(Aya’s POV)“Are you asking me if I want to accept the job?” I asked Red, clarifying if I was truly hearing it from him.“That’s just what I’ve said, Aya,” he said as he stared into my eyes.I blinked, wanting to tell Red to stop looking into my eyes because I could hardly think. I was sitting across the most handsome guy I had ever met, so gorgeous that if his lips kissed me, I might forget that I was here for a job and was under a pretense about my gender. He shouldn’t be my type, but her alluring sister. I just wished he would relax and show me those perfect teeth in his smile but smiling around this place seemed a mortal sin.Ariana was the only sinner.“If you accept the job, I will have the contract ready so you can review it,” He said, looking at my feet.When his forehead creased, I curled my toes and was relieved he was looking at my feet. At least he would not see my cheeks turning crimson. Good thing Leslie encouraged me to join her in the nail salon yesterday because it wo
(Aya’s POV)“Did you walk from Rose Hills to here?” Addie’s eyebrows were knitted, but I knew she was only teasing me as she widened the door.My digital wristwatch told me it was past ten in the evening already. I mouthed, ‘Sorry’ as I entered her apartment, put the paper bags down, and walked to the living room. I slumped on the couch and closed my eyes as my body screamed from exhaustion. I hardly noticed Leslie peering from the kitchen and then advancing toward us with beer cans in her hands.“Nope! I think she went shopping,” Leslie chuckled, placing the cans on the center table and glancing at the paper bags I placed beside the door.“Yeah!” I chuckled, opening one eye. “Where’s my daughter? I forgot to call dad to check on him.”“Katie’s sleeping, and don’t worry about Uncle Dean. Leslie tugged him here to have dinner with us but went home around eight to watch a ballgame. He’s bored, but he’s okay,” Addie assured me.I nodded, closing my eyes again, and if no one dared to talk
(Aya’s POV)“Mommy,” Katie’s sleepy voice woke me up from my insanity.Red’s eyes were wide as mine, still shocked by what I had done. I turned around immediately, ignoring Addie and Leslie gaping at us, and walked toward my daughter, yawning as she rubbed her eyes.“Hey, baby,” I bent forward, kissing her forehead. “Did we wake you up?” I carried her in my arms.“No, mommy,” she said, peering at Red and then burying her face in my neck, but she raised her head and looked at the door when we heard a knock.Leslie stepped toward the door, grinning like a Cheshire cat, as we all looked at who it was. Even Red turned around and leaned his head to the side to see who was on the other side of the door.“Uncle Dean,” Leslie faked a smile, opening the door wide and extending her arm so my father could hold to her as he entered the door. “I thought you were sleeping already. We’re thinking of just letting Aya and Katie sleep here.”“That’s what I was thinking too, but some lunatic pressed th
(Red’s POV)The new nanny of my kids made my night sleepless, and it irked me that whenever I closed my eyes, I would remember Aya’s soft lips as she pressed her mouth to mine, trying to keep me quiet. Tired of forcing myself to sleep, I got up in bed at five in the morning and readied for my early run.I was hoping to run alone, but as I reached the porch, Mike and Liam were already there, chatting while stretching. When they turned to me, they chuckled, making it obvious I was the topic of their conversation. Skipping the stretching, I walked past them, not wanting to talk about Aya, but my two cousins jogged to catch on to me.“Couldn’t sleep?” Liam smiled naughtily, but I ignored him. “So, now that you know where Aya lives, what’s your plan?”“I told you I wanted to check her address myself,” I lied, tipping my head up to tell the guard to open the gate.He pressed the button, opening the gate but picking up the handset and alerting our security personnel that we were going out of
(Red’s POV)Breakfast was the only time I could see all my children before I got busy for the day, so I made time to sit with them in the dining room. On school days, breakfast had always been like a battle for the nannies. They struggled to wake them up early, and when they succeeded, the next fight would be how to encourage them to get out of bed and prepare them for school. When I sat in my usual seat at the head seat, I was not surprised to see Ariana in her seat. For the past few days, she could only sit with us when she was done supervising the nannies and made sure they successfully dragged my children to the dining room after screaming and crying. Even Violet, at her age, was hard to handle.“You let Aya handle the kids herself?” Liam’s eyes were panic-stricken, looking at Ariana as he pulled a chair.“You worry about her too much,” Mike smirked, sitting beside him.I ignored them and pretended to focus on the business article I was reading on my tablet. I only raised my head
(Aya’s POV)It was good that I came early because I had the time to meet the nannies and ask about their everyday scenarios. They all said the same thing; it was like hell and crazy, and they were right. I may not be Nanny McPhee, but I could offer them a truce, my chance of saving the sanity of their nannies, including mine.Recognizing Violet’s dislike of me and her strong influence on her siblings, I decided to begin with her. As expected, the girl ignored me, and she was indeed good at pretending she didn’t hear my voice or not seeing me follow her until I asked her what she wanted. If I could do it, she would help me with her siblings, and when I got her attention, I grabbed that opportunity to have a ceasefire this morning while I thought of what she wanted.Only I did not expect her answer.To be heard by their father and a time for them. Each of Red’s kids told me what they wanted, and I promised to talk to their father and hoped to have a response from him. It was going well
(Aya’s POV)“Don’t overstep the boundary, Aya. You’re hired to be my kids’ nanny, not their mother, so please, stop acting like you’re their mother.”Red’s words echoed to me as I walked the hallway where his five children were waiting for me. I only nodded, letting him know I understood and that I didn’t wish to be their mother, but I could not deny the emotions stirring inside. I breathed out. I had to stop myself from crying because I had no reason to whimper as if there was something special happening between us. “Well, how did it go?” Violet asked, her eyebrows raised and her arms crossed over her chest.“He said he’s going to cancel his appointment tonight, and he’ll talk to you later,” I muttered, thinking she would be happy, but Violet rolled her eyes and sneered.“It’s what he always tells Aunt Conchita,” she said with disappointment visible on her face and voice as she walked past me.Her younger siblings gaped at me, waiting for the answers to their requests. My lips curve
(Aya’s POV)“It’s not good to lie, Onyx,” I reminded him while in the waiting area.Sapphire fidgeted with her hands as she waited for her turn, not wanting her nanny to change her, and when Ellen attempted to brush her hair, she cried, not wanting anyone to touch her hair except me.“I only want Aya,” she murmured, standing beside me.“It’s okay,” I murmured and smiled at their nannies. “Just hand me those,” I pointed at the bag.It was the extra bag I prepared this morning and asked them to bring. When the other nanny handed it to me, I took clean clothes and wipes because their uniforms got dirty from playing in the playground while waiting. I seldom got the chance to pick Katie up from school, but this was the same scenario whenever I got late. I was glad I had this prepared because I didn’t want them to go home looking like this. “Aya, is it okay if we leave you with the kids for a while?” Ellen asked. “I suddenly had my monthly period, and I was hoping Nessa could get a sanitar