MasukZOE ELISE~~I stood in the hallway, close to Maisie’s bedroom, staring blankly at the plain beige wall. My heart was still racing, and I couldn't decide whether I should give in to the tears prickling my eyes or storm back inside to slap some sense into the Alpha King.How could he blame me?After everything I had done to care for his daughter, how could he look me in the eyes and accuse me of hurting her?But then, the sound of the monitor still rang in my ears, and my anger wavered.D-did I really do something wrong?Had I somehow hurt the Princess without realizing it?My stomach twisted as those words bounced around in my head. “Don't take his words to heart, Zo,” Peach said gently. “He's just worried about his daughter.”Of course, I knew that.I understood that King Weston was frightened. I had seen the look on his face when the monitor started beeping. I had heard the desperation in his voice when he called for Maisie.But I didn't understand why I always had to suffer for
ALPHA KING WESTON~~That sound…It wasn't Zoe's annoying singing anymore.It was something else.Something I knew… a sound I had heard two years ago.One I was never supposed to hear again.My body went rigid as the beeping grew faster.No.No, no, no.I shouldn't be hearing that sound again. It wasn't supposed to happen again. Not in this room. Not to my Maisie. Not after everything we had been through."Princess?"The nanny’s whisper pulled me out of the darkness threatening to swallow me.I rushed towards the bed, screaming in that room for the first time since Rosalee and I decorated it. "Maisie!"I didn't think about washing my hands. I couldn’t think about the sanitizer or any of the precautions I had drilled into my soul and that of every single person who had come near my daughter.All I could think about was getting to her.My hands found hers, and I squeezed gently, hoping she could somehow feel me. "Maisie? Baby, can you hear me?"Yet the beeping continued.Faster.Loude
ZOE ELISE~~"Little princess, pretty princess..."I hummed along to a random tune, making up words as they came to me. I didn’t know how loud I was singing or even pay attention to the exact wording. My mind was occupied with more important things.Such as getting Princess Maisie ready for the day, making sure she had her breakfast, getting my own meal, and finally retiring to my room for a few hours of proper sleep on my perfect bed. After the night I'd had, I believed I deserved that much.However, I had barely finished another line of my song when a voice behind me shattered the little moment I was having with the Princess. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do something before you actually NOT DO IT?"I jumped as that voice resonated, in a low tone that had me gasping. Goddess!Will this man ever stop sneaking up on me?I turned around, my hand flying to my chest as I found King Weston sitting in his wheelchair by the doorway. His expression was dark, and his eyes
ALPHA KING WESTON~~I made it back to my secret office just in time to watch Zoe struggle.Just like I wanted.She stood there, clueless, for over a minute, and with each passing second, a satisfied smile slowly spread across my face."Let's see how she handles this," Ray muttered, and I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms across my chest.Most of the nannies who had worked in this mansion over the past two years had failed this particular test. Some panicked and quit on the spot, while others made mistakes that had them kicked out. And Zoe?She was reckless, stubborn, and had a mouth that could get her into trouble faster than she could blink.But smart? I wouldn't exactly put her in that category."She's bound to fail," I muttered confidently. "Sooner rather than later."I leaned closer to the monitor, waiting for that very moment, but instead of lifting Maisie off the bed, Zoe did something that made my smile disappear.She placed one hand carefully on my daughter's still-
ZOE ELISE~~I made a grave mistake that night before going to bed. I relaxed. It was such a simple thing, something I had already grown used to doing. But I didn't realize how badly I had messed up until a loud bang shattered my sweet dream.I groaned and pulled my pillow over my head, telling myself, “Whatever it is can wait.”I held the pillow tighter, determined to enjoy the rest of the night in my heavenly bed. But then it came again. BANG!This time it sounded even louder, stealing all that was left of my perfect sleep. "Argh!" I groaned into my pillow, but even my frustration was drowned out by another resounding bang. My eyes flew open. What the hell?It soon dawned on me that there was someone at my door, knocking like the mansion was on fire. Slowly, I pushed myself up, blinking back my fatigue. My eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness as another loud knock rattled my door."Who is there?" I called, my voice still thick with sleep.But there was no response. Instead,
ZOE ELISE~~For the first time since I arrived at the Alpha King's mansion, I was beginning to think things might finally get easier.Yesterday had been surprisingly peaceful. No arguments, no unexpected visitors, no unwarranted slaps, and, most importantly, no drama.After Ashley's unexpected appearance, I deserved a day like that.And I got it yesterday. Judging by how quiet the mansion had been, perhaps the goddess had finally decided to give me a break, and there was nothing stopping today from being even better. So yes, I was in an especially good mood that morning as I stepped into Maisie's room.It was even better when I realized Alpha King Weston wasn't around.Not that I was looking for him.If anything, I preferred it when he was nowhere near me. The man had a special talent for ruining perfectly good mornings.I walked over to the sink, washed my hands, wiped them, and applied the sanitizer before approaching Maisie's bed."Good morning, Princess." I smiled as I looked







