Chase Denver ran a hand through his dark spiky hair tousling it for the fifth time today. He was restless and he knew the reason for his anger. He wasn't prepared for the responsibility his grandfather handed over to him.
He knew he promised them he would do anything to save the family business but then…His thoughts were interrupted by a shrieking female. She strutted into his office, her green eyes blazing with fire, her lips pouted in a frown.Her red hair fluttered around her waist and she glared at him ready to breathe fire and brimstone.“Before you say anything, I was just about to call you,” he lied smoothly.“Bullshit!” she snapped, “I called you four hours ago!!”He nodded. “I've been in a meeting since then.”She rolled her eyes. “Save your lies to someone who doesn't know you.”He raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, you got me. I didn't feel like returning your calls, happy now?”She smirked. “I will be after I tell my grandfather that you want our union to fall apart.”Chase sighed. He didn't need her gloating over him seeing as he already had a lot to do.“I’m sorry, Natalie. It's just that there's a lot of work to be done before the wedding.”She arched a perfectly carved brow at him. “There’s also a lot of things to do for this wedding to happen!”Chase nodded. “I’m doing my best to wrap things up at the office.”“Cake testing is in thirty minutes,” she pointed out.“I can't come for it. I have a meeting with an international investor,” he replied.“I’m trying to sell this deal to the public but if you are sure you want to convince them and not have a scandal then you need to put in more effort,” Natalie said with a scathing look.He nodded. “I’m trying my best, Nat but I don't want to lose focus on why I'm doing this in the first place.”She blinked and swallowed hard. “That's what I thought.”“No, Nat. I didn't mean it like that,” he apologized immediately but she waved him off and left.So maybe he wasn't being completely honest. Maybe that was exactly what he meant but still, he couldn't acknowledge that to her not without her grandfather bailing on him.He glanced at his wristwatch and shook his head. He didn't want to arrive home early tonight especially if Leo had succeeded in hiring a stalker who was posing as his daughter’s nanny.He would rather prefer to sneak in at midnight. He sent a quick text to Natalie apologizing then he got back to work.He didn't want anything to distract him from his main goal—his family’s company.***Daddy stealer?!Hailey replayed those words in her ears over and over again as she glanced at the little girl glaring at her.“Hailey, this is Dawn. Dawn your nanny, Hailey,” Leo introduced them quickly.Dawn barely glanced at her before going back to her iPad screen.“Shush, Leo. I'm still researching,” she waved the butler off.Hailey arched a brow at Leo but he told her to remain calm.After waiting for almost fifteen minutes she squinted at her and frowned.“Weird. You’re an internet ghost,” she finally said.Hailey was so happy she didn't find anything even though she was just a six-year-old.“Is that weird good or?” she questioned.The little girl glared at her. “You’re on probation till I decide that I need a nanny like you.”With those words, Hailey watched her as she stomped upstairs.“She can be a handful sometimes but she's really a sweet child,” Leo stated.Hailey gave him a small smile. “Oh no! She's not a handful. I can handle her.”Translation: She’s a little devil who wants me to quit but I’ll make sure she falls for my charms.The man’s smile widened. “I believe I was about to give you a tour of the property.”She nodded. Thank God he had forgotten about his suspicions from earlier at least Dawn helped her in that area.Leo took her around the compound and she fell in love with the pool and the library. The mansion was really big but he only showed her the necessary places like the washing machine room, the kitchen, Dawn’s room, and now her room.“Please rest and come out for dinner,” he informed her, “Your bags are already here.”Then he left her alone in the big room that was big enough to contain ten people. The balcony overlooked the house and it helped her see the sunset.Her phone rang and she saw it was her best friend face-timing her.She answered the call happily and showed her the beautiful room she was in.“I’m glad it worked,” Ciara said with a twinkle in her eyes.Hailey nodded giggling. She hadn't known that she would be able to pull it off.“I would like to take a little rest to calm my nerves and prepare for my meeting with the boss,” she stated.Ciara wished her well and hung up.Hailey bounced on the super fluffy bed and she didn't know when she dozed off.The next time she opened her eyes, everywhere was pitch dark outside. She located her cellphone and turned on the flashlight.She stepped out of her room and wondered why everywhere was pitch dark. Her phone clock showed it was 2 am in the midnight.She went to Dawn’s room and saw her fast asleep. Then she figured the power was out in her room so she headed downstairs to find Leo.Suddenly she heard a sound when she neared the sitting room and she quickly turned off her phone torchlight entering the kitchen and picking up a frying pan.She had lived in the slums for a while to know when someone was sneaking into a house and the footsteps were like someone was sneaking in.She knew her way in the dark and she wasn't surprised when she saw the silhouette of someone standing in the doorway.She acted on instinct when the silhouette came closer to enter the main house. Her hands tightened on the frying pan and she bashed the head.She heard a manly groan followed by the loud thud of a body dropping to the floor. She turned on the lights quickly as she saw a man lying face down on the floor in the sitting room.“Leo!” she screamed in excitement and shock, “Hurry up I caught a burglar!!”The front door flew open and the butler came in his face pale as he had just seen a ghost. Dawn came running down the stairs and stopped, shell-shocked.“What is the matter?” she asked them, surprised at their actions.“I saw this man trying to sneak into the house.”“Hailey, that's not a burglar but my father your boss,” Dawn pointed out with a straight face.Hailey ignored her and turned towards Leo, she wasn’t in the mood for Dawn’s teasing. She saw Leo’s face was still pale and he was gulping like a fish out of water.“Leo?” she called unsurely.“Will someone please call security?!” the deep voice of the man on the floor boomed throughout the sitting room.Hailey gulped in fear.“Right away, boss,” Leo replied.The domineering aura of the man filled the house as he stood up holding his head. He glared at her with intense dislike.“Hello, Sir. I'm your new worker,” she smiled sheepishly at him.First impressions matter after all. But she had a feeling he already had the first impression of her. The impression of her trying to murder him with a frying pan.Oh dear, she might as well kiss her job goodbye!Chase Denver glared at the woman smiling sheepishly before him. He patted the back of his head where she had bumped him on and groaned.He hadn't just gotten a nanny but a stalker too! “I want her out of this house!”Leo stared at him like he was crazy.“But sir, she's the best nanny we’ve gotten so far who doesn't know you,” he cried.Chase hurried up the stairs and headed to his room. He didn't want to have this conversation before her, especially when his head was banging.“My room, Leo!” he snapped.Leo followed him closely and kept muttering how he had a good feeling about the girl who just whacked him over his head with a frying pan in his own house!Finally, they got to his room and he slammed the door before turning to vent his anger on Leo.“How dare you say nice things about her when she's a psycho sent to murder me?!”Leo gave him a weird look. “I know you're upset but you've got to calm down.”Chase glared at him. “You want me to calm down?! I had to hide in the office so
Hailey's expression held her shock, just as Chase stared at her in surprise. She didn't mean it. It was just a reflex action. An automatic response to a kiss she wasn't expecting, wasn't even prepared for, and worst of all, from her boss who believed all the women he'd hired, had come to have sex with him.She was different. Heck, she didn't even know him until today. He was attractive, no doubt. But he was rude, and quite off. Her shock expression had turned to fear, and then remorse when she met Chase's blazing gaze."I...I didn't mean it," she squeaked, stepping back in shock.Gosh Hailey, what have you done?!Why did she slap him? There were many ways to react to an unwanted kiss aside from slapping.Maybe she could have kicked him where the sun never shines.Worst, Hailey.Oh God! She was doomed.Fired Hailey, you're fired! She thought dejectedly."How dare you?" His voice was low, but the anger amplified it. His eyes shot hate lasers, and Hailey was beginning to melt."I'm sorry
By the time Hailey left the manor, it was quite late. She got home tired, and drained by the day's events, and not once did she not repeat the happenings in her head. She could not stop thinking about what Chase said and did.She boarded a taxi down to her apartment, and was still in thoughts till the car had come to a halt before her little apartment. Once she was inside the safety of her house, she undressed, took a quick shower and then microwaved some macaroni and cheese. She ate with a glass of milk, while she tried to catch up with the news.That was the only little distraction she had before her mind returned to thinking of Chase, his sassy daughter, Dawn and then the nice butler, Leo. Given, that house was a little drama of three different personalities in a blend. She had created quite the impression.Speaking of impressions, she had created a really bad impression on her first day. Considering Dawn was being a bit difficult, and her father, Chase had to be an asshole. And, sh
"Dawn!" Hailey called out, placing the ice cream plates on the bench, she went in search of Dawn. At first, she believed the girl was probably playing hide and seek somewhere. Maybe she was beginning to warm up to me, she thought.So she began combing through the park, searching for a certain dark haired six year old with emerald coloured eyes, dressed in a blue floral dress.For thirty good minutes, Hailey combed the entire park, alternating the sides and positions searching for Dawn. She bent, scrunched, and even crawled, moving amongst the playing kids hoping to see Dawn somewhere amongst the crowd of kids, yet the little girl was nowhere to be found.Alarmed by the turn of events, she began to ask the other kids, and adults who sat around if they'd seen a certain dark haired, Emerald green eyed six year old, dressed in a blue floral dress.Firstly, she walked towards a blonde lady who was struggling with fixing the shoelaces of her giggling son, who seemed happy with stressing his
Where the park was situated was a good distance from Denver's Headquarters in New York City. And since, Chase took his daughter almost everywhere; for walks, drives and several outings, the six year old was quite conversant with some parts of the city.Dawn had watched Hailey stroll away to get the ice cream, she'd waited for just the right opportunity to make Hailey look bad, so her father would have every cause to fire her.To her, Hailey was nothing but a Daddy stealer, just like Natalie, and every other nanny that they had hired. Hailey was happy when she requested chocolate flavour, and had gone to get the ice cream. Only that Dawn's favourite was actually mint, and the unsuspecting girl had left Dawn to carry out her mission.Quickly, she'd left the bench and ran all the way out of the park, and had headed straight to her father's office. By the time she got to the Office, she was breathless and her little legs shook at the strenuous exercise she had undergone.The security g
Hailey felt like dying.She was sure Chase would arrest her for not taking proper care of his daughter. They had searched all over the park again, and outside the streets, asking if anyone saw Dawn. But, it looks like the six year old just disappeared into thin air.No trace of her or anything."Shouldn't we go to the police station?" Ciara asked her friend at some point."And turn myself in?" Hailey questioned with tears filled eyes."What do you mean by turning yourself in? You're not a criminal," Ciara started in confusion."No, I'm not. But, it was my carelessness that caused her disappearance. If only I had stayed at home with her, then I would not be in this situation," She lamented.Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. Hailey was a brave girl, and her friend could notice how she struggled to maintain her brave front."Hailey, it's not your fault Dawn went missing. You were only trying to be nice. If she had stayed put, then we wouldn't have been searching for her for close t
Hailey had spent a few more minutes to collect herself properly, before deciding to return to the mansion. Ciara had hailed a taxi, but just when she was about to enter, Hailey stopped her."Go home, Cee. You have done more than enough for me today," She said, touching her shoulder lightly."You can't just go alone. I would be there for moral support," Ciara reasoned."My boss will be more pissed if I brought you along. I think I should handle this on my own." Hailey said with some sort of resolve."But--are you sure?" Ciara pressed doubtfully "I could wait outside the building. I don't want you breaking down before your boss," her voice held concern, and Hailey's heart melted.Pulling her friend closer, she hugged her tightly. Ciara returned the hug patting her back reassuringly."I'm going to be fine. Now, you just go home, take a shower, eat and rest those legs," Hailey said with a small smile.Ciara nodded, fixing a little smile as Hailey detached from her then slid into the wait
"You're a whore!""A cheap slut!""Get the fuck out of my house before I call the security on you!""You're fired!"The angry outbursts of Chase rang in her head, repeating each word like a broken record. Maybe she was wrong in taking Dawn out after all. Maybe, she could have taken her to the ice cream stand instead. Maybe she could not have taken this job. She should have left on that first day."You are a cheap slut!" Something in her snapped at those words. Her only crime was taking a child he had spoiled out to have fun, and this was what she got in return?"I said get the fuck out of my --""Enough!" Hailey cut him short, her teary eyes now blazed in anger. She couldn't take any more insults from him, or anyone. He was just her boss, and even if her pay was a whooping sum of multiple zeros, she would not be reduced to nothing.On a normal day, she would not be subjected to this kind of job, boss or environment. She was a journalist for crying out loud, not some hobo, or a call gi