Chapter 07

POV Clarice

The strong wind hit the back of my head, tousling my hair. I ran a slightly sweaty hand over it to smooth it down and kept walking, clutching my bag to my chest, chin level, eyes forward.

I checked the time on my wristwatch; still ten minutes to go. I looked up at the building ahead of me. Lancaster Company wasn't just another company—it was my family's biggest competitor. When I took over the business and became CEO, I tried to be better than them, tried to reach the top, and leave them behind. I failed at every single one of my missions.

To the world, Clarice Bragança was dead, and the business she'd fought so hard to keep standing was a shadow of what she'd once dreamed it could be. Three years invisible, watching the world she'd dreamed of crumble around her.

Today was supposed to be the start of getting it all back.

I approached the building's entrance, looking for a quiet wall to lean against. This was my plan for today: meet my daughter and become her nanny. I was so close to what I'd longed for that I could hardly believe it.

I closed my eyes as my chest burned. My heart raced out of control, a feeling I already knew all too well. A shiver ran down my spine. When I opened my eyes, he was there.

Gabriel Lancaster stood on the other side of the street.

He got out of the car and checked the time on his wristwatch, one hand resting in his pocket. For exactly two seconds, his gaze swept over the city landscape before finally landing on me.

Still four minutes to go. My breath caught.

He crossed the street and walked toward me. I did everything I could not to look at him. I was still terrified he'd recognize me, that he'd connect the dots and realize I was his daughter's mother, here to take her back.

A second later, he was standing in front of me. The car pulled up beside us; he opened the door for me to get in. I fought to steady my breathing as I met his eyes, then glanced into the vehicle, hoping to catch a glimpse of my daughter somewhere inside.

Only the driver was in the car.

“Get in, Ms. Scarlet.” His tone was sharp and impatient. “I don't have much time.”

I didn't say a word, didn't pull away like I desperately wanted to. I tightened my grip on my purse strap and shifted my body into the vehicle, the door shutting behind me a second later. I was under Gabriel Lancaster's control—the man I'd always wanted to dominate in the business world—and now he had control over me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

It was the price I'd pay to get my daughter back.

He walked around the car and sat down beside me. His cologne filled my nose; my heart dropped into my stomach as the car started moving.

“Where are we going?” I asked, not looking at him.

“To my house.” He answered quickly. “You should know I keep my daughter's life very private. No photos of her in the papers, none on social media. Her face stays hidden from the world, with the promise that I'll ruin the life of anyone who makes that public.”

“What do you mean by that?” A knot choked my throat as he leaned toward me, bringing his lips close to my ear.

“If you'd read the employment contract, Ms. Scarlet, you wouldn't be asking me a stupid question like that.”

His warm breath heated my face for a second before he pulled back.

“I'm placing the most precious thing I have into your hands.” I turned quickly to look at him. “I'm giving you a vote of confidence. Don't waste it. You don't want me as your enemy.”

That was a threat, like he could somehow predict my intentions. He turned his head and shot me a look, cold and sharp as a blade. That man wasn't playing around, and I knew defying him wasn't an option.

He pulled a briefcase from by his feet and took out a folder, handing it to me.

“Every schedule my daughter needs to follow throughout the day is written in there. A driver will always be available to you for any emergency.” I took the folder he kept insistently holding out to me. “Do everything written in there. The two of you will be accompanied by a security guard at all times. Nothing happens outside that schedule without my authorization.”

My eyes dropped to the folder. This had to be some kind of joke. Security? A driver? What kind of prison was this man locking my daughter into?

“Do you understand my orders?”

How would I save her? How would I get her out of this place?

“Are you listening to me?” The car stopped as I stared at him, startled. My eyes welled up, threatening to spill over and reveal every feeling running through me.

“I understand, sir.” I answered, pressing my tongue to the roof of my mouth, holding back all the hatred flooding through me before it could spill past my lips.

It still wasn't the time to ask questions or to look for a way out. I just needed to get into that house and meet my daughter. I watched Gabriel step out of the car and the door beside me open.

I climbed out of the vehicle, my knees shaking uncontrollably. When I lifted my head, I found myself facing a mansion.

“Let's go.” He ordered, walking toward the entrance; my legs could barely obey me. “It's time for you to meet Charlotte, my daughter.”