Chapter 4

The morning after the incident with Junie's drawing, Graziel woke up earlier than usual. Not because of her alarm. But because of the little girl's drawing that had been haunting her thoughts since last night.

She let out a long sigh as she stared at the ceiling of her small bedroom. No matter how hard she tried to stop thinking about it, the image kept replaying in her mind. Three people holding hands.

A tall man. A little girl. And a woman in a maid's uniform.

MY FAMILY.

Even now, she still doesn't know whether she should laugh or be worried. Was that kind of imagination normal for a child? Or was there a deeper reason why Junie thought that way? Slowly, she got out of bed, washed up, changed into her uniform, and quietly left her room.

Just like every morning, the mansion was silent. It was such a huge house, yet it felt strangely lifeless.

Sometimes, Graziel thought Junie was the only person who brought warmth and color into the entire mansion. As she walked toward the kitchen, she passed two housemaids.

She smiled politely at them. Both women looked startled before immediately lowering their heads.

"Good morning, ma'am."

Graziel blinked. She still wasn't used to how formal everyone was inside this mansion. Back at the café where she used to work, everyone treated each other like family.

Here, it felt as though invisible walls separated every employee. Then again, she couldn't really blame them. Everyone was probably afraid of making a mistake and losing their job.

Around nine o'clock that morning, Graziel was arranging fresh flowers in the spacious living room when she heard the sound of quick little footsteps rushing toward her. A smile instantly appeared on her face. She already knew who it was.

A few seconds later, Junie came running into the room. She was wearing a cute yellow dress. Her hair was still messy, making it obvious that she had only recently woken up.

"Graziel!"

Graziel laughed softly. "Good morning."

The little girl immediately wrapped her arms around Graziel's waist. Smiling, Graziel gently stroked her messy hair.

"Have you had breakfast yet?"

Junie shook her head. "Not yet."

"Why not?"

The little girl dramatically pouted.

"Because eating alone is boring."

Graziel couldn't help laughing at how dramatic she was.

"Where's your daddy?"

"Working."

Of course, that answer didn't surprise her at all. During the three days she had been working at the mansion, she had noticed that Kevin rarely left his office. He spent almost all of his time working. Every time she saw him, he was either reading documents or staring at his laptop. She honestly didn't know how he managed to do that every single day.

If I had to spend all day in front of a laptop like that, she thought, I would've gone crazy a long time ago.

~~

After breakfast, Junie continued following her everywhere. For almost the entire morning, the little girl stayed glued to her side. When Graziel cleaned the guest room, Junie was there. When she went to the laundry room, Junie followed. When she organized the bookshelf, Junie was still right beside her.

Graziel laughed helplessly.

"Junie, don't you ever get tired of me?"

"No."

"Why?"

The little girl paused to think about the question. Then she answered in the simplest way possible.

"Because you're nice."

Graziel suddenly stopped what she was doing. Something gently squeezed her heart. She didn't know why those two words affected her so much. Maybe it was because no one had said something so sincere to her in a very long time.

Or maybe because she knew Junie truly meant it. Then another thought suddenly crossed her mind.

How lonely was this little girl before I came here?

The question stayed in Graziel's mind as she quietly watched Junie sitting on the floor. The little girl was carefully dressing her favorite stuffed rabbit, talking to it as if it were alive.

Graziel smiled without realizing it. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Mrs. Santos calling her.

"Miss Graziel."

She immediately turned around. Mrs. Santos was standing by the doorway, wearing the same serious expression she always had.

"Mr. Torres wants to see you."

Graziel felt her stomach drop.

Oh no! This is it.

She swallowed nervously.

"Right now?"

"Yes."

Graziel immediately stood up. When she looked at Junie, the little girl was already grinning.

"You're not in trouble."

Graziel blinked. "How do you know?"

The little girl shrugged. "Daddy only makes that face when he's annoyed."

Graziel frowned thoughtfully.

So Mr. Kevin has different expressions?

From what she had seen, he only had one.

Cold, strict., and terrifying.

~~

A few minutes later, Graziel found herself standing outside Kevin Torres' office once again. Somehow, she felt even more nervous than the first time they met.

It honestly felt like she had been called into the principal's office. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

"Come in."

She slowly opened the door. Just like before, Kevin was seated behind his large wooden desk. He didn't even look up immediately. He seemed completely used to working while talking to people.

"Close the door."

She quietly obeyed before standing in the middle of the office. She wasn't sure whether she should sit or remain standing. In the end, she decided to stay where she was.

Finally, Kevin lifted his eyes. The moment their gazes met, Graziel felt that familiar strange feeling again. It wasn't because he was handsome.

Although, he undeniably was. And it wasn't because he was rich. It was because of his eyes. Even when he was standing right in front of you… He still felt incredibly distant. Like someone living in a world no one else could reach. His quiet presence alone was intimidating enough to make anyone nervous.

"Sit."

Graziel quickly shook her head. "I'm fine standing, Sir."

Kevin looked at her for several silent seconds. Eventually, he gave up.

"Fine."

He lowered his eyes back to the document in front of him. The office became silent once again. The longer the silence lasted. The more nervous Graziel became.

Finally, Kevin spoke.

"This is about Junie."

Graziel blinked. Of course it was. Who else could it possibly be? For the past three days, her entire life had practically revolved around that little girl.

"Yes, Sir."

Kevin placed his pen on the desk. For the first time since she entered the room, he looked directly at her.

"She likes you."

Graziel swallowed. She honestly didn't know how to respond. So she simply said,

"It... seems that way, Sir."

Kevin narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he hadn't expected such an honest answer but he didn't comment. Instead, he stood up and walked toward the large window overlooking the garden. Without turning around, he continued speaking.

"Junie gets attached easily. Especially to people who are kind to her."

Graziel immediately shook her head.

"Sir, I never intended to—"

"I know."

Kevin cut her off before she could finish. He let out a quiet sigh.

"She has lost people before. And every time someone leaves, she takes it very hard."

Silence filled the room.

Graziel suddenly remembered everything Mrs. Santos had told her. The nannies, the maids and the employees who had come and gone over the years.

She wondered...

How many of them had become close to Junie? How many times had that little girl watched someone she cared about disappear? How many times had she felt abandoned?

Only then did Graziel finally understand. Kevin wasn't being overly protective because of himself. He was protecting his daughter.

Without realizing it, Graziel's opinion of him softened. She still didn't fully understand Kevin Torres but she understood his fear.

Because she also had someone she loved more than anything. Someone she never wanted to lose. Her mother.

"I understand, Sir."

Kevin gave a quiet nod. "Good. Just don't make promises you can't keep."

Graziel froze for a brief moment. At that instant, she wasn't hearing the words of a cold billionaire. She was hearing the voice of a man who had already experienced painful loss. A father who was terrified of watching his daughter get hurt all over again. She slowly nodded.

"I won't."

With that, she quietly left the office.