All Chapters of Babysitting The CEO's Daughter : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

Right over her desk, squinting at the financial reports scattered across the mahogany surface. The numbers blurred together after hours of reviewing quarterly projections, and she rubbed her temples, feeling the familiar tension headache building behind her eyes. The afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Xavier's corner office, casting long shadows across the papers that seemed to multiply rather than diminish no matter how many she processed.She was so absorbed in trying to make sense of the discrepancies in the Johnson account that she didn't hear the soft click of the office door closing, or the deliberate turn of the lock. It wasn't until she felt the familiar warmth of a presence behind her that her body tensed with awareness."Don't turn around," Xavier's voice was low, rougher than his usual professional tone, and it sent an immediate shiver down her spine."Xavier," she whispered, her hands stilling on the papers. "We're at work. Someone might come in

Daddy. What are you thinking so deeply about? Am I a burden to you?"The words hit me like bullets to the chest. Ten years old and she's asking me if she's a burden. Christ, what kind of father does that make me?I stared down at her pale face, those enormous eyes that seemed to see too much, know too much. She was waiting for an answer, and I had nothing. Nothing but the churning guilt in my gut and the taste of Montana still lingering in my mouth."No, sweetheart," I managed, my voice rougher than I intended. "You're not a burden. You could never be a burden."But even as I said it, I wondered if she could smell the lie on me. Kids were supposed to be innocent, trusting. This one looked at me like she was reading my soul and finding it wanting.I crouched down to her level, ignoring Montana's satisfied smirk behind me. This should have been a moment of connection, father and daughter finally meeting properly. Instead, all I could think about was Jemaya's face when she'd caught me wi

The Weight of Unspoken TruthsThe dinner plates clinked softly against each other as I cleared the table, the sound echoing in the quiet kitchen. Loise had barely touched her pasta, pushing the spirals around her plate while humming some tune she'd learned at school. The overhead light cast a warm glow over everything, making the moment feel deceptively peaceful."Can we read now?" Loise asked, sliding down from her chair with the boundless energy that only children seemed to possess, even when they were clearly tired."Of course, sweetheart. Go brush your teeth first, and I'll meet you in your room."I watched her skip down the hallway, her small feet padding against the hardwood floor, and felt that familiar tug in my chest—the one that reminded me this wasn't my life, not really. I was just borrowing it, living in the spaces between someone else's reality.By the time I finished loading the dishwasher and made my way to Loise's bedroom, she was already curled up under her lavender

Xavier's POVI was reviewing quarterly projections in my home office when Loise's scream pierced through the evening quiet like a knife. The sound was primal, terrified—the kind of scream that turns every parent's blood to ice.I was out of my chair and running before I'd even processed the thought, taking the stairs three at a time toward the pool area where the sound had come from. My heart hammered against my ribs as worst-case scenarios flashed through my mind."Loise!" I shouted, bursting through the patio doors.That's when I saw her—Nicole—floating face-down in the pool, completely motionless.The world stopped.Every rational thought evaporated as pure panic flooded my system. I didn't think, didn't calculate, didn't consider—I just moved. I hit the water in a running dive, still fully clothed, my only focus getting to her before it was too late.The water was shockingly cold, but I barely registered it as I reached her in three powerful strokes. She was limp, unresponsive, an

Xavier's POVThe days following Nicole's disappearance blurred together in a haze of frustration and growing panic. Marcus's security team had expanded their search, but every lead turned into another dead end. The bus to Chicago, a brief stop at a shopping mall where she'd purchased warm clothes, a meal at a diner where the waitress barely remembered her, and then... nothing. It was as if she'd simply vanished into thin air.I found myself pacing my office at all hours, unable to concentrate on even the most basic business decisions. Board meetings became exercises in pretending I was present while my mind churned through possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last.*She's in danger.* The thought had taken root in my mind and grown into an obsession. Nicole wasn't the type of person to simply disappear without a trace. She was methodical, careful, the kind of woman who left detailed notes about Loise's schedule and favorite foods. She wouldn't just vanish unless something h