Chapter 3

​The moment the Rolls-Royce door shut behind her, Valerius knew she had just made a terrible decision. She cursed quietly under her breath and leaned back against the leather seat, folding her arms tightly across her chest. 

In the end, she still got into the car.

Not because Gideon had forced her to, but because the salary he offered was too difficult to refuse.

Rent was due tomorrow morning, and Osias was still being hunted by loan sharks. Valerius knew she couldn’t afford to be picky anymore.

​Silence filled the car as Manhattan’s glowing streets blurred past outside the tinted windows. Beside her, Gideon sat calmly, watching her without saying a word. The silence inside the car quickly became uncomfortable.

A moment later, Valerius slipped a hand into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Her fingers moved quickly as she typed out a short message to Osias.

[I can’t come home tonight.]

​Gideon’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Texting your boyfriend?” he asked coldly. “Or your husband?”

​Valerius let out an annoyed scoff and immediately tilted the phone away from him. “None of your business, Mister.” She shoved the phone back into her pocket before turning toward the window again.

​For several seconds, neither of them spoke. Then curiosity finally got the better of her. “So,” Valerius asked flatly, “how old is this kid I’m supposed to babysit?”

​Gideon adjusted his posture slightly, his gaze still fixed ahead. “She’s five.”

Valerius almost cursed under her breath.

Five-year-olds were loud, emotional, and exhausting. She had no idea how to deal with children like that. Debt collectors, drunken men, filthy motel rooms. Those were things she understood.

Still, it was too late to back out now.

​After nearly thirty minutes of silence, the Rolls-Royce finally slowed. Valerius frowned slightly as the car passed through massive iron gates guarded by several men in black suits. A huge marble fountain stood in the center of the driveway. Then the mansion came into view.

​Valerius froze. The estate looked enormous beneath the glowing lights. Tall white pillars stretched upward beside massive glass windows, while luxury cars lined the entrance like something out of a movie. 

For a brief second, she genuinely forgot how to breathe. This place looked nothing like the world she came from.

​A servant quickly opened the car door for her. Valerius stepped outside slowly, staring up at the mansion in disbelief. She had spent the last five years living in a tiny apartment with leaking ceilings, broken electricity, and mold growing along the walls. Compared to that, this place looked unreal.

Beside her, Gideon quietly watched her reaction.

The Evanthe he once knew had grown up surrounded by wealth. Nothing about this mansion should have impressed her.

So why was this woman staring at it like she had never seen a place like this before?

“You look out of place here,” Gideon said calmly.

The words immediately pulled Valerius out of her thoughts.

She looked at him briefly. “Because I am. I grew up in neighborhoods people like you wouldn’t even drive through.”

Her expression hardened slightly. “You have no idea what it’s like worrying about rent or wondering if you’ll have enough money to eat the next day.”

Gideon fell silent as he studied her beneath the mansion lights.

He had spent years around liars, gold diggers, and people pretending to be someone else. But when he looked into Valerius’s eyes, he saw none of that. No calculation. No carefully planned act. She looked exhausted more than anything else.

And somehow, that unsettled him more than anger should have.

Without another word, Gideon turned and walked toward the mansion entrance before glancing back at her briefly.  

“Come inside.”

​Valerius took a slow breath before following him up the stairs. The massive doors opened almost immediately. Warm light spilled across polished marble floors and crystal chandeliers hanging high above the grand hall.

But the moment they stepped inside, the woman near the living room sofa suddenly froze.

She was dressed in an expensive pastel gown, and only seconds earlier, her face had brightened at the sight of Gideon.

“Gideon, you’re finally back—”

​The words died in her throat. Her eyes landed on Valerius. Her face immediately went pale. “...Evanthe?” she whispered in horror.

Valerius frowned slightly. 

That was the second person tonight who had called her by that name.

​The woman took a shaky step backward before turning toward Gideon. “Gideon...” Her voice trembled. “Why did you bring her back?”

Gideon’s expression remained cold and unreadable. He didn’t even look at the terrified woman standing in front of him. Instead, his eyes stayed fixed on Valerius.

“Starting tonight,” Gideon said calmly, “she’ll be taking care of Alethea.”