Mr HAYES' Last Chance: The Billionaire's nanny.

The ride back to Hayes Mansion was quiet, but the silence inside the car was nothing like the peaceful one that had settled over them on previous evenings. Lily slept soundly against Adrian's chest, one hand curled around the lapel of his jacket. Ariana sat across from them, watching the city pass beyond the window while Adrian's phone remained in his hand. He had said very little since receiving Mark's message. That alone told her the situation was serious. Adrian was not a man who allowed worry to show easily. He buried it beneath work, instructions and decisions, but tonight the tension in his jaw had remained even after they left the hotel. Ariana finally looked at him. “Is Lily safe?” His eyes lifted. “Yes.” The answer came immediately. Ariana nodded, but she could tell he had deliberately avoided the question behind hers. Was she safe? Was the mansion safe? Was the warning connected to what had happened at the gala? She decided not to ask. Adrian looked down at Lily instead. His expression softened when he saw her sleeping face, and for a moment the powerful businessman disappeared behind the exhausted father who had spent years making sure nothing happened to his daughter. When they arrived at the mansion, he carried Lily upstairs himself. Ariana followed only long enough to take Button to her room. When she returned to the hallway, Adrian was already coming back down. Their eyes met. “Thank you for tonight,” he said. It was probably the longest expression of gratitude he had given her since she arrived. Ariana smiled faintly. “She had fun.” “She did.” His gaze rested on her for a moment before he moved past her. “Good night, Miss Hart.” “Good night, Mr. Hayes.” The distance between them remained. But tonight, it felt slightly less cold. --- Morning brought the mansion back to its usual rhythm. Lily woke determined to tell Martha every detail of the gala, including the fact that Button had behaved better than several grown adults. By breakfast, she had already recreated the children's performance with a wooden spoon as a microphone, forcing Ariana to sit through the entire show while Martha laughed from the kitchen. Adrian heard the commotion as he came downstairs. He stopped at the entrance to the breakfast room, watching his daughter perform with complete seriousness. Ariana noticed him first. Her laughter faded into a smile. Lily turned around. “Daddy! You missed my concert.” “I can see that.” “You have to sit.” Adrian glanced at his watch. He had a meeting in forty minutes. Lily stared at him with the kind of expectation that made refusing considerably harder. After a brief pause, he sat. Ariana watched from across the table as Lily climbed onto the chair beside him and began her performance again. Adrian listened. He didn't smile much. He didn't applaud loudly. But he stayed until the performance ended. For Lily, that was enough. --- At Hayes Enterprise, the mood was considerably less relaxed. Adrian had barely entered his office when Mark handed him the report from the gala security team. The unauthorized access had been traced to a temporary account created for event administration, but whoever had used it had covered their tracks carefully. No name, no photograph and no usable digital trail remained. There was, however, one detail that concerned Adrian. The account had accessed more than the guest list. It had opened the private seating arrangements for several major donors, including Adrian's table. And someone had specifically viewed Lily's name. Adrian's expression hardened. “Who had access?” “Foundation staff, hotel administration and the event coordination team.” “Everyone gets investigated.” Mark nodded. Adrian turned toward the window. The gala had been crowded enough for anyone to disappear among the guests. That made the situation worse, not better. His daughter had been surrounded by strangers for hours. And someone had been watching. Before he could say anything else, the door opened. Olivia Sterling stepped inside. She was one of Hayes Enterprise's Senior Strategy Managers, a position she had earned through years of exceptional work. Unlike the executives who tried to impress Adrian, Olivia had learned early that he valued results more than charm. She was composed, intelligent and careful with every word she spoke around him. And she had spent years quietly carrying a feeling she had never allowed herself to reveal. She had admired Adrian long before anyone in the company knew her name. Perhaps that was why she had never confessed it. Adrian Hayes was her employer, her superior and a man whose personal life was far too complicated for her to intrude upon. She had watched him marry Sophia, watched the marriage collapse, and watched him rebuild his life around Lily. Whatever she felt, she kept it buried beneath professionalism. “Mr. Hayes,” she said, placing a folder on his desk. “The Sterling revisions.” Adrian accepted it. “Thank you.” Olivia remained standing. “Their team wants confirmation before tomorrow's meeting.” “You'll have it by this afternoon.” She nodded. Her eyes briefly moved toward the report on his desk. “Is there a problem?” “Security issue at the gala.” Olivia's expression changed. “Was Lily involved?” Adrian looked up. The concern in Olivia's voice was genuine. “She wasn't harmed.” Olivia relaxed slightly. “I'm glad.” Adrian closed the folder. “You can go.” “Of course.” She turned toward the door. For the briefest moment, she looked back at him. Adrian was already reading the report again. Olivia lowered her eyes and left. Whatever she felt remained exactly where she had always kept it. Hidden. --- Lucas arrived several minutes later and immediately noticed the report. “You've got that look.” Adrian didn't look up. “What look?” “The one that usually means someone is about to lose a company.” Lucas took the chair opposite him and scanned the papers. When Adrian explained what had happened, the humor disappeared from Lucas's face. “This is getting too close.” “I know.” “You want me to increase security around Lily?” “Already done.” “And Ariana?” Adrian paused. The question shouldn't have required thought. “She stays with Lily.” Lucas studied him. “That's not what I asked.” Adrian's gaze sharpened. Lucas raised both hands. “Fine. Forget I asked.” A moment later, Adrian's phone rang. James. Adrian answered. His expression changed almost immediately. “What do you mean she's missing?” Lucas straightened. Adrian listened. Then his face hardened. “I'm coming home.” He ended the call. Lucas was already standing. “Lily?” Adrian grabbed his coat. “No.” “Then who?” Adrian looked toward the door. “Ariana.” --- At the mansion, Ariana had only been gone from Lily's side for five minutes. She had taken the little girl upstairs after breakfast so she could change before her morning lesson. Lily had insisted on bringing Button, then changed her mind halfway up the stairs and returned to retrieve a drawing she had made for Adrian. Ariana had waited in the hallway. When Lily returned, she was carrying the drawing. And smiling. But before they could enter the room, James appeared at the end of the corridor. “Miss Hart.” Ariana turned. James looked unusually tense. “There was someone at the eastern gate.” Her smile disappeared. “Who?” “Security stopped him.” “Why?” James hesitated. “He asked for you.” Ariana's stomach dropped. “For me?” James nodded. “And he left this.” He held out a small white envelope. Ariana stared at it. Her name was written across the front. Not printed. Written by hand. She didn't reach for it. James looked toward Lily, who was now standing silently beside Ariana, clutching Button against her chest. “Perhaps we should take Lily downstairs.” Ariana nodded. But before she could move, her phone vibrated. Unknown number. She looked at the screen. One new message. "You should have listened". Ariana's blood ran cold. Then another message appeared. "Now we know exactly how to make you leave". Her eyes lifted toward Lily. For the first time, the warning wasn't frightening because of what it threatened to do to her. It was frightening because whoever was sending it had finally revealed what they had understood about her. They knew Lily was the one thing Ariana would never willingly abandon. And somewhere beyond the Hayes gates, someone had just decided to use that against her.