Lucas stared at Scarlett and the kids for a long five minutes, and he could barely have words to describe how peaceful they looked in their sleep.
He had been worried about his kids the whole night. He knew how much they were scared of the thunderstorm, and Daphne could barely keep her eyes open at the first drop of rain.For the first time since she started work, he was grateful that she was there, and the children felt so at peace with her. He watched them snuggle up to her, and it warmed his heart.When Scarlett looked up at him, he quickly looked away, but it was already too late to feign anger. She sat up with a start, and it almost made him chuckle. She was so intimidated by him, and he liked it so much. He did not like her one bit and did not want her to feel relaxed around him."I thought I said no contact with my kids," he said to her in an upset, but somewhat calm tone.Maybe if you stayed at home with them last night, they would not have to be curled up in my bed.Scarlett said those words and rolled her eyes in her mind, and was tempted to say it to his face, but she still valued the financial security that her job offered her."I'm so sorry sir," she said instead, her head down, and her voice shaky."Get the children dressed for school," he said with a huff before he turned around and left. Scarlett slumped back to the bed and was overly grateful that he had not given her any more punishment. It was barely a week into her new job and she was already hanging on a thin thread.She soon got up and hurriedly prepared the kids for school. Lucas was long gone for work, and she wondered if he ever took a break or had time to sleep.Daphne had once mentioned that he had been that way since his wife died. He immersed himself in work and let the stress absorb him. He even began to see less of the children. One time, Scarlett wanted to pity him, but on the other hand, she remembered how much of cruel a person he was and the horrible things he said to her.Daphne sat at the kitchen counter with a cup of coffee as she read something on her tablet. She was so engrossed that she had barely heard Scarlett sneak up behind her. She turned around with a start, and they both laughed."What are you doing today?" Scarlett asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee and taking a seat beside Daphne."I'm just tidying up, you know, making final preparations for my trip the day after tomorrow," Daphne replied, her eyes still fixed on the trip behind her.Scarlett's heart fell. The thought of Daphne leaving made her want to leave too. She wondered how she would survive the nuisance to her life that was Lucas if Daphne left the house. "Oh! I didn't know you were traveling," Scarlett said in a low sad voice, but Daphne heard the distance in her voice already, and turned to her, dropping the cup of coffee she held in her left hand, and placed warm palms on Scarlett's thigh."I have to go for my MBA as soon as possible. I have postponed it long enough," she began in a soft voice. It was as though she was seeking a kind of approval from her."I know that you and Lucas are not best friends now," she continued. "But I promise you that he just needs time. Soon, everything will fall into place.""It's just that I am going to miss you so much," Scarlett blurted out. Daphne let out a soft smile and without any more words, she stood up and held Scarlett in a warm embrace.They chattered for a while, even though Daphne worked most of the time."I think we should hang out tomorrow," Daphne suggested. "Just like a farewell dinner before I leave," she added."That is a good idea," Scarlett agreed. "But I think your brother may n–"Can we just leave my brother out of this?" Daphne said, and they both laughed.Scarlett looked at Daphne. They had just known each other for a very short time, but they had managed to create a kind of blissful bond, that she was sure would transcend into a lifetime friendship.*******Daphne borrowed her red short sequin dress on the day they were to have that dinner. The children had gone out with their dad. He usually took Fridays off work to spend quality time with them, and Daphne knew that it was their chance.But they did not head to a restaurant. They went to a nightclub where Daphne introduced Scarlett to a few of her friends.Scarlett felt shy when they told her that she was stunning, and she also felt out of place because all of Daphne's friends reeked of affluence. However, she was determined to have a good time. Daphne was a great host too as she never left her side.Scarlett had been a little shy about joining the others on the dancefloor when the music started."Come onnn…" Daphne had urged as her friends took her in. Scarlett watched them from where she sat. They swayed their bodies relentlessly to the rhythm of the music. She had never seen Daphne that way, so it was a bit exciting to watch. She soon finished her first swig of beer, and she felt lightheaded.In a matter of minutes, she damned the consequences and went to join them on the dancefloor. Sweaty bodies made contact with her and the air reeked of alcohol, but she was too tipsy to care about it. She did not mind.Daphne giggled as they held hands and danced, rubbish their slim bodies against each other. Strong hands grabbed Scarlett from behind. Fear rose in her eyes as her mind trailed back to the incidents of the night that she was sexually assaulted. She swiftly turned around and freed herself from the grip of the young man that was insistent on just having fun.She knew she overreacted, but she could not help it. A wave of exhaustion overwhelmed her and she went back to where she previously sat and slumped into the sofa, closed her eyes, and threw her head backward.Daphne and her friends joined her afterward, and they made a toast to Daphne and wished her well on her journey to her MBA. As the cool night air hit their faces outside the club, Daphne moaned in satisfaction, and in a manner of minutes, they were seated in a cab.Meanwhile, the house was dimly lit when they got in. Lucas had probably lowered the lights. They toppled over the side chair that rested beside the couch, and they giggled, putting their hands over their mouth.They had barely made it to the stairs before the lights turned bright again. Lucas was there with folded hands in front of his chest as he looked down at them, his green eyes bearing so much disdain."Where are you coming from by this time of the night?" He said, anger pulsing through him. "The club," Daphne replied, sticking her hand out, as though she was trying to say that he had no right to ask her about it. He looked over at Scarlett and scanned her. She twitched uncomfortably under his gaze. Without any more words, he turned around and stomped off. They heard his door slam shut before they let out a giggle again. They could barely hold it in.Her room was the first they got to, and they both slumped on the bed and were soon in a deep sleep. ***Scarlett had been counting the days and hours before Daphne would leave. It seemed as though a happy part of her that she had managed to create in the last few days would be gone. She wondered how she would survive with Lucas without Daphne.The morning finally came, and Scarlett had woken up first and headed to Daphne's room. Daphne was still sleeping like a log, and Scarlett wanted her to stay that way. If she missed her flight, she would spend more time with her.She hesitantly woke her afterward, and after some minutes, she headed to the kids' room and got them dressed up for the day. After breakfast, Daphne's ride appeared in the driveway and they all went outside with her to see her off. Even Lucas had managed to come and bid her goodbye."We will miss you, Aunty Daphne," Callan spoke first."Awwww," Daphne let out before she gathered them in an embrace.She gave Scarlett a long hug, and Lucas a warm smile that he surprisingly returned before she headed for her ride.They watched her drive away and when the car was out of sight, the kids headed back in first."I guess it's just me and you now," Lucas said, smiling mischievously before heading into the house. Scarlett feared his words.Things were about to change for the worse.Scarlett woke up with a start immediately after her alarm went off, put a shirt over her head, and rushed downstairs. She would not want to attract any mundane talk from Lucas.Ever since Daphne left, he complained about everything she did, and how she could barely get a simple job done.She moved about with so much trepidation that made her bump into things, and sometimes, break things as she went."Don't you have any shame?" He would bark at her. She had once thought of leaving the job. She would be better off as a barista in a peaceful coffee shop than in a luxurious home, with good pay but a grumpy boss. But whenever she looked at the kids, and how much they warmed up to her, she would always have a change of mind. She loved them like her own and she would want them to remain in her care. Days had passed and they were only getting fond of her with each passing day.Scarlett flipped the eggs in the pan carefully to avoid a break. It was the way Lucas loved his breakfast. The idea o
Chapter 10"Scarlett, would you come to our school tomorrow?" Callan asked as she served them lunch. She had had a long nap after the kids were gone to school, and now that they were back, she was more than energized to care for them."What for, baby?" Scarlett asked softly, placing the food bowl down for a bit."Tomorrow, our parents are supposed to come to school for a meeting," Claire replied to her."Did you tell your father about it?" She asked them in a concerned tone and the children shook their heads. It was not like she would not want to go to their school, but Lucas might have a different opinion, and she was trying so hard not to annoy him further."Dad has never been to our school for the meeting. Aunty Daphne has always been the one with us, but now that she is gone, we do not know who should go with us," Claire rambled on, and Scarlett listened fixedly."I will have to ask your dad first then," she said, and they nodded happily. She thought about it. Lucas was a jerk and
Lucas sat back on his study desk, the huge mahogany desk secluding his huge frame. Scarlett's voice rang in his mind. The last thing she said to him suddenly haunted him like a plague.He never thought about it in the past. He had loved his ex-wife so much that after her death, it was as though his whole life crumbled with her.He had become emotionally unavailable to everyone around him. He had secluded himself for months after her death and he had to see a therapist before he could move on. Her death still hurt him but he dared to get back to work.To take his mind off the loss, he immersed himself in work. His children were the only ones he still bore some form of emotional attachment to, but he had been so busy with work that he barely saw them.He never knew that Callan had qualified for the kids' baseball team in school and that Claire had learned how to write the alphabet without any help. He only found out these things from their teacher.He constantly ached with a feeling of
Scarlett shivered as she heard his voice. She resolved to apologize to him but he was not taking a chance to look at her or hear whatever she had to say. He rushed over to his daughter as she lay unconscious. Doctor Ezra came in just then."I heard you were around and I decided to come over," he began smiling sheepishly, as though he sought some kind of favor from Lucas."How is my daughter now?" Lucas asked him in a low voice, ignoring his sycophancy. "She is stable now but we would keep her here for a few days, just for further observations," the doctor replied.They soon stepped out for a few words, and Scarlett watched them through the blinds, as though they were deciding her fate. She saw him glance at her once but she looked away.Lucas was livid when he stepped back into the room and he did not utter a single word. He took a seat and Callan curled up to him. He took him in his hands and Scarlett just looked on as he seethed. She was at a loss as to what to do or say next. She
Claire's eyes fluttered open but the bright ward lights forced her to shut them close again. She stirred and it alerted Lucas. He rushed to her immediately and stood over her."Are you okay, baby?" He asked her as he patted her hair softly. She nodded as she gently opened her eyes again, little by little until she fully adjusted to the bright lights. "I'm fine, Daddy. I missed you," she said quietly and looked around. Lucas' eyes grew teary and he looked away immediately and forced them back. He would not be so vulnerable before his children, not after three years of trying to hold back his pain before them.Claire sat up on the bed and a nurse examined her. She looked around the ward. It was beautifully decorated. It had balloons that said 'Get well soon' on them.She looked at the toys that rested on the bed table along with the cards that were brought to her. Her schoolmates and her teacher had visited a day before and they had brought her 'get well soon' cards. Her eyes lit up a
Lucas had had enough of their demand to bring Scarlett back. He was also getting overwhelmed with taking care of them all by himself. He had told Daphne about it, and she only agreed with the kids that Scarlett should be brought back to the house.If they all agreed that Scarlett was who they wanted, then he had to agree that she was good at her job after all. But his pride would not let him. It would seem degrading for him to go back and ask her to resume. He had even sent her a severance package that signified that he would not need her services anymore.He barely had any idea of how to take care of his children, and when he got fed up, he contacted the agency that provided nannies. They assured him that one would be sent to him the next day.When she arrived, she introduced herself as Martha. Lucas had looked over at her. She had a pale expression and he was unsure about how she would handle his kids, but he had put security cameras installed in the whole house, and he would know i
"What do you mean my children are missing?" Lucas barked over the phone. He could not believe his ears."I came here with the driver to take them home as you instructed, but they are nowhere to be found," the nanny explained.Lucas fisted his hand and banged hard on his mahogany desk, letting out a grunt as he did so."I'm on my way," he finally said as he put down the phone and rushed out of the office.The ride to the school seemed longer than usual. All the while, he was restless, wondering where his children would have gone. He had not made so many enemies in his business that would warrant him to have his children kidnapped. Thinking about it now, a lot of people did not know that he had children. Others thought of him as a divorcee. But Lucas was not a man to care about what people thought about him. He was only focused on climbing the financial ladder. A thought crossed his mind and it relaxed him. A week ago, after Claire had been discharged from the hospital and he was still
The kids turned around and to their amazement, Scarlett was standing in front of them. They quickly rushed to her and wrapped her in a warm embrace.Scarlett was elated to be reunited with them and her joy knew no bounds as she cradled them in her hands, attracting stares from passersby, but she cared less."We missed you so much," Callan said, wrapping his hands around her neck."Aww, I missed you too, my babies," Scarlett said, embracing them again."So are you here with Daddy or your new nanny?" She asked them. They fell silent and looked at each other, and back at her. Scarlett knew immediately that something was amiss."Who are you here with?" She asked them again. This time, she sounded worried."We came looking for you," Claire replied as Callan was still tongue-tied."What?!" Scarlett exclaimed as thoughts of what Lucas would do to her if he found out rummaged through her mind."We are so hungry Scarlett," Callan finally spoke out, and it softened her heart. They had just come