Mr. Shawn!” I gasped as my back hit the velvet sofa. Not hard. Not painful. But firm enough that my breath help seized the moment.
His hands were clutching mine. keeping a respectful distance… and yet it felt like he was everywhere. His scent—woody, rich, and masculine wrapped around me, and his eyes… God, his eyes. They weren’t just looking at me. They were reading to me. Undressing every hidden emotion.
I swallowed hard, my palms flat against the cushion between us. “This isn’t right.”
“Rennie…” he murmured, eyes locked on my lips.
Then clarity hit me like a slap.
I was the nanny, who was on the victim side,
He was the billionaire. Who is capable of escaping situations which were a threat to my safety without stressing a muscle, this all made me realize, what I was getting into wasn't a game it was gambling and my odds were less.
His daughter, my entire reason for being here was upstairs, probably singing in her pajamas and waiting for me to braid her hair before bedtime.
This was wrong.
I jerked my head back, placing a firm hand against his chest. “I can’t.”
He blinked, caught between surprise and something dangerously close to longing.
“I’m Diane’s nanny. You’re my boss. This—this can’t happen,” I whispered, breathless.
He didn’t move. But the air shifted.
And then, for the first time, I saw it.
Vulnerability.
“Rennie…” His voice cracked slightly as he spoke. “I didn’t bring you here for this. I didn’t even want a nanny, I liked you the instant I saw your portfolio ? I only accepted you and let you work because Diane showed improvement when you showed up. But now…”
He exhaled. “Now, I look for you the moment I enter the house. I wait for your footsteps. I listen for your humming when you’re cleaning. And I hate how I’m starting to feel… human again,love and all those silly emotions.”
My heart wavered, but my resolve hardened.
“I can’t be the reason you believe in love.
His eyes dimmed slightly, coming closer again.
And then
BANG. BANG. BANG.
Three sharp knocks exploded against the door, followed by a firm voice muffled through the steel doors
“Mr. Wolfe?are you in there,Diane said the nanny locked herself in by accident!”
My eyes widened in horror. Diane.
Shawn cursed under his breath, his plans all scrapped.
He turned away, fingers punching in the code.
The door slid open just as I scrambled upright, cheeks flushed of embarrassment or whatever it was, chest still rising and falling like I’d just run a mile.
A uniformed guard peered in, eyes darting between us with a blink of confusion.
I didn’t wait.
I brushed past Shawn, chin lifted. “Thank you,” I murmured to the guard, barely holding myself together.
Somewhere near the first entrance of the shed.
“Renzy? Are you okay?”
I turned halfway and glanced back.
Shawn stood in the middle of the room, hand gripping his hair, frustration running into every line of his face. He looked like a man who had finally said too much… and lost control anyway.
I didn’t need to show concern.
I didn’t need to.
Because at that moment, I remembered why I came here in the first place.
And how I couldn't afford to lose the target...
But as I walked toward the entrance, already walking on the stairs heart pounding, I couldn’t shake his voice from my mind.
"I hate how I’m starting to feel… human again, love and all this silly emotions."
The man who kept his heart locked away…
Was cracking.
And somehow I was the one holding the key, Already assuming what happened this evening was just a fiasco,
what Mr Shawn did in the morning affirmed it wasn't infatuation but obsessed love.
The first three days felt like a never-ending game of cards.Not poker. Not blackjack.Something crueler.A game with no dealer. No rules. And I was always one card short.There were twists.Like the night Diane almost called me “Mom.”“Mom—”She’d whispered it as she reached out toward her night lantern. Just one syllable. One fragile breath.Then she stopped herself.Paused mid-reach like her throat had caught fire.And walked barefoot across the room to switch it on herself.She didn’t say another word.Didn’t even glance my way.That half-spoken word? It was the closest I had come to winning.But the game wasn’t over.There was suspense.The kind that crept in on quiet mornings when I’d put on her favorite cartoon—Planet of Princess.The intro alone used to make her dance like her bones were made of gum.I remember her yelling from the top of the stairs:“Renzy! Renzy! It’s starting! Don’t stay late or you’ll miss her magic twirl!”And now?Now she barely blinked. Just glanced at
"What happened, Renzy? Why aren't you talking? Is it about Elly? Trust me… she's nice. Just like you.""Diane, no!!! She isn't nice! And what happened to what I told you a million times? Don't ever follow strangers! It’s all because of you we had to go through so much stress! Now Elly is your new mom? She's not just your 'new mom'—she’s a villain. A terrible villain, I say!"After roaring this, I couldn't even feel my heart.I only felt like a new person—Not the one who wouldn’t even scold Diane,Even if she came out last in class."I'mmmm sorry for not listening to you. I'm realllly sorry, Mam. It won't repeat itself…" Diane whimpered, her voice broken."No, baby. I'm sorry. I just let go of my cool. You know I would never ever shout at you.""It's me who should be sorry, Miss Rennie. I promise I will never disturb you again."From the way Diane began to whimper so silently…All those apologies didn’t mean remorse.They meant regret.Regret for ever trusting me the first day I walk
Just as Eloise took off her coat, what we saw made our blood freeze and clot.It wasn’t just a coat.Beneath it, she wore a full Nigel-grade bulletproof vest, black as night—custom-fit, casual, but terrifying. Tucked into the vest were two compact guns, locked and ready. She looked more like a trained assassin than someone doing petty crime through kidnapping.Then—she shifted Diane behind her.We couldn’t see her anymore.Only Darlington, Shawn, and I had a full view. She was shielding Diane, like she knew Diane always got terrified at the sight of guns.Even with all the fury rushing through our blood, none of us dared to fire. Not if there was even a 1% chance it could hit Diane.Before we could blink—A black sedan pulled up to the edge of the alley, headlights off, engine purring like a villain’s entrance cue.Eloise didn’t hesitate. She grabbed Diane’s wrist, whispering something in her ear.Then she said it aloud—loud enough for us to hear:“Get in, baby. Just like we practiced
"You heard the info, so I believe we know what to do, boys. Officer Ren, lead the mission."The Commissioner roared. "Yes, Sir!!! Operation Rescue From Family Drama is—" "Pick another rescue name," The Commissioner cut in, glaring at the half-smirking officer. "All you officers and agents of gossip." A few snickers and giggles echoed through the ops room. Commissioner Ren straightened, trying to hide his own smirk. “Operation Rescue Wolfe is going to be live by 1:30 AM,We'll move at exactly 2:00 AM. That gives us three hours to lock down all exits, prep the vehicles, and get the gadget rigs secured.” “Goggles, drones, comms, backup units—everything synced and encrypted,” Darlington added, already tapping through a digital checklist. “Nobody breathes until we say so.” The team nodded and scattered into controlled chaos—boots pounding, vests strapped, weapons checked. But I couldn’t sleep. Not even for a minute. Everyone else were in their room resting, sleeping and w
“Uhmm… who’s Mr. Elias?” Darlington asked, his brows furrowed, eyes scanning my face for something—anything—that made sense.“He’s…” I swallowed hard, still processing it myself. “He’s Paige’s father.”Darlington’s head tilted slightly. “Paige? Diane's fake mom? Shawn’s ex-wife?”I nodded, my body still numb. “Yes. But... the detective told me Mr Elias had disowned her. Said he cut all ties after what happened with her going back to Shawn.He told us he was in England.”Darlington’s gaze drifted back to the live surveillance feed, his voice quiet but sharp. “So if he’s helping Eloise… then Paige wasn’t innocent.”The realization cracked something in my chest.“That lying bitch,” I muttered, more to myself than him. “She played the victim. I thought she would be harmless in rehab.. I believed every word.”Darlington turned to me. “You believed her because she gave us a lead, remember Rennie, she said it wasn't a Wolfe.”I shook my head, bitterness coating my throat. “I believed her beca
The SUV went silent. The decor was nothing less than a hundred, judging by the sleek leather and glowing blue lights. Shawn held me so tight I wasn’t able to move, not breathe. Oh, who was I kidding? The relationship I shared with Shawn was one some would call voodoo. Despite hurting me and abandoning me, I still loved his touch. I still trembled to his wet kisses. Before I could react—knowing I was married—the seats had already begun to recline, shifting with a smooth mechanical hum. The divider between us and the driver slid up with a soft buzz, sealing us into a private section. Then he turned to me, slowly, like the scene had been planned in his head a dozen times. He tugged off his black shirt, muscles stretching and flexing with the motion. His eyes never left mine. The SUV now looked less like transport… and more like temptation. I sat frozen—not because I was afraid, but because something in me didn’t want to move. He leaned over me, his hand brushing my knee. Then— R