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 flight from Los Angeles to Thailand was long,14 hours and 26 minutes,but surprisingly calm. Somewhere over the oceans and beautiful views, time lost meaning. I dozed off, but would regain consciousness, waking to the scent of reheated meals,the low hum of birds in the sky.Despite the silence between Shawn and me, he managed to fill the cabin with noise,his voice. He ridiculously questioned Diane about school, her spelling test and her art projects. She answered eagerly at first, then started involving me into it, creating a three-way conversation I hadn’t signed up for.“ Renzy, how do you spell ‘gorgeous’?” Diane asked, her head tilted sweetly.It's one of the words we have to learn “G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S.” I spelt, still charmed by her intentful question.Shawn gave a faint smile behind the laptop. By the time we landed, it was early afternoon,about 1:30 p.m., local time. The plane touched down with a gentle thud, wheels screeching softly on the tarmac.Warm, tropical air wrap
I woke before the alarm, my eyes snapping open to soft morning light spilling through the window. Today was the day. The Thailand trip. The day everything changes from my appearance to my agenda. I stretched, letting the blanket fall off my body as I rose and walked barefoot to the bathroom. The cold tiles shocked me awake. I splashed water on my face and stared at myself in the mirror messy hair, sleepy eyes,dental retainers, And the faint memory of a dream I couldn’t recall But this wasn’t the time for dreams. It was time for strategy. I wrapped a towel around myself and opened the case in which I kept my skin products tiny but vital. It contained an organic soap I used to wash my face, a mild exfoliating gel, a mask, and a tinted lip wash that made my lips soft and pink. After my pre-shower routine, I moved on to getting ready for the day. I used a milky cream that instantly smoothed my skin, adding the right gleam. Honey-gold body mist with vanilla. Lip balm to make my lips
I was sick waiting for Diane. Even though it was an air-conditioned car with leathery seats which could automatically give a soothing massage, But I will still not okay,my thoughts and emotional breakdown generated heat that made me uncomfortable. Just as I was about to ask the driver to return home, I heard Diane’s jolly voice which was the cooler to my "emotional heat"she wasn't just running at a speed which could match up to a top athlete she was singing a goofy song which showed her excitement:“We are going to Thailand! Me, Dad, and Renzy! So much fun, we’re going to have a frenzy!”Seeing her smile immediately soothed my discomfort. I was about to leave the car to embrace her but she ran even faster as she got closer, so I opened the door, helped her in,“Easy!” I said, catching her in my arms as she collided into me when trying to enter the car.She giggled and practically danced her way into the back seat, kicking her feet and humming as if the world was her personal audien
I walked out of his study holding my breath and that ridiculous luxury gift set,which felt more like a bribe than a means of consolation, whatever it was I loved it.My face still feeling plumy and flushed from the note, and his exit words:"I’m not done wanting you, Renzy. But I’ll wait."Seriously? What was I supposed to do with that kind of confession?I placed my hand in my shirt.My heart was still racing. But life in the Wolfe mansion,didn’t pause or had time for emotional confusion.Diane was already in her room, half-dressed in her school uniform and pretending her socks were boxing gloves.“You okay, Renzy,?” she asked while throwing weak punches“Yeah.Just thinking about...stuff.” Even though I knew my condition showed how visible the lie was.She narrowed her eyes like a tiny detective, then started sniffing loudly. “ I can smell a lie,miles back,including those just two metres away?”“Believe me, there's no lie,” I said.“Okay renzy! but if there's anyone troubling you
I was halfway through Diane’s favorite bedtime story “The Adventures of Princess Helena" when she shifted under the covers, her little forehead creasing with sudden thought."Renzy?""Hmm?" I looked up from the page."I forgot to ask the chef for a quick night snack I’ll be right back."My brow furrowed. “Now? Sweetie, it's almost bedtime. Want me to come with you?"She shook her head quickly, all wide-eyed innocence. "Nope. I got it."Before I could protest, she was already out the door, her fuzzy slippers padding softly against the hallway floor. Something about the determined tilt of her chin made me pause. That little girl was up to something.Still, I waited.Diane found her Dad in his study, where I knew he’d be. He was staring at his laptop, but his fingers weren’t moving. They just hovered, like he was thinking hard but didn’t want to show it.When he saw her, he blinked. "Diane? What are you doing awake?""I needed to talk to you."He raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"
The drive home was quite silent, Shawn refused to talk and I couldn't judging from Shawn's face, it's either he would have hit me or thrown me out of the car,so we got home he didn't even opened the door for me like he did earlier all he did was got down and threw the keys to the guard, thinking we would reconcile, unknown to me that the hostility just started,The hostility started with coffee.Not the comforting kind, but the scorching, bitter kind. The kind that splashes across crystal glasses and hand-sewn Italian rugs—not by accident, but purposely."Clean it up."Three words.Arrogant.Icy. Domineering.I stared at the mess for half a second too long. The steam still rose from the spilled pot on the boardroom table, dripping slowly to the floor. No one moved. No one breathed.Shawn Wolfe didn’t look at me. Not once.He was seated at the end of the table, legs crossed, voice calm, suit immaculate. A dozen executives watched silently, their eyes darting between me and him like spect