Chapter 06

POV Gabriel Lancaster

I gave my secretary instructions to deliver the employment contract to the woman I'd left waiting in my office. I glanced back at the locked door once more; handing my daughter over to a strange woman made me feel powerless and confused.

Not only that, but I hated the feeling that I knew her from somewhere. Her face seemed far too familiar.

I wasn't in the habit of second-guessing my decisions, but doubt hung over my chest for one brief second. I should have waited a little longer. I should have known exactly who I was about to bring into my home.

“Mr. Lancaster, the driver's waiting.” The security guard's voice pulled me back.

I loosened my tie, letting the air move faster into my lungs, though I knew that wasn't the real reason I couldn't breathe.

I stepped into the elevator, telling myself I had no other choice. I needed a nanny. My wife was dead, I didn't trust my own mother, and I needed to guarantee Charlotte's safety.

She was still all I had left, and I'd make sure this new nanny would give her life to keep her safe.

I was about to get into the car, under the cool, noisy end of the afternoon, when someone called out my name right behind me. She ran toward me, her heels striking hard against the hot pavement, looking ready to snap at any moment, and stopped in front of me, breathless, holding out the envelope.

“Sorry, sir.” She bent forward, gasping for air as she tried to steady herself. “Ms. Scarlet signed the contract. I figured you'd want to know right away.”

My eyes drifted to the building's entrance, hoping to see her walking out any second, but no one appeared. My gaze dropped to the document, to the name written across it. The name sounded strange, like it belonged to someone else.

“Did she read the contract?” I gave the secretary a measuring look as she straightened up.

“No, sir.” My brow furrowed; this was unheard of, as far as I was concerned. “She just signed it and left.”

Everyone was afraid to do business with me because I was ruthless about enforcing and collecting on everything written in black and white, but that woman hadn't cared about any of my terms; she'd genuinely made me believe how desperate she was for this job. She'd signed a document without reading a single line, and that intrigued me.

I nodded, tucking the papers into my leather briefcase.

When I got home, it felt too quiet. Knowing Charlotte would be in the dining room, I headed there and felt a rush of relief hearing her laughter spill into the hallway. The second she saw me, she leapt from her chair straight into my arms. By instinct, I buried my nose in her golden hair and breathed in. The scent of her calmed me instantly.

“You're home early, Daddy.” She pulled back, her small hands cupping my face.

I studied her features. Her eyes were as clear as the blue sky on a calm day, her golden hair loose and light. A smile spreading across her round little face. Charlotte had been adopted on a winter afternoon when she was six months old, a month after my wife's tragic death. That had been her last wish: to have a daughter.

I did what she wanted, and adopting Charlotte turned out to be the greatest gift my late wife could have ever given me.

The face of the woman I'd hired as a nanny came rushing back into my memory.

I set Charlotte down in her chair, as if trying to shake the thought away. Why did I have the feeling Charlotte reminded me of her?

“I have something to tell you.” I pulled out a chair and sat beside her while Charlotte leaned over to finish her drawing. “I hired a new nanny. She'll be here tomorrow.”

“I don't want a nanny.” She dropped her pencil on the table. “Why can't Aunt Emily take care of me?”

“Because Aunt Emily isn't your mother.” I had to stop and close my eyes for a moment. I'd had this conversation with Charlotte so many times; she already knew the words that were coming next. “She can't take care of you, Charlotte.”

“But you said you're going to marry her…”

“That's still a long way off.” I ran my hands over her arms and smiled, even knowing she hated the idea of having a nanny. “Now finish your drawing. We'll talk more later.”

I turned and walked out quickly, her crying trailing behind me. Charlotte was about to turn four, but she was a child who didn't understand half the things she said. Even so, I always stopped to listen to her; sometimes, I gave in to what she wanted. She had no idea she was an orphan, that her father had died in a terrible car accident three months after she was born, and her mother had died giving birth to her.

I'd never cared to find out who her real parents were; it didn't matter; they were dead, and the dead don't come back to claim what was once theirs. Because of that, I decided I would never tell her about where she came from. I would always be her father, and Charlotte would always be my daughter.

“You took your time getting home.” Emily's voice hit my ears the second I walked through my bedroom door. Her hands reached for me on instinct, and I sidestepped her without thinking twice.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, pulling off my jacket and tossing it onto the bed.

“We're getting married in a few months. What's wrong with me coming to my fiancé's house?”

“I don't recall setting a wedding date.”

“Don't be cruel, Gabriel.” She stepped closer again, her hands sliding up my arm. “Why don't we move things up and get married next weekend?”

“Is that your idea or my mother's?” I caught her wrist and pushed her back. “I need to shower, and when I'm done, I don't want to find you still here.”

“I'll stay and look after Charlotte.” Her voice rose as I turned to head into the shower. “That little girl needs a mother. It's not fair how much you leave her alone.”

“You won't need to worry about that.” I turned my neck and looked her dead in the eyes. “I hired a nanny. She'll be here tomorrow.”

The way Emily's lips pinched shut was the last thing I saw before I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door.