¡°Is it true dat if I don eat you¡¯lls get angry with me?¡± He looked at Gisele who was smiling sneakily. ¡°No, not really, but I won¡¯t like it. So you need to eat, okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡±. The adorable little minx said and ran to continue eating. Gisele gave him a genuine smile and was about to speak when Callie said, ¡°Gigi, I need to eat!¡± Gisele smiled apologetically and went to the kitchen. Two hourster¡­ te was sitting in his office when he heard a small knock on his door. She came towards him and said, ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t interfere in your personal matters, but I need to tell you¡­¡± te cut Gisele off by kissing her. The kiss was wonderful even though it was obvious Gisele was inexperienced. It was like his first kiss all over again even if that one was nothing spectacr. He had never felt this way with any woman. He decided then that he wanted Gisele and was definitely going to get her¡­ Chapter 11 Chapter 11 The best kiss is the one that has been exchanged a thousand times between the eyes before it reaches the lips. He kissed her, he actually kissed her. Gisele stood there, stunned and immobile. She almost freaked out when she felt his tongue seeking for entrance at her lips. She hesitated then parted her lips for his tongue. Oh God. Oh¡­ my¡­ gosh. He was kissing her and it felt so good. He started exploring her mouth with his tongue and she about died from the pleasure. She couldn¡¯t exin the emotions and the sensations that were pa**ing through her body; all she knew was that they were extremely pleasurable and she felt like she was on cloud nine. Then he removed his mouth from hers and started cing small kisses all over her face. Then he went down to her neck and kissed her there. te touched a sensitive spot behind her ear and kissed it, then started nibbling on her earlobe. Gisele heard a distant moan and it took her a few seconds to realize that it came from her. She froze and it was as if a bucket of cold water had been doused on her. This man¡­ te, the one she was kissing, was her boss and¡­ Oh God, he had a fianc¨¦e who was no doubt pining for him at the moment. Gisele put her small hands on te¡¯s shoulders and pushed him. He looked down at her and she stared back, before running out of his office. ADVERTISEMENT *+*+* te resisted the urge to run after Gisele, strong as it was. He had f¨´cked up so bad. He had to take things slow but she had captivated him, entangled him in her beauty and innocence. He ran his hand through his hair, something he did when he was nervous, which was extremely rare. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He stayed in his office for a bit to calm himself (and to lose his hard-on). He came out of his office and heard noises from the multimedia room, childishughter and Gisele¡¯s own softughter he could recognize anywhere. He went in and saw that it was Cartoon Network on. Gisele and Callie were bothughing uproariously. He looked at them and smiled fondly. Callie with her almost auburn hair could almost be Gisele¡¯s daughter. * * * Gisele ran out of te¡¯s office and decided to go check on Callie. She found her in the middle if her queen sized bed looking like a lost soul. When Callie saw Gisele, her face brightened and she eximed, ¡°Gigi¡± ADVERTISEMENT Gisele smiled at her and said, ¡°Hello, my princess¡± Callie widened her eyesically and asked, ¡°Gigi, can I go watch ¡®The Amazing World Of Gumball¡¯ (TAWOG)?¡± Gisele raised her eyebrows, perplexed and before she could utter a word, Callie sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t know TAWOG? Never mind, I¡¯ll show you, okay?¡± With that, Gisele found herself in the multimedia room watching Cartoon Network. Soon enough, Callie and her wereughing at the antics of Gumball, Darwin and Ana?s. ¡°Gigi?¡±, Callie called. ¡°Yes, ma cherie¡± ¡°Do you like my Daddy? ¡®Cause I saw you kissing and all¡± ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Uh, yes Callie I like your Dad¡± Callie eyes brightened and she said, ¡°Then you can get married and all? Right?¡± ¡°Callie¡­ it¡¯s not¡± ¡°But you have to get married so we can live togeda foreva¡±, Callie said with much enthusiasm ¡°¡­¡± Then they heard a throat clearing and they turned and saw¡­ Chapter 12 Chapter 12 We are each of us angels with only one wing. And we can only fly while embracing each other. ¨C Lucian De Croszonza Previously¡­ Then they heard a throat clearing and they turned and saw¡­ ¡­ Mrs. Hale, looking down at them fondly and smiling. Gisele¡¯s cheeks heated up in embarra**ment when she realized the old woman had heard everything they had said. Mrs. Haleughed heartily and said, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t be embarra**ed, I was young once too you know? Anyway, I heardughter and decided toe see what was happening here? *looks in Callie¡¯s direction, sees she is engrossed in her TV show, whispers*, You¡¯ve changed this home, Gisele. That man should definitely keep you¡±, then she went out. Gisele cursed her quick to blush skin and knew that she probably looked like a tomato right now. Callie looked at her with wide curious eyes and said, ¡°Gigi, you rwed. Sick?¡± Giseleughed then patted Callie¡¯s back and said, ¡°No, b¨¦b¨¦, I¡¯m perfectly fine¡± Gisele continued watching the shows andughing until Callie eximed, ¡°Daddy,e join us. It¡¯s fenny(funny)!¡± Gisele turned towards te and felt her cheeks heat up as she remembered their kiss. te was hesitating and Callie pouted then pulled the puppy dog face on him, ¡°Please, Daddy. Please?¡± te couldn¡¯t resist so he sat down on the couch and pulled Callie into his arms. Soon enough, Callie was asleep and te took it upon himself to put her in bed. Gisele smiled at the sight and as she wanted to enter her own room, she felt a strong hand on her arm. ¡°Did you think you could run away from me again?¡±, te asked in his deep and husky voice. ADVERTISEMENT Gisele turned towards him with wide eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to run away from you, I just want to¡­ read¡±, she finishedmely. te chuckled and that sound turned her insides to mush. ¡°Really?¡±, he asked with amus****t coating his voice. Then he pushed her gently into the room and entered too, then bolted the door and took the key. Then he smiled a devilish smile in her direction and said, ¡°That way you won¡¯t be running away anymore¡±. She tried to put a bit of space between them but he didn¡¯t want to have any of that. ¡°S-te, y-you know it¡¯s not appropriate for us t-to b-be in the s-same room¡±, she said, stammering ¡°And why is that, Gisele?¡±, te asked, walking towards her. Gisele took a deep breath and said, ¡°Because of your fianc¨¦e that¡¯s why¡±. te¡¯s brow furrowed and he asked¡¯ perplexed, ¡°My fianc¨¦e¡­ what fianc¨¦e?¡± It was Gisele¡¯s own turn to be confused. ¡°E Hepburn? The model with blonde hair and a lot of cleavage?¡± te¡¯s confused look disappeared to be reced with an amused one and heughed. Gisele pouted and turned away from him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, shortcake, I¡¯m notughing at you but to think of E and I living together makesugh and disgusts me at the same time¡±, te a**ured her. ¡°But¡­ wait what? Shortcake?! I¡¯m a respectable height for a woman, but I¡¯m not short.¡± te looked down at her in amus****t. To his six foot three inch frame, she was incredibly short. ¡°Really?¡±, he asked while raising one eyebrow. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Yes, I a**ure you¡±, she said primly, like a proper little madam. * * * s***, te thought as he felt himself hardening. She looked at him pointedly and said, ¡°It¡¯s alreadyte, I need sleep, te and I guess you do too, so kindly open my door, go out and let me sleep¡± ¡°No goodnight kiss?¡± ¡°Nope¡±, Gisele said. ¡°Come on, have mercy, Shortcake¡± She pursed her lips and said, ¡°On one condition, you stop calling me ¡®shortcake¡¯. Deal?¡± ¡°Yeah, I promise¡±. ¡°Okay¡±, she said then stood on tiptoe and pecked his lips. ¡°Done, now open the door¡± ¡°That was not a kiss, Gisele¡±, teined. ¡°This is a kiss¡±, he added then swooped down and kissed her lips. It took Giselepletely by surprise and parted her lips in a gasp. te took the opportunity and invaded her lips. He s***ed on her tongue, making her feel things she had never felt before. After sometime, he lifted his head and said, ¡°Now that was a kiss. Good night¡­ Shorty. Dream about me.¡± Gisele gasped and realized that she had just been yed. ADVERTISEMENT te went out leaving Gisele alone with her thoughts and her iPhone 5s, it was a birthday gift from Lizzie¡¯s parents. She copsed on her bed and texted Lizzie Gisele: U won¡¯t guess what happened. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Lizzie: What? U killed someone and shipped their body to Antarctica? G: Wtf Liz? Of course not. L: What then? G: I kissed my boss¡­ twice. L: Arrrrgggghhh. If I could scream through texts, I would have. Girl, u need to tell me everything. Spill and be quick. G: I¡¯ll pa** by 2morrow and I promise, I¡¯ll tell u L: Omg, suspense is killing me but I¡¯ll wait and u¡¯re going to tell me all the steamy details. G: Lol. Good night L: ¡®Night. Dream about him. Giseleughed because that was the same thing te had told her. She changed into her pajamas and braided her thick red hair. She said her prayer and off she went into sleep filled with wonderful dreams¡­ Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Gisele woke up the next morning, feeling extremely happy. That was strange because as mentioned earlier, she was definitely not a morning person. She looked at the time, and saw it was 6.30 a.m. Wow, she never got up this early. But then, she remembered her dreams and blushed; it was definitely R-rated material. She jumped down from the bed and took a quick shower making sure to wash her thick red hair thoroughly. She came out felling invigorated and light. Then she put on an outfit she had never imagined to wear; jean cutoffs and a top with Mickey Mouse on it and paired the ensemble with a pair of Vans. She put on mascara and eyeliner and proceeded to braid her thick red hair on one side. She sprayed the French perfume, Gaultier, that Lizzie had given her for her birthday. She went to Callie¡¯s room and saw that she was still sleeping. She didn¡¯t have school that day, so Gisele let her sleep. Gisele went downstairs and saw Mrs. Hale¡¯s recement for the day, Edith. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Hey¡±, Gisele greeted cheerfully with a small smile on her lips. The woman looked at her with a frosty re that left Gisele confused and said even more coldly, ¡°Hello, Gisele¡±, Edith said, emphasizing Gisele¡¯s name as to imply that Gisele was no better than her. Gisele frowned but asked cheerfully, ¡°Did - I mean Mr. Hendrick go to the office?¡± ¡°No. And stay away from te if not you won¡¯t realize what¡¯s happening to you¡±, Edith said with a threat in her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you¡±, Gisele said. ¡°Look at you, the underdog trying to ensnare the biggest bone. te and E belong together and you won¡¯t do anything to stop it, sneaky b****¡± Gisele didn¡¯t answer just kept a tight rein on her temper. At these times, her grandmama¡¯s Irish temper threatened to overtake her but she always tried to restrict it. ADVERTISEMENT Gisele went upstairs without answering Edith which was no doubt what she wanted. She went to te¡¯s office and knocked and te answered in his deep voice for her to, ¡°Come in¡±. She went in and smiled brightly then said, ¡°Good morning te¡± He looked at her for a few moments and she snapped her fingers in front of his face and said, ¡°Hello? te¡± He surprised her by standing up abruptly and giving her a hard but pa**ionate kiss. ¡°That¡¯s how you¡¯ll greet me each morning. By a kiss, okay¡±, he asked/ordered. Gisele¡¯s nerves were frazzled so she nodded almost instantly. Afterposing herself, she asked, ¡°Today Callie doesn¡¯t have school and I was wondering if I could take her out? To visit my friend? I haven¡¯t seen her in a long time, so I¡­¡± From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah, take her. But Suresh (the driver) will being with you¡± ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Yeah boss. Bye¡± te nodded and off she went. Gisele went to Callie¡¯s room and woke her up gently. ¡°Callie, do you want to see the kind witch of Oz¡±, she asked/whispered. As soon as Callie heard the ¡®witch of Oz¡¯, she was hooked. She jumped and said, ¡°Yes, yes Gisele smiled at her and said, ¡°Thene on and take your bath¡± Callie rushed excitedly to the bathroom and called out, ¡°Gigi, harry up or the kind wish of Oz is gonna go¡± Gisele smiled at the kid¡¯s enthusiasm and said, ¡°Comin¡¯, honey¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Everyone hears what you say, Friends listen to what you say, Best friends listen to what you don¡¯t say. ¨C Anonymous Gisele got Callie prepared and was ready to go already. Mr. Suresh, the driver took them there and she had quite an enlightening conversation with him. He spoke to her of his country, India and praised it. It was very obvious he loved it and was feeling nostalgic. Finally, he dropped them off at Lizzie¡¯s apartment and he left off with a, ¡°Call me if you need me, beti¡± Daughter. Gisele beamed, happy that he held her in such high esteem to call her daughter. Gisele smiled and thanked him before he drove off. Gisele let herself and Callie into Lizzie¡¯s apartment with her key and shouted, ¡°Hey damselle¡± ¡°Hey, bi¡­atch¡±, Lizzie saiding out of the room, and faltered a bit when she saw Callie. ¡°And who is this adorable bunch of cuteness we have here?¡±, Lizzie asked, smiling. Lizzie looked nice, with jeans and a tank top. Her naturally curly ck hair was a bit in control. Callie who had been dozing on and off during the ride, was now wide awake. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Callie. Are you reality the good wish of Oz ¡¯cause Gigi said you was and Gigi don¡¯t lie¡±, Callie said, very cutely. ¡°Yeah, I am.¡± Callie scrutinized her and shrugged then said, ¡°Where¡¯s your wand?¡±, she asked sus***iously. ¡°I left it in my witch¡¯s chamber¡±, Lizzie replied. Callie pouted and said, ¡°So I don¡¯t get any wishes and fairy stuff?¡± ¡°You will, mon chou, just tell me your wish in my ear and it¡¯ll be aplished.¡±, Lizzie said with a soft smile. Callie stood on tiptoe while Lizzie bent down and the adorable kid whispered something in Lizzie¡¯s ear. ADVERTISEMENT Gisele red at Lizzie but she shrugged lightly and said, ¡°Her wish will definitelye true¡± ¡°Callie, mon chou, are you up for some ice cream¡±, Gisele asked. Callie giggled and said, ¡°You¡¯re so silly! I love ice cream so much. One day, Daddy and I had ice cream and I ate so much, my tummy hurt¡±, then the little princess pouted. Gisele and Lizzie tried and seeded to hide their grins from Callie. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re going to get ice cream¡±, Lizzie concluded. ¡°Yaay! We¡¯ll have so much fun!¡±, Callie said, pping her hands excitedly. They went to the ice cream parlor and installed themselves in a booth. Callie ordered a big scoop of chocte vored ice cream and started eating it happily. Gisele and Callie on their part settled with vani. They finished their ice cream and headed to a park for kids, a yground actually. They sat on a bench before Callie spoke up, ¡°Gisele, can I go y on the slide?¡± ¡°Of course, honey. But let mee with you¡±, Gisele answered smiling ¡°No, I¡¯m not a baby. I can y alone like them¡±, Callie replied, pouting ¡°But you can get hurt¨C¡°, Gisele started but Callie interrupted her ¡°I promise, I will not. Look, they¡¯re not hurt¡±, she said and the adults smiled at her clever logic. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Okay honey. But be careful, okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, Gigi. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±, Callie said impatiently, and ran off quickly. ¡°So¡±, Lizzie started wiggling her eyebrows yfully, ¡°How was your first ever kiss?¡± ¡°It was¡­ electrifying¡±, Gisele answered with a small smile. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Hmmm, ma cherie, this is getting more and more interesting by the minute. Did you go second base?¡±, Lizzie asked. ¡°Second base?¡±, Gisele asked, intrigued. ¡°Sometimes I forget you¡¯re too innocent for your own good. Anyway, did you touch each other?¡± ¡°Well, he kissed me all over my face and my neck. Does that count?¡± ¡°Nope¡±, Lizzie said, popping the ¡®p¡¯, ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Oh!¡±, Gisele replied dismally, embarra**ed at her own ignorance. Lizzie burst outughing, ¡°Gisele, you¡¯re 22 but you act 10 sometimes! Even a girl of 12 surely knows more about kissing than you¡± Gisele searched for a wittyeback but when she couldn¡¯t find one, she smiled and said, ¡°I s¡¯pose that¡¯s true¡± Theyughed together before Gisele sobered up a bit and asked quietly, ¡°Liz, have you ever felt like the whole world hates you?¡± Lizzie opened her arms and Gisele scooted into them. ¡°Why do you ask that, ma belle¡±, Lizzie asked, quietly too. ¡°Do you know E Hepburn?¡±, Gisele asked instead of giving a direct answer. ¡°Yeah, of course! She¡¯s that Victoria¡¯s Secret model and¨C¡°, Lizzie started. ¡°I don¡¯t give a f_ck.¡±, Gisele said quietly so that the kids around her couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Uhm¡­ mon coeur, what¡¯s gotten into you? You never cuss.¡± ¡°Well, I hate obnoxious people, that¡¯s why!¡±, Gisele said vehemently. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Uhm, hon, you¡¯ve lost me¡±, Lizzie said. ¡°I¡¯m talking about that E woman! She¡¯s very unpleasant. She may have a great body and all but she is Her Royal Highness of b****iness. She came and she called me a b****. What an irony! And she did that in front of Callie. I would have let it go but seriously, who cusses in front of kids, and a four year old at that.¡±, Gisele said, breathing heavily. ¡°Wait¡­ so she came to te¡¯s house¡±, Lizzie asked, a bit confused. ¡°Yeah, she did. She even pretended to be te¡¯s fianc¨¦e but he told me it wasn¡¯t the case¡± ¡°Goodness! That¡¯s pathetic!¡±, Lizzie said,ughing. ¡°Exactly! Then that¡­ that woman¡­ that¡­ Edith told me to leave te alone ¡¯cause he and E belong together. Then she called me a b**** and a w****. I a-always go out of my way t-to be nice to others and she calls me a b****. And a w****. I¡¯ve never even had s** and I¡¯m branded a w****¡±, she said, sniffing a little. ¡°You know, don¡¯t let them get to you, okay? You¡¯re a nice person and no one should tell you otherwise. Now stop with that sniffing if not I¡¯ll beat your as- beat you up¡±, Lizzie said, and they grinned like mad women. Callie ran towards them at that moment and said, ¡°I have a new friend, Callie. She¡¯s called Ms. Pan. She says she¡¯s Peter Pan¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°Where is she? I don¡¯t see anyone¡±, Gisele said, making Callieugh. ¡°You¡¯re so silly! You can¡¯t see her but you can talk to her. Here! She says hello¡±, Callie said. ¡°Well, hi there Ms. Pan. How are you?¡±, Gisele asked. Callie giggled and said, ¡°She says she¡¯s fine but to stop speaking to her in that way¡± Theyughed then Gisele said, ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Did you have fun Callie?¡± ¡°Yes! I had much fun!¡±, Callie said exuberantly, ¡°But I¡¯m very tired and hungry.¡± The adultsughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right, we¡¯re going to get something to eat real soon¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don¡¯t win unless you hate them-and then you destroy yourself. ¨C Richard M. Nixon. Gisele called Mr. Suresh for him toe and pick them up. He came with the car and smiled at them when they entered the car. Soon enough, they had reached home. ¡°Gigi, can I go see Dad?¡±, Callie asked. Gisele could see the kid was tired so she said, ¡°You have to nap first, okay¡± Callie scrunched her nose up and said, ¡°But I hate napping!¡± ¡°Callie¡­¡±, Gisele started. ¡°Okay, okay but can I get a candy first?¡±, Callie asked, batting her eyshes. Giseleughed softly. The kid was going and was already ckmailing. ¡°Okay, but just one piece, hmm?¡± ¡°Yay!¡±, Callie said then ran to her room. Gisele smiled and followed her. Gisele then walked down to the kitchen to get some water. As she was heading towards the stairs, she heard furious stamping of feet and saw two livid blonde womening down. One was the b****y model, E Hepburn. And seeing the resemnce the two bore, they were probably rted. Gisele gave a fake smile but in her head, she was wondering why they were there. Maybe te had lied? Maybe he was really with this- ¡°Hey!¡±, the older woman said, cutting her thoughts off. ¡°So it¡¯s you the tramp that made te reject my daughter, huh?¡±, she asked. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°I don¡¯t understand-¡°, Gisele started but she was cut off by a teary eyed E. ¡°Shut up, you lying b****! He was-¡°, she started shouting but was interrupted by her mother. ¡°Don¡¯t waste words on her, honey. She¡¯s not worth it¡± That stung Gisele terribly. All her life people had been telling her she was worthless and she¡¯ll be damned if she swallowed another insult. ¡°Look here, old hag!¡±, Gisele said, causing E and her mother to gasp. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough. You think you¡¯re worth more than me? With your fake t**s and big empty head? You think you have great bodies? Then think twice because all this junk you¡¯ve bought doesn¡¯t change that you are brainless b***** and that¡¯s all you¡¯ll ever be. You may hate me, but I don¡¯t hate you. I just¡­ pity you because you¡¯re not worth s*** and better s*** it up if it hurts. You are nothing but a bunch of over conceited s***s and-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough¡±, te said quietly from behind them. Gisele widened her eyes and turned, but not before seeing a wide smirk etched on E¡¯s face. ¡°Stephanie, E I believe I told you to get out of my house¡±, he continued. Mother and daughter alike scrambled out of the house. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Omg! I¡¯m really sorry, te! I don¡¯t know what came over me! I can-¡°, Gisele started but was interrupted by te¡¯sughter. Mhmm, greatughter. Currently, b***erflies were all over her stomach. He stoppedughing, came towards her, wrapped his arm around her waist and looked deep into her eyes. ¡°te? Are you-?¡±, she tried to persist but he shut her up by kissing her (so cliche). * * * Fifteen minutes before ADVERTISEMENT ¡°You know I can ruin you with just a single flick of my wrist, right?¡±, Stephanie asked. teughed. ¡°You think if I don¡¯t get the deal with your husband mypanies will go bankrupt? You¡¯re not that important, Steph¡± Stephanie was fuming silently, ¡°Trust me, te you¡¯ll regret this¡±, she said, then walked out with her daughter te sighed. He didn¡¯t know what demon no rather devil pushed him to date her. He went downstairs and was surprised to see Gisele putting the two horrified women in their ces. ¡°¡­ You think you have great bodies? Then think twice because all this junk you¡¯ve bought doesn¡¯t change that you are brainless b***** and that¡¯s all you¡¯ll ever be. You may hate me, but I don¡¯t hate you. I just¡­ pity you because you¡¯re not worth s*** and better s*** it up if it hurts. You are nothing but a bunch of over conceited s***s and-¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Gisele¡±, he said and saw her freeze. ¡°Stephanie, E, I believe I told you to get out of my house.¡± They scurried out like mice and left te and Gisele alone in the room. ¡°Omg, I¡¯m so sorry, te! I don¡¯t know what came over me! I can-¡°, Gisele said. te couldn¡¯t help himself, he burst outughing. She looked so cute when she was flustered. He went towards her and put his arm around her waist and drew her towards him. Instead of shutting up as he wanted her to, she opened her sweet little mouth and asked, well tried to, ¡°te? Are you-?¡± te took advantage of her open mouth and kissed her. Her mouth, God, her mouth was meant for kissing; for his kisses. She tasted like cherries and smelt like strawberries, his new favorite vor in the world. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back, albeit hesitantly. She pulled back for a moment before kissing him again. ADVERTISEMENT They kept kissing like there was no tomorrow before te pulled back. Gisele pouted: she was cute when she did that. ¡°Why did you stop?¡±, Gisele asked. ¡°Did you want your first time to be on the floor or along the wall?¡±, te asked. She shook her head no. Then she asked curiously, ¡°How did you know I¡¯m a virgin?¡± ¡°Babe, a leopard can¡¯t hide its spots, same way you can¡¯t hide your innocence¡± ¡°Oh¡±, was all she said before turning her head. He chuckled, seeing the wheels turning in her head, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you weren¡¯t good though¡±, he said and she smiled gratefully at him. He picked her up bridal style and started up the stairs. ¡°te put me down¡±, she shouted, while giggling. ¡°te, te, aatttee¡±, she yelled,ughing uproariously. Callie who was not napping came out from her room and saw Gisele in te¡¯s arms. ¡°Daddy! Carry too!¡±, she eximed. te put Gisele down and carried Callie who startedughing too. ¡°You¡¯re quite the happy little family, te¡±, an older dark haired woman, who had an uncanny resemnce to te said. ¡°Mom?¡±, te said in disbelief while Callie shouted, ¡°Grandma¡±. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Previously¡­ ¡°You¡¯re quite the happy little family, te¡±, an older dark haired woman, who had an uncanny resemnce to te said. ¡°Mom?¡±, te said in disbelief while Callie shouted, ¡°Grandma¡±. Gisele looked in confusion. This was te¡¯s mom? She was very beautiful and it showed where te had taken his features. It was then that she noticed the girl, or rather, the woman behind her. She was dark haired with pretty violet eyes. ¡°Who is this?¡±, te¡¯s mother, Whitney asked te frostily after hugging Callie warmly. Gisele started answering, but te beat her to it. ¡°Mom, this is my, uh¡­ Callie¡¯s babysitter¡±, te said. Gisele was a little disappointed when she heard babysitter then she realized that, that was exactly what she was! A few kisses exchanged here and there did not make them a couple. Jeez! What was she thinking. ¡°Babysitter, hmm? Anyways, tee with me, and you too Jenny¡±, Whitney said without even sparing a nce in Gisele¡¯s direction. Jenny trailed behind them to te¡¯s office leaving Callie and Gisele alone. ¡°Come on, sweetie, let¡¯s go to your room¡±, Gisele said softly. Callie didn¡¯t argue and they went calmly upstairs to Callie¡¯s room. ¡°Gigi, are you mad at me?¡±, Callie asked, her lower lip trembling. ¡°Oh, God, of course not honey. Why would you think that?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t talk to me¡±, she replied. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you, I could never be mad at you. I love you, ange du ciel¡± (angel from heaven) ¡°I love you too, Gigi¡±, Callie replied. Gisele carried Callie into her room andy her on the bed. ¡°Gigi, I want my own tea party¡±, Callie said sleepily. ¡°After your nap, ok?¡±, Gisele said ¡°Okay, Gigi¡±, Callie said before falling asleep. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Gisele left the room as quietly as she could and as she closed the door, a figure appeared in front of her. She let out a small scream. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me, Jenny¡±, the person said. ¡°Ah, you scared me¡±, Gisele said, breathing out a sigh of relief. ¡°Can we talk?¡±, Jenny asked. Gisele wanted to refuse but she could not find it in herself to hate the girl. ¡°Sure¡±, Gisele said. Jenny slipped her arm in Gisele¡¯s and they headed towards Gisele¡¯s room. They entered the room and Jenny sat on the bed. ¡°Not to sound rude, but what did you want?¡±, Gisele asked impatiently. ¡°I just wanted to talk¡±, Jenny said. Gisele nodded for her to continue. ¡°I know you love te¡±, Jenny started and as Gisele opened her mouth to protest, she held up her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. The way you look at him shows and there¡¯s always love shining in your eyes when you see him. I know that feeling very well¡±, Jenny said sadly. ADVERTISEMENT Gisele¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°What do you mean?¡±, she asked. ¡°Whitney wants me to marry te. My mother does too. They im it is for the betterment of both our families. But I don¡¯t see it! Just because they want that doesn¡¯t mean I want it too!.¡±, Jenny said, then starting sobbing. Gisele took her in her arms andforted her. The girl was obviously going through some love issues. Gisele started speaking but Jenny said, ¡°Wait, let me finish. There¡¯s this guy, I met him in myst year of college. We hit off, we became the closest of friends and no one could separate our bond. Then I realized I was in love with him. To cut the story short, I told him how I felt and he to)d me he loved me too! I was afraid my unrequited love for him will grow a rift between us but the only thing it did was strengthen our rtionship. I told Mom about it but she was hell bent on me getting married to te. I can¡¯t get into a loveless marriage, my mother is living through that and it¡¯s not pretty. I love Kennedy and I¡¯m not sure I can ever stop myself from doing so¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I misjudged you totally¡±, Gisele said with remorse in her voice. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I understand you totally. If I were you, I¡¯d feel the same¡±, Jenny said with a teasing glint in her eyes. Giseleughed and they started a conversation. She discovered that Jenny loved reading just as she did, and she was a huge fan of Greek Mythology stories. She was also a Potterhead. ¡°I¡¯d better head downstairs now¡±, Jenny said. ¡°It was nice meeting you. I hope we can talk again sometime¡±, Gisele replied, smiling widely. Thirty Minutes Later¡­ Gisele heard a knock on her door. She told the person toe in. It was te. ¡°Uh, hey¡±, te said. ¡°Hi?¡±, Gisele replied but it was more of a question as te was behaving very unlike him. ¡°I need to talk to you¡±, he said, then added, ¡°May I?¡±, gesturing towards the bed. Gisele wanted to speak but thought better of it so she simply nodded. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Look I¡¯m really sorry about my mother, she¡¯s like that to people she doesn¡¯t know.¡±, te said apologetically. Really? I was under the impression it was hate at first sight for both of us¡­, Gisele thought but kept it to herself. ¡°And what I said about you being the nanny¡­¡± ¡°Wasplete reality. It¡¯s okay, te, I understand fully. Look, just because we kissed doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re together, I get that. You¡­¡±, Gisele interrupted. ¡°Wait, Gisele! That¡¯s what I wanted to talk about. I want us to explore what we have between us.¡±, te said, looking into her eyes. ¡°te, mon Dieu, I don¡¯t know anything about you and same goes for me. I don¡¯t even know your middle name¡±, Gisele said shaking her head. ¡°I know, Gisele but we can try.¡±, he said desperately. ¡°Why are you so intent on making us work?¡±, Gisele asked, standing and shooting her hands in the air. ¡°Because, Gisele, I realized how short life is.¡±, te said. Gisele looked a bit pensive. Then determined. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re right, life¡¯s too short. But we need to get to know each other and go on dates before anything happens.¡±, Gisele added on second thought. ¡°I promise. Oh, and by the way, my middle name¡¯s Kevin¡±, te said and Gisele smiled. ¡°Gisele, can we go out tomorrow, on a date?¡±, te asked, a bit nervous. It had been so long he had done this; normally, it was the women who flocked to him not him asking them out. Gisele¡¯s eyes grew wide and she said, ¡°Yess! But wait, who¡¯s gonna stay with Callie¡±, she wondered but before te could answer, she said, ¡°I have the perfect solution. I¡¯ll call up Lizzie and ask her. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll ept¡±. te simply smiled then left the room and closed the door gently, leaving an overexcited Gisele there. Chapter 17 Chapter 17 To say Gisele was surprised at te¡¯s demand, would be an understatement. It waspletely unromantic to say unappealing. The asking did matter, but she didn¡¯t want to take any chances, so she agreed. She decided then to call Lizzie because she knew next to nothing about dates. She had spent her whole life working that she had no inkling of the world that involved dates and parties. ¡°What¡¯s up, Gigi?¡±, Lizzie asked as she picked up at the first ring. ¡°Lizzie, you need to help me. te and I are going out on a date, and I have nothing to wear.¡± Lizzie as per usual, heard nothing after the words ¡®te and I are going out on a date¡¯. ¡°Whaaaaaaat, woman? And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡±, she screeched. ¡°I just told you¡±, Gisele murmured almost inaudibly. ¡°When?¡±, Lizzie continued as if she never heard her. ¡°Tomorrow¡±, Gisele said glumly, knowing how unnerved Lizzie would be. ¡°Tomorrow?!!¡±, Lizzie screeched so high Gisele had to hold the phone away from her ear. ¡°Dammit woman, stop trying to burst my eardrums, I¡¯ll need them for tomorrow, you know¡±, she replied, annoyed. ¡°Thank goodness I¡¯m not such a dumba** and had themon sense to reserve a dress for this type of asion. Okay tomorrow, I¡¯ll bring it, okay? And I¡¯ll take care of Callie¡±, Lizzie replied, again ignoring Gisele once again. ¡°Thanks Liz, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you¡±, Gisele gushed. ¡°You¡¯d die a virgin, obviously¡±, she replied drily. ¡°I wove you Lizzie¡±, Gisele said in a tone Callie would use. ¡°I love you too¡±, Lizzie replied,ughing then hung up. * * * ¡°Lizzie¡±, Gisele whined, ¡°why do you insist on torturing me?¡± ¡°Shut up and let me do your makeup and don¡¯t make me force you because you know as well as I that it won¡¯t be pretty¡±, Lizzie said threateningly. Gisele pouted. ¡°There, it¡¯s perfect, keep on pouting. Vo!! C¡¯mon, you can look now¡±, Lizzie said, smiling like she had just won the lottery. ADVERTISEMENT And look Gisele did. She almost didn¡¯t recognize herself. She looked so pretty! Lizzie had gone for the natural look, and had left her hair down. She was wearing a dark blue dress with a floral print, and t yellow sandals with straps around her ankles. ¡°Lizzie, thank you so much! I really don¡¯t believe this is me, right now!¡±, Gisele said then hugged Lizzie. Lizzie returned the hug with as much enthusiasm as Gisele. They were actually at Lizzie¡¯s house, and waiting for te. Soon enough, the doorbell rang. As Gisele was getting up to get it, Lizzie stopped her. ¡°Let me do it. I¡¯m the pro, you know¡±, she said, with a very sus***ious smile on her face. After a while, Lizzie entered with Callie on her wake. ¡°You look real pretty, Gigi¡±, Callie said very cutely. ¡°Aw, thanks Callie,e on, time for a kiss¡±, Gisele replied with a smile on her face. Callie ran over to her, puckered her lips and smacked a kiss onto her cheeks. ¡°Aw, they grow up so fast, go on te¡¯s waiting for you¡±, Lizzie said, ushering Gisele out. ¡°Go, go!¡±, Callie said. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay with Callie? I know she can be difficult.¡±, Gisele asked, worried. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll be fine, now Cindere, your Prince Charming¡¯s waiting. Don¡¯t do anything I wouldn¡¯t¡±, Lizzie said, shing a beautiful grin. ¡°Soo, basically I should do everything¡±, Gisele said, shaking her head. ¡°Yeah. C¡¯mon, get going, you¡¯re going to make te piss on his pants¡±, Lizzie said, making Gisele laugh. Gisele walked to the door and saw te leaning on his car, a ck Maserati. He looked so s**y standing near the sleek car. Gisele had never had any s**ual feelings towards any man, but te was not just any man; he was the man she was in danger of falling for. She smiled at him, then said ¡°Hi¡±. She was so nervous and didn¡¯t know what exactly to say to him. ¡°He-¡°, he said, but his voice was a bit hoarse, so he cleared his throat and tried again, ¡°Hey¡±. Gisele giggled, she couldn¡¯t help it. She had never seen te look nervous and the thought that she also meant something to him, made her heart soar and her insides melt. He then opened the door, and invited her to enter the car. She did so. Then he ran to his own side and went in. He started the car and an awkward silence descended. Gisele looked for something to say, but she didn¡¯t find anything, so she contented herself with staring at him. Then she remembered something. ¡°te?¡±, she called. ¡°Hmm?¡±, he answered, still concentrating on the road. ¡°Where are we going?¡±, was her question. ¡°You¡¯ll see¡±, was his cryptic answer. ¡°te¡±, she whined, ¡°Come on, just tell me¡±. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Sorry¡±, he answered and she pouted, thinking it was going to affect him. ¡°Fine¡±, she said, still pouting. ¡°Did you know you look exactly like Callie with that pout on your face? But please keep doing it, it makes you cuter.¡±, te said, trying to rile Gisele up, it worked, she stopped pouting immediately. ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t say it, anyways, I love surprises.¡±, she said, sticking her tongue out at te. teughed and they kept talking about everything and nothing until they reached the beach. The noises the waves made were very peaceful and the salty smell of the sea was refreshing. ¡°The beach? What on earth are we going to do at the beach? Swim?¡±, Gisele asked, scrunching her nose up in confusion. ¡°C¡¯mere.¡±, te said, holding her hand and bringing her closer to him. Gisele gasped at the little distance between them but quicklyposed herself. ¡°Close your eyes¡±, te said softly and in a gentle voice. Gisele didn¡¯t even think of going against the order and closed her eyes immediately. te put a hand over her eyes and started leading her slowly and carefully. Soon enough, te¡¯s hand fell off her eyes and he said, ¡°You can open them now¡±. Gisele opened her eyes and was mesmerized by the sight in front of her. It was truly beautiful and brought tears to her eyes. She turned to te and asked him, ¡°How did you know I¡¯ve always ever wanted something like this? And how did you arrange for it in such a short period?¡± ¡°Your friend, Lizzie, helped me. Told me you¡¯d always dreamed of dining with the waves touching your feet and the breeze pa**ing through your hair.¡±, he answered but ignored her second question. He didn¡¯t even need to say something else, Gisele had already jumped into his arms and hugged him tight. Then she did something surprising to both of them; she kissed him. te kissed her back but pulled away after sometime because if he continued, he was not sure he would control himself. ¡°Hey,e on let¡¯s go, there¡¯s something you need to see.¡±, te said, holding Gisele by the arm and leading her to their table. te pulled her chair and both sat. ¡°What did you want me to see?¡±, Gisele asked te curiously. ¡°Look at the horizon¡±, te said, holding her hand over the table. Gisele turned to look and gasped at what she saw. The sun was setting and the sky was different color shades. It was very beautiful. Gisele sighed, if only she had her camera here, she would have captured this marvellous sight. ¡°What¡¯s it?¡±, te asked, noticing the wistful look on her face. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just how I wish I had my camera to capture this wonderful sight¡±, she said, sighing again. ¡°You did photography?¡±, te asked. ¡°No, I never had the chance to but it¡¯s been my pa**ion since I was a kid. My mom used to tell me all the time to stop weaving dreams in the clouds but-¡°, Gisele said, then cut herself off, as if she was afraid of saying too much. te was ufortable, he didn¡¯t know what to say so he settled for squeezing her hand. ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±, te said, trying to change the topic. Gisele blushed as she realized that she was not only hungry but extremely hungry. ¡°Yes, I am. I couldn¡¯t the whole morning because I was so nervous and I felt like b***erflies were moving in my stomach¡±, she said, and would have continued rambling on if the waitress didn¡¯te with their entr¨¦e. Soon enough, they were done with the food. They started talking about each other. ¡°te?¡±, Gisele asked. ¡°Hmm?¡±, he answered. ¡°I want to know why you just invited me on a date so suddenly. I mean, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t appreciate and I didn¡¯t enjoy it, but I just really need to know, hmm, why you did.¡±, she said looking at him with a question in her eyes. Was it her imagination or was he looking a bit vulnerable? ¡°My first wife was chosen by my mother¡±, he started. Gisele leaned towards him, wanting to know a bit more about this secretive and intriguing man. ¡°I had a bad experience with her (what an understatement!) and you¡­ you¡­, God, I don¡¯t even the attraction I felt when we first met and with my mother bugging me to date, you were my only option¡±, he finished. ¡°So, in a way you used me?¡±, she asked, a bit curious. ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t say I used you, I just took advantage of a desperate situation¡±, te replied, smiling at her. She smiled back shyly and bent her head. ¡°Hey, do you want to go home?¡±, te asked, as he watched her eyelids droop. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Yeah¡±, Gisele replied, yawning, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleepst night. I was so nervous¡±, she added in a way of exnation. He helped her stand up, and leaned het head against his shoulders to support her. They walked to the car and entered. Suddenly, Gisele said sleepily, ¡°te, did you know this was my first date?¡± te smiled as hey her head on his shoulders again. He was going to take all her firsts and he couldn¡¯t be any happier. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 It was two weeks after the date and Gisele and te had grown so much more closer. To say Gisele was happy would be an understatement. No, she was not happy but she was downright ecstatic! She got to know about te; his left eye twitched when he found something funny, he hated s***y food. But when the topic of his ex-wife came up, he would close himself out from people; or rather her. He must have loved her a lot , she mused. (lol. Im actually lyk ¡®if only u knew¡¯ :)) She would definitely crack through his defenses and show him that he could trust her. She was cut off from her thoughts by Callie. ¡°Gigi, I don¡¯t like Daddy anymore¡±, the kid said. ADVERTISEMENT Gisele looked at her, a bit confused and amused at the same time. ¡°Why not?¡±, she asked. ¡°Because he stole you away from me!¡±, Callie cried pa**ionately, putting a hand on her forehead. At this Gisele startedughing, the kid was so dramatic. ¡°Oh, my dear princessa, fear not! Your Daddy didn¡¯t steal me. To prove that, we¡¯ll have cream together, okay?¡±, Gisele replied. ADVERTISEMENT Callie, while giggling, said, ¡°Okay¡±. *Ice cream shop* ¡°Callie, hunny, what vor do you want?¡±, Gisele asked. Callie scrunched her face up in concentration then said, ¡°Chocte, just chocte¡±, as if she had found the form to a mathematics problem. Soon enough, Gisele gave Callie her ¡®just chocte¡¯ vor, then took her vani. As they were walking towards the car and towards Mr. Suresh, Gisele bumped into somebody and her ice cream fell on the person¡¯s no doubt expensive suit. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Oh, God, I¡¯m so sorry!¡±, she eximed, while looking up to the unfortunate person. She almost stumbled at what, or rather who she saw. From N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Papa?¡± was the only word she uttered. It was like she was in a trance. She blinked rapidly, as if to affirm that what she was seeing in front of her was real. The man¡¯s face crumpled, and his eyes were glistening with tears. ¡°Chloe, mon ange¡±, he said, reaching out to touch her. He was the only person who ever called her Chloe, and that name brought back a whole load of happy memories. shback(Trantions at the end of Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡°Papa, attends! Non, non. Je ne suis plus un bebe. Je suis adulte, et les adultes, ca ne se porte pas¡±, Six-year-old Gisele said, trying to stifle a giggle as her father was swinging her in the air. Her father pretended to wipe a tear and said, ¡°Mais tu est mon bebe a moi, Chloe, je dois te porter.¡± Then he proceeded to start tickling her. (Trantion. Gisele: Papa, wait! No, no. I¡¯m no longer a baby. I am an adult and adults are not supposed to be carried. Gisele¡¯s dad: But you¡¯re my baby, Chloe, I¡¯ve got to carry you.) She startedughing and pushed her cheek forward for him to kiss. End of shback As he was reaching to touch her, she jerked back her arm. His lips curved into a humorless smile. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Ah, d¡¯ord. I see. You-¡°, he started but, Gisele didn¡¯t leave him the opportunity to finish what he started, she walked off. When she entered the car, Callie asked, ¡°Gigi, who was that man?¡± ¡°No one of importance, hunny. Let¡¯s just go home¡±, Gisele said trying her best not to scare Callie. ¡°But, won¡¯t you get another ice cream?¡±, Callie asked again, as if was unheard of for Gisele not to get another. ¡°Well, why would I get another one when I can have yours?¡±, Gisele said, teasing Callie. Callie looked at Gisele then her face brightened up. ¡°Oh, I get it! Here we can share.¡±, she said, gesturing towards her melting ice cream cone. Gisele had tough at Callie¡¯s adorable cuteness. ¡°No, thanks, sweetie, I¡¯m already full¡±. Callie looked at Gisele for a while then shrugged and said, ¡°Okay¡±, then went back to her ice cream. ADVERTISEMENT By the time they reached home, Gisele was so out of it that she barely heard any of Callie¡¯s unending chatter. Distractedly, she helped Callie out of the car and they entered the house together. te was already there but when he looked at Gisele¡¯s distracted and almost sad face, the smile on his face was wiped off. Gisele wasn¡¯t herself anymore. It was like she was a robot, doing everything automatically. She changed Callie¡¯s ice cream soiled clothes, put them in theundry basket, put her in warm clothes then and and stayed with her in the multimedia room. Callie was watching a cartoon about puppets and stuff but Gisele was not listening to a word of what she was saying. She was in the past, thinking about the night her Papa left her and her mother, how her mother sunk into a depression. She sighed. It would not do her any good to think of the past, she needed to be positive and concentrate on the future. She threw a nce at Callie and saw that she was fast asleep. She carried her gently to her room and tucked her in. As she was going to her room, te stopped her. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± Gisele tried to cover up by giving him a smile but she felt it was more of a grimace. She tried to control herself but the tears threatening toe out fell and she started crying silently. te took her into his arms and directed her towards his room. ADVERTISEMENT For a while, he didn¡¯t say anything because he knew she needed to let it out. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. te was so good atforting because of his ex-wife. When they still loved each other, she always opened up to him and poured her frustrations out. Gisele quietened down atst. She looked and felt embarra**ed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have ¨C¡°, she started but te would have none of it. He silenced her by cing his lips on hers. Gisele was shocked at first and didn¡¯t respond but then she parted her lips for te¡¯s possession. When he broke the kiss, Gisele was certain she looked as breathless as she felt. ¡°Now you¡¯re going to tell me what exactly happened to make you break down like that¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Gisele looked at te in rm after he uttered that sentence. That was a part of her life that only one person knew about, apart from her father, Lizzie. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I ca- I mean- u-uh S-te. I-I¡­¡±, Gisele stuttered. Then, she took a deep breath and tried to steer the topic away from her past. ¡°S-te, y-you want m-me to trust y-you b-but i-it g-goes both ways. I-I can¡¯t t-t-trust y-you if you d-don¡¯t t-trust me¡±, she managed. te looked at her in the eye and said, ¡°I do trust you, Gisele. I do. I trust you like I trust no one¡± and I¡¯m falling in love with you, he added silently. Gisele closed her eyes in an effort topose herself. She took in a big breath and started, ¡°My family was a very happy one. My mother, my father and I. We were very happy. My parents were even nning on having another kid.¡± ADVERTISEMENT Gisele took in another deep breath and continued, ¡°When I was eight years, the problems and the arguments started. I was very young but also very smart, I used to overhear all their arguments. If it wasn¡¯t about money, it was about my father seeing another woman. It was like they were endless. Everyday, they had an argument. Every. Single. Day. School was like a safe haven for me. It went on for two years. The day I turned ten was the day my father left. He packed a bag when my mother was out, and sneaked out like a thief in his own house. ¡°I tried to stop him. Crying and begging. At first, he ignored me. But then I became persistent. I sped his pant leg and clung onto him for dear life. He tried to shake me off but I wouldn¡¯t budge. Then he picked me up and said¨C¡°. Gisele stopped and started crying again. ¡°I can¡¯t te, I just can¡¯t!¡±, she cried urgently. ¡°Those memories, I-I¡¯ve t-t-tried s-so s-so h-h-hard to forget them. P-p-please d-don¡¯t make me say i-i-t¡±. Her voice broke on thest word. te took Gisele in his arms and didn¡¯t say a word. She cried and cried for a long time. Her sobs became scarce and she stopped. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°I need to say this, I need to! I need to let go of the past and the past and this is the only way to do that¡±, Gisele said shakily but, in a determined voice. te hid a smile. That¡¯s my girl, he said in his mind. ¡°When he picked me up, he looked right into my eye and said ¡®I never wanted you, girl. I never wanted any of you. I just wanted your mom¡¯s money. Not any of this baggage. But now that the cash is finished,I refuse to be stuck here with you when I have better opportunities out there¡¯. I was crying and tried to hug him but he pushed me away and said, ¡®See? You¡¯re clingy, just like your mother. A bunch of stupid clingy b****es.¡¯ then roughly put me down and went out. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand half of what he was saying, but I was big enough to understand that he didn¡¯t want my mother and I. When my mother came back, she threw a fit. She broke tes, furniture and anything else she couldy her hand on. When she was tired, she went into her room andy there, not doing anything justy there. She may have fought with my father, but I knew she loved him. She sunk into a depression and nothing helped. Her family didn¡¯t want anything to do with her because she had married my Dad without their consent or eptance. She died when I was neen and I was on my own till met Lizzie. She took me in, along with her parents. And I¡¯ve been happy ever since, not thinking about that incident and bawling my eyes out. ¡°Until today, I met him. Looking like a poster child for money, riches and elegance. And he tried to touch me and pretend once upon a time, he didn¡¯t break my heart¡±, her voice wasced with bitterness and then hatred, ¡°I hate him! And I¡¯ll never forgive him!¡± ADVERTISEMENT After this, she broke down again and teforted her with nonsensical utterances of love. She fell asleep slowly. Sometimeter, Callie tiptoed into his room and said, ¡°Daddy, can I sleep with yoi guys?¡± te nodded and Callie climbed on the bed, in the middle of both adults. With Gisele and Callie by his side, te feltplete. Like he had finallye home¡­ Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Gisele woke up a bit disoriented. She looked around and saw that she was in te¡¯s room. She looked at the time and the digital clock next to the bed was blinking 17:48. She looked on the bed and saw that Callie and te were still sleeping. She tiptoed out of the room then went downstairs. She heard soundsing from the kitchen and she went to investigate. It was Mrs. Hale. ¡°Mrs. Hale, hello¡±, Gisele said calmly behind her. ¡°Oh hello girl. How are you?¡±, Mrs. Hale responded, not turning towards Gisele. ¡°Oh just peachy. What are you doing?¡±, Gisele asked curiously. ¡°Nothing much, just preparing the groceries I bought¡±, Mrs. Hale replied. Gisele smiled at her even though she could not see. Then she went to the fridge, took out the gallon of milk, poured some into a ** and started sipping. ¡°You know, Gisele, I never thought the day woulde when I would see Mr. Hendrick so happy. You make him happy, keep doing that¡±, the wise olddy said, stil chopping her vegetables. Gisele blushed and said nothing in reply, too embarra**ed. She didn¡¯t do anything! te was happy because he wanted to be not because of her but with~ Gah! What faulty logic was that, anyway? She definitely needed to stop speaking in her head. ¡°Do you need me to help you with anything?¡±, Gisele asked, in her soft voice. ¡°No, hunny. I¡¯m not that frail, you know. My strength probably surpa**es that of Superman¡±, Mrs. Hale joked, sensing Gisele was in a dark mood and needing to make her joyful and happy again. It worked to at extent, Gisele was smiling. ****____**** The next day, Gisele woke up, feeling extremely sunny; she had once again slept with the two people she loved most, apart from Lizzie and her parents of course, Callie and te. Speaking of Lizzie, she had not called in three days. She had a lot of exining to do. ADVERTISEMENT She was making breakfast when both father and daughter strolled in. ¡°Good morning!¡±, Gisele said in a very cheery voice. te grunted something in reply and Callie¡¯s response was toe and hug Gisele¡¯s legs. Gisele smiled, left what she was doing for a moment and picked Callie up. ¡°Gigi! Daddy helped me brush my teef and bath-ed me!¡±, this one said. Gisele smiled at te. ¡°He did?¡±, she asked Callie with fake astonishment. ¡°Uh huh. And he dressed me too!¡± she replied with much enthusiasm. ¡°Really? Tell me, does he do it better than me?¡± Gisele asked. Callie looked back at her father who was smiling at this discussion and staged-whispered, ¡°No, he was so bad! I had to told him most stuff.¡± Giseleughed, Callie was so funny. ¡°So you don¡¯t like your daddy anymore? I¡¯ll leave you then¡±, te said, mock sadly, while winking at Gisele. Callie giggled and ran into her father¡¯s arms. ¡°No, you silly daddy, you bath-ed me very well more than Gigi, don¡¯t go. I wuv you¡± te smiled and held her in his arms. Gisele smiled too, Callie was so adorable. ¡°~what do you think?¡±, te asked. ¡°Huhh?¡±, Gisele asked stupidly. ¡°Ice cream! Daddy, let¡¯s get ice cream!¡±, Callie shouted. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Do you want to? Get ice cream, I mean¡±, te asked with a mischievous grin on his face. Gisele felt like there was some double entrendre behind his words, so she blushed and contented herself with a nod. Two hours, five ice creams, and a hundred lickster. ¡°Gigi, can I get another? Pwease? I won¡¯t tell Daddy you gave me¡±, Callie pleaded sneakily. ¡°No, Cal-Cal, you might fall sick¡±, Gisele protested weakly. ¡°But I won¡¯t! Pwease?¡±, she asked again, using her secret weapon, puppy dog eyes, one she was sure Gisele would not refuse. Gisele was already slipping and she was on the point of saying no when te came to her rescue. ¡°Callie, you¡¯ve gotten three ice creams, that¡¯s more than enough¡±, he said. Callie pouted and said, ¡°I dwon¡¯t like this daddy much, Gigi¡± with a dramatic hand wave. Gisele and teughed; this kid was watching far too many cartoons. Suddenly, te¡¯s phone rang. When he looked at it, he grimaced then said, ¡°I¡¯ve got to take this one. I¡¯ll be right back¡± Gisele frowned but decided not to look into it really much. She turned to Callie just to see that Callie had also disappeared. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Callie? Callie?! Where are you?!¡±, Gisele cried out, a bit rmed. After searching for about half an hour, she saw Callie holding the hand of an absolutely gorgeous man. She ran towards her then knelt and hugged her. ¡°Callie! You scared me! Where did you run off to?!¡± ADVERTISEMENT ¡°I was looking for Daddy, then I saw this nicicest man and helped me to fwind you¡±, Callie said, smiling. Gisele turned towards the man and said, ¡°Thanks so much for helping her!¡± The man smiled, revealing dimples. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Are you her mom?¡±, he asked. Gisele was at a loss on how to answer that. ¡°Uh¡­ in a way?¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m Dan¡±, the kind stranger said. ¡°I¡¯m Gisele¡±, she replied, with and answering smile. They started walking towards the ice cream stand along with Callie just to find an extremely worried- looking te. When he saw them, his expression of worry turned to one of disgust and anger. ¡°I see¡±, were the only words he uttered when he saw them. ¡°Hey te. Hope you didn¡¯t wait long. Callie ran off and this nice man found her and here we are¡±, Gisele said, trying to read his mood. His expression changed and he said to Dan, ¡°Thank you. You can leave now¡± ¡°te!¡±, Gisele all but screamed, horrified and embarra**ed. Dan chuckled, he could recognize that dumbstruck lovesick look, so he said simply, ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. Hope we meet one of these days my little friend¡±, then left. ¡°What is wrong with you?! He was kind enough to bring Callie and you tell him off like that? You-¡°, Gisele started ranting then a slow smile of realization spread on her lips. ¡°You know, green is not a good color on you¡±, she said and was replied by a light scoff. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡°I can¡¯t believe you kept all this from me. I¡¯m supposed to be your best friend¡±, Lizzie grumbled. ¡°Lizzie, I thought we already went over this, I said I was sorry¡±, Gisele replied, sighing. ¡°Well, what type of rtionship would ours be if you didn¡¯t grovel? I¡¯m the queen, remember? Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth¡±, said queen answered, looking at Gisele with an incredulous look on her face. Gisele had told Lizzie what had happened with her dad, her heart pouring to te and te¡¯s jealousy. Lizzie almost popped a vein because, apparently, in themandments of best friendship, the first was, ¡®Thou shalt not keep anything from thy best friend¡¯. Gisele rolled her eyes at her friend¡¯s dramatics. Everyone was queen (or king) in their head. ¡°Queen Lizzie, I apologize sincerely for my utmost foolishness and stupidity. Satisfied?¡±, Gisele said, to shut Lizzie up. ¡°Well, you could¡¯ve~¡±, Lizzie started but shut up when Gisele gave her an exasperated look. ¡°Fine, apology epted¡±, she conceded. ADVERTISEMENT Gisele smiled and they hugged each other. They were currently at te¡¯s house, Callie was napping and te was in his office. ¡°So, how¡¯s you and you amazing billionaire doing? Done it yet?¡±, Lizzie asked, wiggling her eyebrows. Gisele blushed deeply and scolded, ¡°Lizzie, you¡¯re so nasty¡± ¡°What? I deserve to know exactly what happens. I have no s** life, so I¡¯m living off yours¡±, she replied jokingly, while smiling. Suddenly, Lizzie took her phone from her bag and tapped on the screen a few times. ¡°Hey, look at this article. ¡®Billionaire te Hendrick has not been seen for the past few months in any social event. But was spotted quite recently with an unidentified redhead and his daughter. Things are looking heated between them. Could te have gotten over his first wife and her betrayal yet?¡¯ ADVERTISEMENT Wow, you¡¯re famous already, Gisele.¡± Gisele looked shocked and out of this world. ¡°Hey, Gisele. Look, he¡¯s a billionaire, your life will be published for the whole world to see. You need to get used to it, okay? I know it¡¯ll take time but you want to get serious, so brace yourself and take whatever they have to give you. Alright?¡±, Lizzie advised. ¡°You¡¯re talking as if you¡¯ve already experienced this¡±, Gisele responded, looking serious. ¡°Me? Now where will you get such an idea from?¡±, she said brushing it off with a fakeugh. ¡°Anyways, te¡¯s birthday¡¯s in two days so if I were you, I¡¯d hurry to get him a gift¡± ¡°Two days?! Why in the world didn¡¯t he tell me?! What the heck am I going to buy for him now?! He¡¯s a billionaire, he has everything he needs!¡±, Gisele said in a panicky voice. ¡°Hey hey. First of all, calmos. Then think, something that is more important to him than all the money he has in this world. Then run and go get it. I¡¯ll keep Callie, just go¡±, her best friend advised. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m taking your car by the way¡±, Gisele said, calming down a little while running out as if her life depended on it. ADVERTISEMENT Gisele was exploring in a jewelry shop when she had an uncanny feeling that someone was watching her. She went out of the shop and was heading towards the car when she had that feeling again. She started walking extremely fast and she was at the point of entering the car when she felt something cold on her side. ¡°You¡¯re going to start moving and don¡¯t even try anything or I¡¯ll shoot. Understand?¡±, a gruff voice asked in her ear. Gisele nodded, too afraid and wound up to speak. ¡°Good girl. Now start walking¡±, he said, with augh. Gisele started walking in the direction he led and soon they reached a white van. In all her fear, all Gisele could think of was ¡®so cliche¡¯. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. She entered the van and before she could look at their faces, a cold cloth was ced over her nose and mouth. She heard the one with the gun say, ¡°Boss, we got the b**** here¡± before she became drowsy and everything went dark. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Lizzie was starting to get worried; Gisele had been gone for over three hours. It didn¡¯t take that long to find a birthday gift. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. She started pacing and that¡¯s how te found her thirty minutester. ¡°te, thank goodness you¡¯re here¡±, she said and ran towards him with relief in her eyes. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±, te asked as a reply looking at her panicked face. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°It¡¯s Gisele, she went hours ago to find a birthday gift but she¡¯s not back yet¡±, she replied, her voice as panicked as her expression. te frowned, that was definitely odd and he repeated so to Lizzie. ¡°Yes, Gisele is always careful about this sorts of things and if she has to bete, she calls. But she¡¯s not even picking her phone¡±, Lizzie answered, looking even more worried. ADVERTISEMENT te took out his phone and tried calling Gisele; it rang but there was no answer as Lizzie had said. te was very scared something terrible had happened to Gisele, the love of his life. ADVERTISEMENT ***___***___***___***___***___*** Edith (remember her? That really nasty maid ¡ú Chapter 24 Chapter 24 ¡°Edith?¡±, she asked in a raspy voice, looking up at her. Edith gave her a smug smirk and said,¡±Told you you were not for him¡±. Thenughed maniacally. ¡°You thought it was a ¡®happily ever after¡¯ affair. So sorry to disappoint you, honey, but you¡¯re too low ** for someone like te. I¡¯m sure by now E has made him realize his stupidity¡±, she started again then once more burst intoughter. Gisele was thinking of her words and thought them logical. After all, te had never told her he loved her. Maybe he was just with her because he wanted to get in her pants. Stop it! If te didn¡¯t love you, he wouldn¡¯t have asked you out, a voice in her head said. Well, he only asked me out so as to avoid his mother hounding him non stop to find a girl, another, more logical voice, answered. Gisele realized it was true, te did not love her. She was not beautiful, shapely and sophisticated like the women he usually dated. The only people who cared for her now, she guessed, were Lizzie and Callie. ADVERTISEMENT Edith, seeing the defeated expression on Gisele¡¯s face, knew she had hit home. She gave her a smug smile and said, ¡°You¡¯re all alone, b****.¡±, then walked out of the room having Gisele¡¯s cage. She was definitely all alone¡­ +++¡ª+++¡ª+++¡ª+++ It had been three days Gisele had been gone and te was a mess. Callie and Lizzie were not better. Callie had thrown a tantrum and did not want to eat until Gisele came back. Her grandmother had had to forcefully take her from her father. te on his part, was pretty much the way he was in his young wild years. He drank to stupor. He was almost never sober. Lizzie came like she did everyday since Gisele¡¯s disappearance. And once again, she found te drunk. ADVERTISEMENT She was not going to let it go this time. She went towards him and pped him hard on the cheek. He bolted upright. ¡°What the¡­?¡±, he asked incredulously. ¡°Do you think this is what Gisele would have wanted you to do? Drinking till you are stoned. Better get in there, shave, shower ande out here. We have a lot to discuss¡±, Lizzie said imperiously and went towards the kitchen. te did as Lizzie said. He felt considerably better and the delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. N?velDrama.Org holds this content. He went to the kitchen and saw that Lizzie was making a sauce for the pasta she was cooking. After they had eaten, Lizzie sat across him and said, ¡°So, I was thinking of calling the police but I saw this in your mail.¡±, pushing a letter towards him. If you want your girl, you get the girl if not your girl is not going to be am*** the living for much longer ADVERTISEMENT It was unsigned and there was no address on it. te and Lizzie looked at each other then looked at the poorly written but cryptic ransom note. ¡°Are you seeing another woman?¡±, Lizzie asked, looking at him aggressively. ¡°No, I love Gisele, I¡¯d never do that to her.¡±, he replied, looking at her as if she had grown another head. Lizzie smiled slowly. She was happy that this guy loved her best friend. Now all they needed was to find her. ¡°I know a guy, he¡¯s the best P.I out there. I¡¯ll give him a call¡±, te said, looking serious. Lizzie decided in her head that she definitely approved of this guy. Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Lizzie and te were still seated in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. ¡°I¡¯ll answer it¡±, te said, since he had relieved Mrs. Hale of her duties for sometime. ¡°ate!¡±, a high and screechy voice weed him as he opened the door. It was E. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I missed you so much te¡±, she continued then proceeded to kiss him. te dragged her off him and said, ¡°Never put your slimy hands on me again¡± ¡°But te, I thought we were okay. I thought you were going to marry me¡±, she continued, still screeching. ¡°Look E, spare me, okay? Just go, hmm? Go!¡±, te said, obviously at the end of his tether. E looked at him sadly then went out but not without saying, ¡°I promise you, you¡¯ll regret what you just did¡± Lizzie came towards te and said, ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so proud of you, you obviously like my friend and not that t***¡±. ¡°I don¡¯t like E, I love her, and I¡¯d do anything for her¡±, he replied, distracted. Then he continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to call my mom up, I need to speak with Callie¡± **Gisele¡¯s ce of captivity** Gisele was sitting, embracing her knees to her chest. Her throat was parched and very dry; she had not had anything to eat or drink for the past twenty four hours. Her hands tied behind her back were also sore and getting numb. Apparently, this set of kidnappers did not understand the lesson of the well-being of the victim under Kidnapping 101. She was frightened when the rusted door open with a bang. Instinctively, she shifted into her cage and tried to make herself smaller. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Well, well, well, what or rather who do we have here¡±, Gisele heard someone saying in an ironical way. Since she was blindfolded, she relied on her hearing only and the voice seemed familiar. It was like she had heard it before. ¡°You thought yourself so high and mighty but look at you now, cowering with fear. Hahaha!¡±, she said, attempting tough evilly at the end, said attempt leaving her choking. ¡°Anyways, as I was saying, you thought you had te¡¯s affection but it was nothing but a game. You were and are nothing to him¡±, the voice continued. Gisele was trying to search her memories and think of who it was. Then she remembered something¡­ ¡°E?¡±, she asked, incredulous. ¡°Yes, me. None of you thought me so intelligent to n something like this, right? Well you were wrong. I used Edith to spy on you guys and you didn¡¯t even take notice of her. She told me you were going out, so I seized the perfect opportunity to call my guys to take you. Hope you bruised well¡±, she added cheerfully, as if she was wishing someone a happy healing instead of the contrary. Gisele couldn¡¯t stay mum. She had to ask, ¡°Why would you do this to me? We¡¯ve met just twice¡± ¡°And I hope you remember how you stepped on my toes those two times we met. te was giving you the time of the day, so I had to step in and do something.¡± Sheughed again, maniacally. ¡°And it paid off, te kissed me¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying¡±, Gisele said, horrified. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m not, he did. And he dered his love for me. Listen¡±, E replied then removed something from her bag. It was her phone. She tapped on the screen then yed something. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°I don¡¯t like E¡±, a voice that was unmistakably te¡¯s said. Gisele felt a bit of hope but the next words broke her. ¡°I love her¡±. **te¡¯s house** ¡°So, basically her phone is not signaling on your tracking device?¡±, Lizzie asked, looking at the detective the police had sent to them. They had finally called the police and te used some of his influence to get them one of the best detectives and also, refused to be excluded from all their activities. ¡°Yes¡±, the man answered shortly. He had tried to track Gisele through her iPhone but the device couldn¡¯t detect it, showing that maybe it had been destroyed. The detective, Detective Harris, turned back towards the machine and te looked defeated. All of a sudden, they heard a furious beeping sound. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±, te asked urgently. Detective Harris¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°They were not as smart as we thought. This is the location of her phone and probably where she is, too¡± te smiled for the first time since Gisele was kidnapped. ¡°So what to do now?¡±, Lizzie asked, obviously excited. The detective rolled his eyes, indirectly saying it was so obvious. ¡°We follow the signal with a few men and go and check. If she is there, we take action¡±, he replied. ADVERTISEMENT Quite soon after, they were leaving. te¡¯s heart was pounding, he hoped they found Gisele. She was his everything, he couldn¡¯t lose her when he had just started to love her. She was his destination, and he was damned if anything happened to her. *** Gisele heard a bang outside through her heartbreak. ¡°Open up! It¡¯s the police and we¡¯re armed¡± Suddenly, Gisele heard the door her cage opened frantically and she was dragged out. She felt something strangely cold on her temple, just as heard the door go BANG! She felt the light blind her when E removed the blindfold from her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯te closer or I shoot!¡±, E shouted, with a crazy look in her eyes. So that was what was on my temple, a gun, Gisele thought grimly. She saw te trying to cate E. ¡°E don¡¯t do that. Do you really want to get your career into shambles because of this?¡±, he asked, looking at Gisele through the corner of him eyes. Gisele was scared but she gave no inclination to it. She tried topose herself. Everything else was in a blur. She heard someone scream, ¡°Gisele!!¡±, and thest thing shr thought was, it¡¯s te¡¯s birthday today. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 te was seated near Gisele¡¯s hospital bed for what felt like an eternity. He didn¡¯t mind, it was mostly his fault she was there anyway. He sighed when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He knew instinctively that it was Lizzie. She had been trying to make him go home but he was having none of it. ¡°te, just go home. I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll take care of Gisele but you¡­ you¡¯ve been her for five days already. Gisele would not like to see you looking this disheveled. You look like a truck ran you over repeatedly¡±, Lizzie said, imploringly. te sighed and pa**ed his hand through his hair. ¡°I can¡¯t, Liz, try to understand me. I can¡¯t leave her here, I love her¡±, he replied in a hoarse voice. Lizzie sighed, exasperated then said, ¡°I know you love her, te, I know you¡¯re hurting, but please for her sake, take care of yourself. Please¡± When she noticed his will was softening, she added, ¡°And Callie misses you. She almost lost Gisele, don¡¯t make her even more unhappy¡± te stood up wearily and said, ¡°You win. I¡¯m going but please keep me updated if there¡¯s any change¡± Lizzie nodded sadly and waved bye to him. She sat and looked her friend. She looked so fragile, she had suffered much in this life and this was just the worst. It was in times like this that Lizzie asked herself whether there really was a God up there. As she was thinking those deep thoughts, she heard the heart machine beeping furiously. Gisele¡¯s eyes flicked open, closed again then opened again. ¡°Gisele? Gisele, oh my God, I missed you so much¡±, Lizzie said excitedly before noticing the expression on Gisele¡¯s face. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Who are you?¡±, she whispered. Lizzie¡¯s eyes grew wide. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Gisele? It¡¯s me, Lizzie, your best friend since high school¡± She still looked confused and scared. She looked around her. ¡°Where am I? Who are you?¡±, she asked, on the verge of tears. Lizzie, seeing her distraught, called the Doctor, before Gisele sank into unconsciousness once more. *** Gisele felt herself drifting in and out of consciousness. She was hearing bits and pieces of the conversation taking ce in the room. ¡°Amnesia¡­ mental block¡­ recover in no time¡­ spark¡­ memory¡­ straining activities¡­¡± Then she fell unconscious again. *** Lizzie had called te as soon as the doctor arrived. Dr. Martinez was updating them on her condition ¡°She actually has temporal amnesia. It¡¯s like her brain has put a mental block on her memories but she¡¯ll recover in no time if well taken care of. You need to spark her memory but not with straining activities. Show her pictures, videos. Things like that¡±, the doctor said politely then walked out when te muttered his polite thanks. te sat next to Gisele again and held her hand with his. He couldn¡¯t imagine how much it would hurt when she woke up and wasn¡¯t able to recognize him. ADVERTISEMENT Heid his head on her chest and without meaning it to, a tear dropped. Then he felt a tentative hand smoothing his hair. His head shot up. ¡°Gisele?¡±, he asked, then continued, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so much! Thank God you¡¯re up.¡± He kissed her hand, then her palm which surely frightened Gisele because she tried to push him back. He removed his head and looked at her. She looked lost and scared. ¡°Who are you? Please let me go!¡±, she said, cowering from him. te almost hit something to show his anger but remembered the doctor¡¯s words to be ¡°calm and understanding with¡± so heposed himself. ¡°Just know that you¡¯re safe with me, okay?¡±, he said simply, sending his hand forward for her to take it. *** Gisele looked at the stranger in front of her, asking her to trust him. She didn¡¯t know why but she felt like trusting him so she slowly sent her hand to meet his. He looked ecstatic when she did. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Gisele, I¡¯ll protect from any other danger¡±, he said more to himself than her, while taking her in his arms. *** ADVERTISEMENT ¡°So, I¡¯m called Gisele Chloe Durand, I¡¯m half French, half Texan. I was the babysitter of your kid, then we fell in love? ?a je n¡¯y crois pas¡±, Gisele said, while shaking her head. ¡°It sounds like a fairy tail.¡± ¡°I know it sounds incredible but you have to believe me¡±, te said, looking at her straight in her eyes. Gisele found herself lost in the sea of his grey eyes. She almost nodded but asked instead, ¡°Where¡¯s Ca- it was Callie, right?¡± te nodded then answered, ¡°She¡¯s currently taking a nap¡± but it was like Callie sensed they were talking about her for at that moment, she came sleepily down the stairs. ¡°Dad, you-¡°, she started but cut herself short when she saw Gisele. She ran towards her and jumped into her arms while screaming, ¡°Gisele!!¡± Gisele did not know why but she felt some warmth towards this child and her father, it was inexplicable. ¡°Hey, Callie¡±, Gisele said awkwardly. ¡°Gisele! I¡¯m soo angry at you right now. You left and you couldn¡¯t tell me? Never do that again, okay? And next time you¡¯ll take me, right?¡±, Callie scolded. Gisele was at a loss for words so she simply nodded. ¡°Good¡±, Callie said as if she was praising a kid who had aplished something. teughed and Gisele noticed he was looking at her longingly. She looked at Callie to avoid his gaze. She felt something for him, that was for sure, but without her memories, she couldn¡¯t be convinced. She sighed. Hopefully, she¡¯d gain it soon. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Two weeks had pa**ed since Gisele had recovered. She couldn¡¯t remember yet, but if she had really fallen in love with te, she understood why. He was so sweet and had been really kind and understanding towards her. Gisele knew his patience had been tried a few times but he didn¡¯t show it, or tried to control it. ¡°What are you smiling at, Gigi? Is it my Daddy that made you smile?¡±, Callie asked, looking thoughtful. ¡°Yes honey, and you too¡±, Gisele answered, smiling at her. Callie smiled when Gisele said that. Callie was a sweet kid who loved her father ¡ª and Gisele ¡ª very much. She was so funny and ¡®had a ir for the dramatic¡¯ ¡°Gigi, will you marry Daddy someday and be my Mommy?¡±, Callie asked out of the blue. Gisele was at a loss on how to answer Callie. She didn¡¯t want to break her heart, but she also could not say she was going to marry a virtual stranger. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°Callie¡­ people don¡¯t just get married like that¡­ they¡­ Callie to marry, you need to love the person you get married to ¨C¡± ¡°But you told me you loved Daddy! You told me you were never gonna leave me! You¡¯re a liar! Liar!¡±, Callie screamed, sobbing, then ran out of the room. Gisele didn¡¯t know what to do. She went up tofort Callie but when she saw te already doing that, she contented herself with standing at the door. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡±, te said, wiping Callie¡¯s tears. ¡°The new Gisele is not nice at all! She¡¯s a liar¡±, Callie answered. Gisele felt hurt even though she knew she was not really at fault. She felt so bad that she had caused Callie to break down. te whispered words to Callie, kissed her forehead then went out of her room and closed the door gently behind him. As soon as te came out, Gisele looked up towards him with a guilty expression on her face. ¡°te I¡¯m so sorry. She has not had a bad tantrum since the first day of our meeting. I just¡­¡±, Gisele said and sighed, not realizing what she had just said. ¡°You remember?¡±, te asked, looking hopeful. Gisele, on her part looked confused.¡±Remember?¡± ¡°You said she had not had a bad tantrum since the first day. Does that mean you remember?¡±, he asked again. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t realize I said that¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t remember¡­ I¡¯m really sorry¡­¡±, Gisele said haltingly and regretfully. ¡°Don¡¯t be. It¡¯s not your fault¡±, te said, then took her in his arms. *** Two more weeks had pa**ed, and since Callie¡¯s tantrum, no spark had happened in Gisele¡¯s mind. Everybody was frustrated: te, Callie, Lizzie and Gisele herself. Gisele was sitting and looking at pictures on te¡¯s iPhone when she decided to go out. She went up to te¡¯s office and saw he was with someone else, actually two someones. ¡°Uh, I¡¯m sorry¡±, she stammered out when she entered without knocking ¡°This is that badly behaved babysitter of yours, right te? She¡¯s so ill mannered, entering her boss¡¯s office without knocking. What a staff you have!¡±, the elderly woman said, making Gisele feel so embarra**ed. To add to her embarra**ment, te said nothing in her defense. She stammered out another apology and closed the door hastily. Callie was at school, so Gisele decided to go for a walk. She thought of the embarra**ment she had felt in te¡¯s office. She wanted to die. She was walking when she bumped into someone. ¡°Sorry¡±, she said, monotonously. ¡°Gisele, wait!¡±, the man said. Gisele frowned in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, but do I know you?¡±, she asked. ¡°Gisele, I know I made a mistake but let me exin. Don¡¯t shun me¡± ¡°Look ¨C¡°, Gisele started but memories starteding back in a sh, making her feel dizzy. ¡°I don¡¯t want you¡­ in for the money¡± Then another. ¡°Get a job as babysitter¡­ did you do the nasty yet?¡­¡± ADVERTISEMENT Then thest one before she cked out was: ¡°I don¡¯t like E¡­ I love her¡±. *** This was the second time Gisele was in the hospital for thest one month and te was feeling frustrated and angry. Angry at himself because he knew it was all his fault. He should¡¯ve defended Gisele in front of his mother. He saw the look of embarra**ment she wore when te did not say even a word. It was all his fault, always his fault. He suddenly remembered something. He quickly went to the nurse who took care of Gisele and asked, ¡°Excuse me, please. Do you know who brought the patient here?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. It was Monsieur Nics Durand¡±, she answered, giving te a big and flirtatious smile. ¡°Thank you¡±, te said in return, without sparing her a nce. Then he remembered something. ¡°Do you know where I can find him?¡±, he asked. ¡°Oh, he¡¯s probably in Ms. Durand¡¯s room. He didn¡¯t want to leave her side¡±, the nurse answered, discreetly pulling down her nursing garb so that more of her cleavage could be exposed. te went away, this time without a ¡®thank you¡¯ but with a frustrated sigh. He had been there for over an hour and the staff didn¡¯t want to let him in to see Gisele. ¡°Can I see her now?¡±, he asked the doctor who had refused him from entering. ¡°Mr. Hendrick, I¡¯m sorry but only people who have close parental links with her can see her¡±, the doctor answered looking at the pad she was holding in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m her fiance, so I have the right to see her¡±, te said, impatiently, almost angrily. The doctor widened her eyes and said apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Mr. Hendrick, we were not aware of that. Please, do go in¡± te thanked her absently and went into Gisele¡¯s hospital room. Her father was not there, and te was happy for the fact because he would surely have lost control and pummeled him for all the hurt he had caused Gisele. You¡¯re one to talk. As if you¡¯ve never caused Gisele pain, a part of his mind answered him sarcastically. te blocked that part of his mind out and sat next to Gisele on the bed. He was carressing her hand softly while speaking to her. ¡°I know I¡¯ve caused a lot of hurt and embarra**ment but I do hope you forgive me. I¡¯d do anything to get you forgive me.¡± ADVERTISEMENT Then he sighed. Then he remembered that Lizzie was not aware of all this. He called her but she didn¡¯t pick up. He tried again, it rang then it went to voicemail. He kept his phone and decided to call herter. He continued smoothing the skin of Gisele¡¯s hand, not wanting to lose contact with her. *** Gisele felt a weight on her left side. She tried to open her eyes to see what it was but she couldn¡¯t. She tried again and her attempt this time around was sessful. When she saw it was te, she smiled. He looked so adorable in his sleep. But when she saw the position he was in, she cringed and decided to wake him up. ¡°te, wake up¡±,she tried. No response. ¡°te¡±, she tried again, still no response. She decided to try the method she thought most effective; she screamed in his ear. He woke up with a start while Gisele wasughing. He looked too cute for words. te was confused for a while but when he saw Gisele, that confusion disappeared. ¡°Gisele, you¡¯re awake¡±, he shouted. Gisele smiled and said, ¡°Yes¡±, while giggling like a fool. Then it was like all her memories came back to her for she started frowning immediately. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡±, te asked looking at Gisele questioningly. ¡°Nothing¡±, Gisele said, but te knew it was untrue but he decided not to push it. The doctor came into the room and was all smiles when she said, ¡°You¡¯ll be discharged soon, Ms Durand, but first we need to carry out some necessary tests on you in about half an hour¡± Gisele smiled and nodded, then the doctor went out as quietly as she came in. As te opened his mouth to say something, Mr. Durand came in and uttered four words Gisele was dreading, ¡°Gisele, can we talk?¡± Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Gisele could not believe that the man she had spent her whole life hating was actually trying to protect her. His reasons had left her shocked and still a bit confused, to be honest. She looked at the hospital wall while trying to take in all what he had said. It was like she was no longer part of this world as she was thinking, so she shook, startled, when te put a hand on her arm. ¡°Hey¡±, he started in a gentle and kind voice, ¡°don¡¯t overthink it, okay? Just rx, hmm?¡± His words helped and she found herself sobbing crazily on te¡¯s shoulder. te held her close and tried all his best tofort her. ¡°I f-feel l-lik-ke I-I-I¡¯ve been h-ha-ting everyone for no g-good reason. I-I n-n-never lis-ten to a-an-y-y ex- exnations b-b-because I¡¯m too proud¡±, she huped. Then she took te¡¯s face in her hands and said earnestly ¡°I¡¯m so *hup* so sorry *hup* te¡± ¡°Hey, there¡¯s nothing to forgive, hmm? And if there was, I¡¯d have forgiven you a long time ago. I love you, Gisele, I love you as I¡¯ve never loved anyone. I¡¯m sorry I have a s***ty way of showing it, but if you give me another chance, I swear I¡¯ll make it up to you¡±, te replied candidly looking straight into Gisele¡¯s eyes. Gisele could see the sincerity in his eyes, but she was confused and hurt that he was trying to lie to her. ¡°te, I know you think this is your fault¡­ but that¡¯s not why you should pretend to love me¡±, she said, hesitantly. te looked adorably confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±, he asked. Gisele sighed, she didn¡¯t wasnt to relive those memories. ¡°Look, I know you¡­ I know you love E, so please don¡¯t try to mess with my feelings¡± ¡°Love E? I¡¯ve never loved E, even when we were dating! s***, I didn¡¯t even like her!¡±, te said, a bit offended. ¡°te, I heard the recording. ¡®I don¡¯t like E¡­ I love her¡¯. How was I supposed to take that?¡± te still looked confused but then realization dawned. ¡°Oh, that¡±, he said, looking pensive. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Yes, that¡±, Gisele answered sarcastically. te startingughing, hard. It offended Gisele so she kept quiet, with a hurt look on her face. te realized she was serious and sobered up, ¡°Gisele, you offend me. I¡¯ve always expressed my dislike for E, in every way known to man. And don¡¯t you think if I loved her, I would have tried every possible means to avoid her imprisonment?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what to think anymore¡±, Gisele started, exasperated, ¡°I heard your voice clearly, saying you loved her. I don¡¯t¡­¡±, she stopped abruptly, then sighed. te came closer to her, put aforting hand on her arm, and said, ¡°Gisele, I¡¯ve never lied to you. I may have kept some truths from you, but I¡¯ve never outrightly lied to you. Please believe me when I say I love you, not E. I¡¯ve never ever loved E¡± Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. Gisele looked at his face closely, trying to judge whether he was telling the truth. Then with a choked sob, she said, ¡°I believe you¡± The expression of relief on te¡¯s face was soical that if Gisele wasn¡¯t so overwhelmed, she would have startedughing. They embraced and were about to kiss when someone barged in. It was Lizzie, and she looked downright furious. Gisele swallowed, she was going to get the scolding of her life. *** ¡°So, you couldn¡¯t pick up a phone, dial my number, and say, ¡®Lizzie, I¡¯ve been so lost without you, pleasee and save me¡¯ or something like that?¡±, Lizzie asked. ¡°Liz, I¡¯m really sorry, but in my defense, I had not yet recovered. I didn¡¯t even know you!¡±, Gisele said, and regretted it as soon as she saw Lizzie¡¯s murderous expression. She cursed her faux pas and prayed she was going to make it out alive. The expression on Lizzie¡¯s face softened to a concerced one. ¡°Are you all right? What did Papa Bear say?¡±, she asked. The change of subject was so abrupt that Gisele was surprised. Her expression was a sour one when she answered. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°I don¡¯t know whether to think he¡¯s a bad guy, or to believe his story¡±, she answered, with a cute thinking face on. ¡°What did he say?¡±, Lizzie asked in aforting voice. *shback* ¡°Can we talk?¡±, Nics asked. ¡°Sure, but on my terms¡±, Gisele said after a slight pause. te went out quietly, knowing that they needed privacy. Nics was speechless, it was obvious he was ready to convince Gisele to speak to him, and didn¡¯t expect her to ept. ¡°Really?¡±, he asked, like a child given authorisation to touch something he wasn¡¯t supposed to. Gisele decided toe off as uninterested in the conversation, while in reality, she wanted to hear what he wanted to say. ¡°Did I stutter?¡±, she asked rhetorically, looking at her nails intently. Nics swallowed, even as a preteen, Gisele was never this sarcastic. He didn¡¯t know how to start the conversation. He swallowed nervously again. ¡°I know this¡¯ll be incredibly hard to believe, but¡­ Gisele, what happened years ago, was actually not of my¡­ doing¡±, he started, choosing his words wisely. Gisele looked at him with wide eyes, and a reproach on the tip of her tongue, but before she could voice it out, he said, ¡°Please¡­ please, just let me finish¡± Gisele nodded reluctantly and let him continue his speech, or whatever it was. ¡°I was a drug dealer since my teen years¡±, he dropped the bomb. As if not sensing Gisele¡¯s shocked stare on him, he continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t do them at first, but the stress of getting married to your mother when her family was against it, made me start¡± ADVERTISEMENT He paused, then continued, ¡°I loved your mother, don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯ll forever be guilty knowing that I am the cause of her death, but I was young and so so stupid¡±, he swallowed thickly. Gisele looked at him, desperate to hear the rest of his story. ¡°I thought the feeling of being high was enough to get rid of all that stress. Boy, was I wrong? All it did was make me feel good for some time and that¡¯s all about it. ¡°I sunk so deep into drugs, and debt too. *lets out a bitter chuckle* I owed my bosses a lot of money, money I didn¡¯t have. To make me pay their money, they threatened you guys. Threatened to kill Stacey and use you as a w****.¡± He turned sincere and shameful eyes to Gisele and continued, ¡°I was not a very good father or husband, but Gisele, I knew I couldn¡¯t let them do that to you guys because of me. They proposed me a deal, one I couldn¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°What deal?¡±, Gisele asked in a small voice, fearing the worst. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know¡±, Nics replied, confirming her fears. Gisele let out a choked sob, and asked him brokenly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us? We¡¯d have found a way to raise the money together¡± ¡°Gisele, I couldn¡¯t, I thought of it, but I just couldn¡¯t. Your mother was too fragile, and you, you were my young innocent daughter. I didn¡¯t want to taint your innocent mind with that¡±, Nics replied with glossy eyes. Gisele knew that it was true, but she couldn¡¯t keep in the sob. Nics came towards her, and took her in his arms andforted her. ¡°Please, don¡¯t cry. I didn¡¯t tell you all this to make you cry. I just wanted you to know that I¡¯ve always loved you, and I hope you¡¯ll find it in your heart to forgive me¡±, he said, looking at her pleadingly. Gisele averted her eyes, ¡°Please, Papa, s¡¯il te it, donne moi un peu de temps. Ceci va trop vite.¡± (Father, please give me a bit of time. This is going too fast.) ¡°D¡¯ord, ma princesse, tout ce que tu voudra. Merci, Chlo¨¦, merci¡± (okay, my princess, anything you want. Thank you, Chlo¨¦, thank you) Then he ced an affectionate kiss on her forehead and left the room, leaving Gisele a confused mess. She didn¡¯t know what to believe finally. He seemed so sincere, but forgiving him felt like betraying her mother¡¯s memories. What does she do?! Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Thursday morning, Gisele was discharged from the hospital. Little did she know that this day was going to be a major turning point in her life. ¡°Are you all right? Do you need anything? Water? orange juice? lemonade? appl¨C¡°, te started frantically. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±, Gisele said, covering augh. te had been fussing over her since she had been discharged. te sighed at her, exasperated. It was that moment that Callie decided to enter the room, skipping happily. It was like the episode of the other day had not happened at all, in fact she loved Gisele now more than ever. ¡°Gigi!¡±, she said enthusiastically upon seeing Gisele. ¡°I missed you¡± Gisele cooed internally. Callie was too cute. ¡°I missed you too, honey.¡±, Gisele replied and opened her arms for a hug. Callie ran into her arms and hugged her with all her might. On his side, te was happy to see this reunion. Gisele was a very important part of his life, one he could not imagine living without her. He just couldn¡¯t wait¡­ *** ¡°Gisele, I need to speak to you¡±, te said abruptly, after a while. Gisele nodded calmly, but she felt very scared. What if te wanted to tell her to go away now that she had recovered? What if he didn¡¯t want her any longer? What if he had found someone better? What if¨C ¡°Gisele, don¡¯t over think it¡±, te said with a nervous glint in his eyes. She nodded, and wondered if she had not imagined what she had seen in his eyes. Surely not! A nervous te was onepletely new to her. ¡°I¡¯ll be going out for sometime, I thought it best to inform you¡±, te said, the nervous glint disappearing. Gisele was confused; he sounded so like her boss from a few months ago, and she felt really disappointed. She didn¡¯t know how to act around him when he got like this. ¡°Uhm¡­okay¡±, Gisele said, masking her hurt and disappointment. As soon as te left and Callie was sleeping, Gisele called Lizzie over. In about thirty minutes, she was there. As Lizzie was entering, her joking manner took over. ¡°Wow, I still can¡¯t believe I¡¯m entering a billionaire¡¯s house, all because my best friend is going down and dirty¨C¡± Gisele pped Lizzie lightly, fighting a smile. ¡°Lizzie, don¡¯t say stuff like that¡±, she admonished. ¡°What, isn¡¯t it the truth?¡±, Lizzie asked rhetorically before continuing, ¡°I bet you guys fulfill your fantasies and I¡¯m not talking about the ones you have of owning a library full of books. Nuh-uh. I¡¯m talking about s**¨C¡± ¡°Lizzie!¡±, Gisele whisper-yells, full onughing, ¡°don¡¯t say stuff like that¡± ¡°Hey, at least it put a smile on your face. Look at that cute smile.¡±, Lizzie said, enjoying her best friend¡¯s difort. ¡°Cut it out¡±, Gisele said tiredly. ADVERTISEMENT Lizzie¡¯s smile disappeared just like that and she asked, ¡°Hey, mon coeur, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°He just keeps sending me¡­ mixed signals. I don¡¯t understand him. One minute he¡¯s fussing over me, and the next¡­the next he¡¯s just so cold and aloof.¡±,she said, choking over a sob. Lizzie shook her head internally. She knew te¡¯s intentions, but he was not going about it the right way! She was going to spank him when next she saw him¡­. Okay¡­that sounded a lot dirtier than she intended. ¡°Look, honey, te loves you, okay? He just doesn¡¯t know how to show it! His first marriage was an arranged one, so he probably doesn¡¯t know the basics of romance. And for girls after her, he didn¡¯t need to court them, his looks and his money were enough to get them running towards him. So just give him the benefit of doubt?¡±, Lizzie said, taking a deep breath afterwards. Gisele looked down, feeling a bit foolish. Then she straightened her stance with a confident look in her eye, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try, I¡¯ll definitely try¡± *** te was pacing; he felt so nervous. He hoped Lizzie hadforted Gisele. He regretted being so harsh. But he couldn¡¯t go back in time, so he¡¯d have to perfect the future as well as he could. He had done everything and he hoped Gisele was going to love it. *** ¡°Uh, hey Gisele¡±, Gisele heard from behind her. Of course it was te. She turned around and replied with a sigh, ¡°Yes, te¡± ¡°Look I¡¯m sorry about before. It¡¯s just I was quite nervous about inviting you to dinner¨C¡°, he started. ¡°You wanted to invite me to dinner?¡±, Gisele interrupted, very surprised. ¡°Yes, yes I did, for tomorrow. As I said, Gisele I love you so much, I just have a s***ty way of showing it¡±, he finished, looking so apologetic that Gisele didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse him. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go to dinner with you, but next time you scare me like that, I¡¯ll castrate you. You had me thinking you had gotten tired and wanted to get rid of me¡± ¡°I¡¯ll never get tired of you, Gisele, I love you so much¡±, te said, cradling her face in his hands. ¡°And I love you, te¡±, Gisele said after a moment of hesitation. te¡¯s eyes brightened and he smiled crazily, ¡°You love me?¡±, he asked. Gisele nodded, smiling shyly. te let out a whoop of joy and turned with Gisele, round and round. ¡°-te stop¡±, Gisele said, giggling foolishly. te stopped finally and still looked dazed. ¡°You meant it? You really meant it? You love me?¡± ¡°Yes, te, I love you¡±, Gisele said, fighting a goofy smile. ADVERTISEMENT *** ¡°I¡¯m so nervous I feel like I¡¯m going to spontaneouslybust¡±, Gisele said, fanning herself with her hand. ¡°Hey, hey Gisele. Look, take in a deeeeep breath. That¡¯s it, inhale, exhale¡±, Lizzie said, trying to help her calm her nerves. Gisele did what Lizzie told her to do, and, she didn¡¯t feel a mite better. ¡°I¡¯m still nervous. What if he realizes that he doesn¡¯t really love me?¡±, she said, almost hyperventting. ¡°He won¡¯t, because he loves you with all his body, soul, heart and spirit¡±, Lizzie rea**ured. ¡°I hope so, because I¡¯m so f¨´cking in love with him¨C¡°, she said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Lizzie widened her eyes and rushed to interrupt Gisele. Her best friend never swore, so she knew Gisele really meant it when she said she loved te. ¡°Mon amour, please. Don¡¯t stress yourself out, hmm? He loves so you better get that into your pretty little head, okay?¡±, Lizzie said, looking at Gisele intently. Gisele nodded and let Lizzie continue doing whatever she was doing on her face. ¡°There! I¡¯m through¡±, Lizzie said when she had finished, admiring her masterpiece. Gisele was in a ck strapless knee-length dress, silver sandals, and long red and silver earrings. She completed the ensemble with a red clutch and a silver watch te had given her. Lizzie had kept it simple with the makeup, putting n*** eyeshadow and pink lipstick. Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org. ¡°You look fantabulous. Now go get your man¡±, Lizzie said with a smile. Gisele smiled shyly and ran out to find te. *** te was waiting patiently for Gisele, but he was not prepared for the vision in front of him. It was like his Gisele had metamorphosed into a goddess overnight. His. He liked that. Gisele was his, and nobody else¡¯s. Gisele was waiting with a bit of panic for a reaction from him, so when he bent to whisper in her ear, she let out a little sigh of relief. ¡°You look beautiful in that dress, but I¡¯d bet you¡¯d look even more beautiful naked in my bed¡±, he whispered. Gisele blushed bright red. It was the first time te had said something naughty to her. She didn¡¯t reply, because she didn¡¯t exactly know what to say to him. She just smiled and let him lead her to his sleek ck car. The car was so te. It fitted his personality. She entered thd car, and off they went. ADVERTISEMENT *** After exchanging pleasant nothingness, te put on a serious expression. ¡°Gisele, I know I¡¯ve hidden a lot of my past from you, but today, I¡¯d like to apologize. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t trust you, I did- and still do, but I¡¯m not just too used to the idea of opening up to people.¡±, he started. Gisele kept quiet, not wanting te to stop, wanting him to talk, wanting to know him as he did her. And talk he did. te spoke of his father¡¯s death, of his mother raising him alone, of his betraying ex- wife. Gisele started to understand why he was so closed up, and so aloof. But he hadn¡¯t finished. ¡°Before you, Gisele, I thought all women were gold diggers, ready to squeeze money out of me. But I realized that you are different. There¡¯s just something about you, Gisele and I realized I couldn¡¯t let you go¡±, he stated. Gisele already had tears in her eyes, and when te went down on bended knee and removed a ring box from his pocket, she couldn¡¯t contain her gasp. ¡°Gisele, I know I¡¯ve ignored you, I¡¯ve not always given you the love and care you wanted, I¡¯ve humiliated you, hell, I¡¯ve caused you a lot of pain. But I love you Gisele, I¡¯d go to the sun if you wanted me to. I can¡¯t promise not to misunderstand you sometimes, I can¡¯t promise not to hurt you sometimes, but one thing I can promise is I¡¯ll love you forever. Gisele, will you marry me?¡± Gisele was full on crying by the time te had finished his speech. She nodded and said YES tearily. Then repeated, ¡°Yes, te, I¡¯ll marry you¡±. te put the ring on her finger, stood up, and kissed her pa**ionately. Silence had fallen when te went down on bended knee, and as soon as they kissed, apuse resounded. *** ¡°You need to let me in on all the deets¡±, was the first thing Gisele heard as soon she entered the house with te. It was Lizzie, of course. Callie was jumping up and down with excitement. Then she ran to Gisele, looking at her with bright anxious eyes, and asked the million dor question. ¡°Gigi, does it mean you¡¯ll be my mommy?¡± Giseleughed, a joyous sound, showing she was more happy than she had been in a long time. She looked at Callie with stars in her eyes, and nodded slowly. Callie let out a whoop and clung on Gisele like an octopus to its prey. Looking up, Lizzie met Gisele¡¯s eyes and smiled warmly. After all the troubles her friend had gone through, it was definitely time for her to be happy. Lizzie decided to give them some family time, and carefully sneaked out. She met te on the way and whispered to him, ¡°Make her happy she deserves it.¡±, then went out. Lizzie smiled sadly. She wondered when she would have her own family. She wondered if she would ever even have a family. But she wished all the best to her friend. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Gisele opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Yesterday had been her wedding day. It was still very surreal and it seemed like it had not happened. It was one of the best days of her life. te had shown her what love truly was. Lizzie had been an amazing friend like always and so supportive. Of course the both of them had cried. When you were watching your best friend get married or when you were getting married yourself, there was obviously going to be a rush of emotions. It had been fun remembering the good times they had spent with each other, all the times they had been there for each other, the times they had bickered then made up the next instant. All the tough times they had been through. It had taken a lot of convincing from the makeup artist for Lizzie to go out so Gisele¡¯s makeup could be done. Because it seemed like she was tearing up every two seconds and ruining. Then she had to walk down the aisle with Nics whom she had fully forgiven now. The more they got to know each other, the more she realized that they had so much inmon. It was a blessing for him to be walking down the aisle with her. Gisele would have wanted her mother to be there with them, supporting her on this very special day. But unfortunately, there was nothing she could do to bring the latter back. When Gisele finally reached the altar, there was no one else but te who stood out to her. It was like the rest of the people in the church disappeared. When she reached him, he mouthed ¡°hi,¡± and Gisele c***ed her head to let him know she had understood him, since her face was hidden underneath her veil. ADVERTISEMENT The vows¡­ it was the first time te was uttering words so eloquently to her. He had told her he loved her, but never so deeply, never so publicly, never so profoundly. She would never tire of hearing those words. She would never tire of being with him. And she couldn¡¯t wait for the time when they would start a family. Gisele looked over towards te who was already stirring in bed next to her. ¡°Baby,¡± he said in his deep voice. Gisele looked at him and smiled. Then she went over to him and he pulled her into his arms. ¡°Hi baby,¡± he said, then he pulled her down for a kiss. ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Hi.¡± It was going to take Gisele a long time to actually not blush every time he called her by endearments. ¡°You woke up early,¡± te said. ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved. ¡°I was thinking.¡± ¡°About? Do you want to leave me so soon?¡± he asked jokingly. Giseleughed a little. ¡°I was thinking¡­ it¡¯s so weird that I have a husband now, I¡¯m married and I¡¯m ready to settle down and have a family.¡± ADVERTISEMENT ¡°Weird in a good or bad way?¡± her husband asked her. ¡°In a good way definitely,¡± was Gisele¡¯s honest response. It brought a smile to te¡¯s face. ¡°I love you,¡± he said seriously. ¡°I love you too,¡± Gisele replied. And she did. She was going to spend the rest of her life with this man. She knew there were going to be ups and downs along the way. But she was going to enjoy every moment, and savor every instant with him. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!