EVANGELINE."White? Axel White? The- White??" I asked, bewildered, barely trying to hide my confusion. The walls seemed to shrink around me, and I felt like the most miniature thing in the room.Axel, with his hands still in the towel, turned around and came to sit opposite me. His eyes ushered me back into my seat. I picked up the purse I didn't realize I had dropped and clutched it tight."So…" Axel's hoarse voice broke through the silent air. He finally pulled the towel off his hair and placed it on the couch, then he reached the table next to him and picked up the piece of paper on it. "Did you lose the glasses? I must say…that was the only reason I didn't recognize you.""Uh-?"He studied the paper. "The passport you applied with. You look like a nerd in it, contrary to the wild personality I was opportune to meet, Evangeline.""That w-was uhm-" I gulped hard. For no fucking reason, I could feel the heat creeping up my face, and I hoped it wasn't obvious. "That picture has exis

EVANGELINE.Day one as a nanny to a woman that I barely even know. Google had told me to dress smartly after countless hours of research. I needed perfection. Something to soften up that rigid woman.It also stated that I picked a friendly color to lessen the tension in the atmosphere. The color white, especially, but Mrs. White hated white, and I began to wonder how much more was going to be different about dealing with her. She gave me the vibes of an older version of Marilyn Monroe, except with severe mental issues, but I do not judge.So I chose baby pink, a jumpsuit with slightly off shoulders yet comfy. I've had it in my wardrobe for a while, and it was safe to say it suited me perfectly— according to my personal stylist, Harper. With unbelievable speed, a week had passed since the deal had been finalized. Mr. Isaac reached out to me via email yesterday, again, asking for my schedule and that his boss would want to meet me. That made me feel a little queasy, especially after th

EVANGELINE.His face lit up upon her arrival, and I was shocked beyond words, bile rising in my throat as the lady called out to Axel, thereby cutting off our conversation, or whatever that talk was. Like a person who walked out of the Barbie movie, she was. Pale skin, straight blonde hair, and a dress that seemed like the inspiration was taken from photos of the milky way. She posed by the doorway, her hands resting on her hips while she wore a luscious smile to draw him in.I absorbed her thin, wiry frame and how elegant it made her look, although her face had been baked. She was beautiful— and it made me feel queasy. Why did I feel queasy!?A smile snaked Axel's lips as he looked at her, then at me, reading the shock off my face— I tried to hide it, but my lips remained parted. Why was I even shocked? I had nothing to do with his business. Still, as I told myself that, I couldn't shake off that bitter feeling that blossomed in my chest.I threw him a questioning look contrary to

EVANGELINE.Asher's words bounced off my ears and died down in a ringing echo. Even though he was just a seat away from me, I could have sworn that I had heard wrong. I shuffled in my seat, moving the pillow on my leg to the other chair."I don't get…it," I croaked. "What do you mean??"He tensed up a bit, reacting like he was baffled by my question or didn't expect it. Who the fuck just woke up and decided to sponsor a random kid!? "I want to…sponsor him throughout the years of his education," Asher spelled out again, emphasizing every word, and I stared wide-eyed, processing really slowly all he'd said. "You want to sponsor him throughout the years of his education? My…brother, Marcus. You want to sponsor him throughout the years of his education!?" I repeated like a broken record, and my voice came out a disgusting squeal. Ditching the seat once more, I rose to my feet. "Why?""Why?""Yeah…" I nodded, my head heavy with thoughts. "Why? W-why do you want to help him? Why are you h

EVANGELINE.Everything had happened so fast, like a dream. I'd been immersed in my work when I heard some ruckus happening at the front of the office— of course, I plugged in my AirPods deeper since I didn't want to be a part of whatever was going on. That lasted up until a minute before someone nudged me, signaling to the front space.I'd been awed. I rose from my seat and waddled past the compartments, looking forward to seeing what they were talking about. Most of my coworkers were on their feet, and they faced the same direction— the front of the office. Due to the size of the room, it wasn't easy to see what was before me till I reached the front, and my jaw dropped to the floor.Right before me, in my face, was Axel and the big bouquet of red roses in his hands. He looked like his usual gorgeous self, in a casual fit and his intentionally disheveled hair that perfected his bookish playboy look. I needed not to say my breath was caught in my throat, but it was, because of someone