Chapter 1

Olivia

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and turned the ignition again. The engine sputtered violently before dying with a pathetic cough.

“No. Absolutely not today,” I groaned, smacking the dashboard. “You cannot do this to me right now.”

The ancient Honda had been barely surviving for months. Every strange noise, every flickering light, every shaky start felt like a warning that the car’s final breath was coming soon. Unfortunately for me, I couldn’t afford for today to be that day.

Not when I had an interview.

Not when this job could change everything.

I tried the ignition one more time.

Nothing.

I let my forehead fall against the steering wheel with a defeated sigh.

“Perfect.”

If I somehow impressed the people I was about to meet, maybe I could finally afford something that didn’t sound like it was actively dying every time I drove it.

Another sputter. Another failure.

Great. Now I had to take the bus and walk through town looking like a disaster before even stepping foot into this interview.

I inhaled slowly, forcing myself not to cry from frustration, and reached into the back seat for my umbrella.

That was when the first drops of rain smacked against the windshield.

I stared upward in disbelief.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

Rain. Of course it would rain today.

With my luck lately, I honestly should have expected lightning too.

I climbed out of the car and hurried toward the nearest bus stop, clutching my bag against my chest.

My life hadn’t always looked like this.

Three years ago, I’d been a normal college student. I worried about exams, roommates, and whether I had enough money for late-night takeout. My biggest concern used to be passing biology.

Then everything changed in a single afternoon.

My parents had gone grocery shopping when a truck lost control on the highway.

My mother and the truck driver died instantly.

My father survived.

At least physically.

The man who came home from the hospital wasn’t really my dad anymore.

Grief hollowed him out until alcohol became the only thing he cared about. He drank through the mornings, afternoons, and nights until eventually he lost his job entirely. Bills piled up faster than I could keep track of them, and every conversation turned into shouting or silence.

College disappeared from my life almost overnight.

I dropped out because someone had to hold everything together.

At twenty years old, I worked whatever jobs I could find just to keep the lights on and food in the refrigerator. Waitressing. Grocery stocking. Cleaning houses. Anything that paid.

But no matter how hard I worked, it never felt like enough.

And honestly?

I was exhausted.

I loved my father, but I couldn’t keep drowning beside him.

That was why this nanny position mattered so much.

The Hawthorne family was offering full-time pay, free room and board, and more money than I’d ever made in my life. Living on their estate would mean finally escaping the constant pressure at home. Maybe if my father stopped depending on my income for alcohol, he’d finally be forced to sober up.

Maybe that was naïve.

But I missed my dad.

The real one.

And selfishly, I missed having a life of my own too.

The Hawthornes practically ruled this town. Their name carried weight everywhere. People bent over backward to impress them. Even working for them as a nanny would open doors most people in this town only dreamed about.

So despite the rain soaking through my clothes and the humiliation waiting for me at the end of this walk, I kept going.

After the bus finally dropped me off, I stared down the long winding road leading toward the Hawthorne estate.

The mansion sat far from the main road, hidden behind massive iron gates and towering trees.

Of course it did.

I adjusted my umbrella and started walking.

Cold rain seeped through my leggings and tunic within minutes. My shoes squished with every step, and my hair clung to my cheeks in wet curls.

By the time I reached the gates, I looked like I’d survived a hurricane.

I pressed the intercom button anyway.

A deep male voice crackled through the speaker.

“Yes?”

I stepped closer. “My name is Olivia Carter. I’m here for the nanny interview.”

A camera above the gate shifted toward me.

Then another voice came through the speaker—a woman this time.

“Did you walk here?”

I hesitated. “My car broke down.”

There was a long pause.

Then the woman muttered, “Good heavens.”

The gates slowly opened.

Relief rushed through me so hard my knees almost buckled.

“Thank you,” I whispered before hurrying up the long driveway.

The mansion was even bigger up close.

It looked less like a home and more like something pulled from an old movie—massive stone walls, towering windows, perfectly trimmed hedges, and enough luxury to make me painfully aware of how little I owned.

I reached the front door and rang the bell.

Almost immediately, a tall man in a dark suit opened it.

A butler.

Naturally.

“Miss Carter?” he asked politely.

I nodded and folded my dripping umbrella.

“Please come inside.”

The warmth of the mansion hit me instantly as I stepped into the enormous entryway. Marble floors gleamed beneath crystal chandeliers, and expensive artwork lined the walls.

I suddenly became very aware of my soaked clothes and cheap shoes.

“You’ll catch pneumonia standing there, miss,” the butler said kindly. “One moment.”

I looked down at myself in embarrassment.

Black leggings. White tunic. Completely soaked through.

Fantastic first impression.

The butler returned with a towel and handed it to me. “Here.”

“Thank you,” I said softly.

As I dried off, I noticed the puddle forming beneath my feet and immediately crouched to wipe it up.

“Oh no, miss, please don’t trouble yourself,” the butler said quickly. “I’ll take care of it.”

I straightened up instantly. “Sorry.”

“No apology necessary. Please follow me.”

I trailed behind him through the massive house, trying not to stare too obviously at everything around me.

I already knew the basics about the Hawthorne family. Everyone in town did.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne had four sons—two sets of twins born barely a year apart. All of them were around my age, and all of them had reputations ranging from charming to completely terrifying depending on who you asked.

Then there was their youngest child.

Five-year-old Lily Hawthorne.

The nanny position was for her.

From what people said, Lily was the princess of the family—not just because she was the only girl, but because there was such a massive age gap between her and her brothers.

The butler stopped outside a large office and opened the door.

Inside stood a stunning blonde woman in an elegant cream-colored dress.

Her sharp blue eyes immediately swept over me from head to toe.

“Mrs. Hawthorne,” the butler said smoothly, “this is Olivia Carter. She’s here regarding the nanny position for Miss Lily.”

“Thank you, Thomas,” she replied before turning her attention fully toward me. “Please, come in.”

I stepped farther into the office.

Mrs. Hawthorne motioned toward the chair across from her desk.

I sat carefully, trying not to drip water onto anything expensive.

The woman studied me for another long moment before finally speaking.

“I have to admit,” she said, leaning back slightly, “you certainly made an impression walking here in the middle of a storm.”

One elegant brow lifted.

“I just haven’t decided yet whether that makes you determined… or reckless.”