"I'm really sorry on behalf of Garren's behavior towards you," Aunt Esther said in an apologetic voice. So Garren is his name... I wasn't able to hear it clearly earlier because my mind was too preoccupied. When he asked me who I was, I was tongue-tied and couldn't answer his question. If it wasn't for Aunt Esther who arrived at that scene, I would still be stupefied. You can't blame me, though. It never crossed my mind that we would meet again. I don't know if the universe is in the mood to play with me or if this is just a mere coincidence. I'm leaning more towards the latter. I shammed a smile. "No worries. I know that he's just shocked." "What are you doing there anyway?" I cleared my throat. "I wanted to see the garden at the back. I wasn't aware that he was there." She handed me the glass of juice. "Garren often swims whenever he has no work and just stays at home. It's kind of his stress reliever." I nod and keep in mind to avoid going on the back of the house whenever
"Woah." I couldn't help but be in awe as we stopped in front of Greyson's school, Ridley Academy. The tall silver gate stands proudly in front of us. Even from the outside, anyone can attest that only the opulent can afford to study here. I've already seen numerous huge buildings before, but this is the first time I saw such an enormous university. The school where I used to study may appear like a dot compared to this. "Close your mouth, Cleo. A bug might fly inside it," Greyson teased me, giggling. I laughed. "You can't blame me. Your school is really huge." After Uncle Oliver parked the car, we headed inside, blending among the throng of students. I held Greyson's hands tightly, afraid that I might lose him. I will surely not see the sun tomorrow if something bad happens to him under my care. Garren will open the gates of hell and wreak havoc. "Greyson!" Someone called his name; it's a girl smiling brightly at him. I looked at Greyson, and my eyebrows arched when I
"You seriously look like a zombie right now." I glared at my brother through the screen. "Do you feel the need to mention that every damn minute?" Archeus chuckled. "I guess so." Earlier this morning, he called me and said that he had good news. "Whatever. So how's your science congress?" "Well, that's actually the main reason why I called you." I hummed. "Spill it." "Wait." He disappeared from the screen, and after a while, he came back with a trophy in his left hand. My eyes widened. "Wait, don't tell me..." A smug grin appeared on his face. "I won the research congress." My lips curled into a wide smile. "Oh my God! Congratulations, Arch! I'm so freaking proud of you! Come here, let your sister give you a kiss." The smile on his face faded. "You just ruined the moment," he said, feigning a disgusted face. I glared at him. "You're so rude! I was just asking for a kiss. Just in case you forgot, if it wasn't for me, you would not be able to attend that event." "My deepest
Two days had passed like a whirlwind. It's been almost two weeks since I started working as Greyson's nanny, and I'm starting to get a grip on my new job. I became closer with the people inside the mansion, except of course for one particular person that I don't need to name who. "Cleo, can you please buy me a soda?" Greyson requested out of the blue while he's having lunch. "But you already have orange juice here." He pouted. "I'm getting tired of it. Can't I try something new?" I want to refuse because Aunt Esther strictly told me that I should avoid giving him soft drinks, but how can I refuse him if he's acting cute? I sighed. "Fine. But just this once, alright? And you can't tell anyone about it. Both of us will be a dead meat if they know." He nodded his head fervently. "I promise!" I hurriedly walked to the cafeteria and went straight to the beverage section. My socks were knocked off when I saw the whooping prices of the drinks—$10 for freaking bottled water?!
I gently kissed Greyson's forehead and turned the lights off before I left his room. I climbed downstairs and went straight to the kitchen, where I found Aunt Esther making coffee. "How's the kid?" she asked me. I already told her what happened. "He's sleeping in his room already." I sighed heavily. "He told me that he's fine, but I'm still worried about him." She offered me a cup of coffee, but I refused because I would certainly have a hard time sleeping if I drank it "Did he tell you what his reason was for punching that kid?" she asked. I shook my head. "Unfortunately, he always avoids my questions related to that. But I'm confident that he would not do such a thing without any valid reasons." "You're absolutely right. Greyson is a logical kid," she declared. "But how about you? Are you alright? Oliver told me that you also got into a scuffle." I smiled sheepishly. "I wasn't hurt at all, aunt. Don't worry about me. But you know what? I'm still angry about that woman who hu
"It hasn't been a month and my son is already this close to you. What did you feed him?" I internally rolled my eyes. I know for a fact that his question has a negative connotation. The tone of his voice alone can already attest to that. "Perhaps I'm just good at dealing with kids." I shammed a smile. A disturbing silence rose between the two of us for a couple of moments. "Cleo," he suddenly called my name. I heaved out a deep sigh. "Sir, if you're going to apologize for calling me offensive names a while ago, keep it to yourself for now. I won't fake my attitude and say that it was nothing, because your words really made my hackles rise." I took a short pause and looked at him straight in the eye. "So I'm sorry, but I don't think I can instantly give the forgiveness that you're asking." I want to applaud myself for having the courage to say those words right in front of my boss's face. "What the fuck are you saying?" I was taken aback when he asked that. Did I say something
"I've already lost count of how many times you sighed." My train of thoughts was disrupted when Cynthia, who's sitting beside me, spoke. We are currently in the front yard of the mansion. The warm rays of the Saturday sun is fondling on my face. "Come on, tell me what's bothering you. Maybe I can help and give you advices." I arched a brow and threw her a dubious look. "I doubt that you can do that." She rolled her eyes. "Shut up. I can be sane and normal sometimes, you know. On a serious note, spill what's on your mind." I pursed my lips together, thinking. Cynthia has been working for the Montreal family longer than me. So perhaps she can really give light to my questions. I took a deep breath. "Have you met Greyson's mother before?" I know that Aunt Esther forbade me to talk about her, but the conversation that I had with Greyson two days ago has been bothering me, and I couldn't stop my curiosity from kicking in. The smile on Cynthia's face faded, and that's whe
"Yes! I won!" Greyson's triumphant shout made me smile. He's currently playing this game called Space Invader. "Uncle! Cleo! I killed all the aliens and the final boss!" Xavier tousled his hair. "You know what? I'll bring you an arcade next time. You seem to really enjoy playing these games." "Really?" Greyson's eyes are sparkling. "I promise." The former's smile suddenly faded. "But dad will surely disagree if you buy me one. He doesn't even want me to have a PS5." "Don't mind him. I will punch him if he confiscates your gadgets." I shook my head. If I hadn't known who they are, I would have assumed that Xavier is his biological father. We didn't stay any longer at the mall, as it was already past twelve. After we exchanged the arcade tickets for the Stitch stuffed toy that Greyson wanted, we ate at a fast food restaurant for lunch and went home. "Thank you for this day, sir-" He jokingly glared at me. "I mean, Xavier. Greyson surely appreciates your presenc