All Chapters of Discarded By The Billionaire: His Biggest Mistake: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

**Leylie’s POV**I rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind me, fumbling to lock it with fingers that wouldn’t stop shaking. I pressed my back against the cold wood, chest heaving like I’d run miles, heart pounding so hard it hurt."What have I done?" I whispered into the empty room. "What the hell is wrong with me?"How could I kiss him?I buried my face in my hands and let out a silent scream of frustration. When I finally looked up at the mirror, the woman staring back looked wrecked. Lips swollen and red, lipstick smeared across my chin, cheeks flushed dark. I looked like someone who’d just been kissed senseless because I had.I turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on my face until the sting brought me back a little. I scrubbed at the makeup, trying to make myself look normal again.My watch said half past ten. There was no way I could go home yet. I had been avoiding Grace since the night she kissed me. I didn’t know what to tell her, and I didn’t want to brea

**Leylie’s POV**"Last night was intense, huh?"I spun around so fast I nearly tripped over my own feet. Maya leaned against the doorframe of our shared bedroom, looking way too awake for a Saturday morning. She had this calm, knowing look on her face that instantly twisted my stomach.“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady as I turned back to the mirror and picked up my body cream."I mean, between you and Grace, the drama, the yelling, the whole thing."I froze, the bottle of body cream in my hands. "What? You heard us?""Who wouldn't?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You guys were loud. Like, neighbors-might-call-the-cops loud.”I shook my head and went back to rubbing cream into my skin, cheeks heating up. “I’m sorry. I thought you were asleep. We didn’t mean to wake you.”“So you really didn’t know Grace was in love with you?"That stopped me cold. I set the bottle down and turned to face her fully. “You knew?”“Of course,” she said casually, pu

**Leylie’s POV**"Ava’s nanny?" I repeated the words in a whisper that barely sounded like my voice. My brain felt like it was glitching, struggling to process what he’d just said.I didn't expect this at all.“Yes,” Hayes said, leaning forward slightly and clasping his hands over his knee. Every move he made was so composed, like he’d rehearsed it a hundred times in his head. “She already has someone who looks after her, but honestly, Ava doesn’t connect with her. She’s just tolerating the woman. I’ve been looking for someone she would actually warm up to, and she hasn’t stopped talking about you since that night at the hotel. I think you’re the right person for the job.”I sat there dumbfounded, my mouth opening and closing like a fish.Me as a nanny? I loved kids; I adored them, really, but I didn’t have any real experience.“Sir, I don’t think I’m the right person for this,” I said, voice trembling slightly. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve worked retail, I’ve… wor

**Hayes POV**I left Leylie Field’s apartment feeling certain I’d get a yes soon. I knew the salary I’d offered would stun her. I hadn’t planned to go that high, but seeing the peeling paint on the walls and the way she carried herself, with her shoulders tense like she was waiting for another bad thing to happen, something shifted in me. Pity, maybe. Or guilt over how Finnian had treated her. That man was a leech, and I was going to make sure he paid for every move he’d made against me.I decided to stop by Matt’s place before heading home. We hadn’t talked since our blowout at the restaurant. He’d called a few times and left voicemails I hadn’t listened to yet. I was still pissed about what he’d said about Red, but I knew we’d get past it. We always did.Twenty-five minutes later, I was sitting in his living room, doing my best not to react to the scene before me. Matt was escorting two women to the door, both still in last night’s clothes, hair messy, makeup smudged, giggling as he

**Hayes’ POV**I sat in that dim private room, the leather chair cool against my back, but my blood was already running hot, and my legs kept tapping the floor impatiently.This was supposed to be my last visit to the Beehive. I told myself I was here for closure, to see her one more time, to prove to myself the pull I felt was just the club atmosphere, then walk away and focus on Ava. But as the bass from the main floor vibrated through the walls, I knew I was lying. She had gotten under my skin. I needed to feel her again and taste her.My pulse hammered in my neck the whole time I waited. The music started low, sultry, matching the red glow of the room, and then the door opened.She stepped in, and I forgot how to breathe.She wore a sheer red bodysuit that clung to every inch of her like a second skin. It was high-necked but completely see-through; the fabric hinted at everything underneath. Thin red satin straps crossed her shoulders, and a deep V cutout plunged down her front, b