Twelve Nights with the Ruthless Billionaire: His Christmas Captive

Four

Jasmine's car disappeared down the driveway, leaving me beneath the archway with my fingers wrapped around the handle of my suitcase.

I looked up at the Montgomery estate, taking in the stone walls, rows of windows, and wings stretching across the property, surrounded by evergreens and pines. Walkways wound through gardens where bougainvillea climbed the masonry. The place looked less like a family home and more like a resort.

I tightened my grip on the suitcase.

This was a different world.

I reminded myself why I was here. Zara liked me. At least, I hoped it was.

She was five. Children could switch their affections overnight. She could adore me in a classroom full of other children and reject me after one afternoon in this house. If that happened, her father could decide he'd made a mistake, and my fifty thousand dollars would disappear along with the job.

I glanced back at the gate at the end of the driveway.

It was too late to turn around anyway. The security guard had already directed me to the main house and told me to use the side entrance, where the head housekeeper was waiting.

Following the path around the edge of the building, I pushed open the side door.

A woman waited inside the entryway, wearing a black dress with a badge pinned beneath her collar. Her hair was pulled into a bun, with gray strands escaping at her temples. Her smooth face made her age difficult to guess.

"Welcome, Miss Bennett. I'm Helen Chen, the head housekeeper." Her eyes dropped to my suitcase before returning to my face. "Mr. Montgomery told me to expect you."

"Thank you."

She nodded. "Come with me."

I followed her down the corridor, past the kitchen, until she led me into an office off to the side.

"Please sit."

I set my suitcase down and took the chair across from her desk. Helen placed a stack of papers in front of me.

"Your contract."

I flipped through the first few pages, scanning clauses covering confidentiality, unauthorized visitors, photography, family information, and penalties.

"Double repayment for what?" I asked, reading the line twice.

"Certain breaches of contract require you to repay twice your total compensation."

I frowned at the page. "That seems a bit extreme."

"It is standard procedure for household staff here," she said. "Theft or attempts to seduce Mr. Montgomery or anyone connected to him for financial gain are common occurrences."

The memory of Omarion's eyes tracing down my body at the school came back to me.

She slid another page toward me. "Your payment schedule."

The terms were laid out plainly: five thousand dollars transferred upon arrival, fifteen thousand after the first four days, another fifteen thousand after eight days, and the final fifteen thousand upon completion of the twelve days.

I took the pen from the desk, filled in my routing numbers, and signed my name on the bottom line.

"Zara is out with her grandmother today, so you have the rest of the afternoon to settle into your room. Your official duties begin tomorrow morning."

I stood, holding my purse against my side. "Mr. Montgomery mentioned that Zara has a live-in nanny."

Helen sighed.

"You should be careful around her," Helen said. "She has been with the family for years and may not appreciate an outsider brought in to handle what she considers her responsibility."

I laughed. "I'm not a nanny, and this is temporary."

"I am simply answering your question, Miss Bennett." She stood and gestured toward the door.

I followed her up the staircase to the third floor, where a hallway stretched out with doors on both sides. The layout felt more like a residential wing than staff quarters.

The room she opened for me was larger than any room I had ever owned, with a queen-size bed, a sitting area with an armchair, a television mounted on the wall, and a mini-fridge stocked with water, juice, and snacks.

"You'll hear the dinner bell around seven," Helen said from the doorway. "Come downstairs then to meet the rest of the household staff."

"Thank you, Mrs. Chen."

Once she left, I closed the door and leaned back against it. Parts of the clause didn't exactly match the way Omarion had looked at me in the hallway at school, but it was still a reminder to keep my head down.

My phone buzzed. I pulled it out and saw that a deposit of five thousand dollars had cleared.

That covered the amount Benny's lawyer needed to get his defense moving. The other five thousand Zara had given me would go toward Mom's hospital bills.

I walked over to the bed and fell back onto the mattress, letting out a breath as it sank beneath my weight.

Joining the household staff for dinner should have been easy. I considered myself friendly enough, but I already suspected Zara's nanny would make things difficult.

Patricia was a middle-aged woman with a stern face that seemed permanently fixed in disapproval. The moment our eyes met, I understood the housekeeper's warning.

Maybe it was the little psychology they'd taught us at university, but I could already tell we wouldn't get along. We hadn't even spoken, yet the tension between us was obvious.

Thankfully, I only had twelve days in this house. I'd focus on Zara, do the job I'd been hired to do, and bounce.

By morning, I was dressed and heading toward Zara's room after a staff member pointed me in the right direction. I hadn't gone far when Zara's angry cries echoed down the hallway.

Her bedroom door stood open. Lavender walls surrounded a large four-poster bed, while purple and white toys filled the shelves and corners. Even her closet was packed with dresses in different shades of purple.

What was with this girl's obsession with purple?

Zara sat on the edge of her bed with her arms crossed, glaring at her nanny, who stood before her holding a toothbrush.

"If you don't brush your teeth, sweetheart, you'll have all sorts of things growing inside your mouth," she said in a forced baby voice. "Do you want little bugs living in there?"

Zara ignored her.

The moment Patricia reached for her, Zara screamed and pulled away.

"Good morning."

They both looked at me.

Patricia's gaze traveled from my face to my shoes and back again. The judgment was unmistakable.

Zara reacted differently. The moment she saw me, she jumped off the bed and ran straight toward me, wrapping her arms around my waist.

Patricia's eyes widened before she quickly masked her surprise.

"Come on, Zara. Let's go brush your teeth."

"No!" Zara tightened her arms around me. "I want Miss Lisa."

Patricia glared at me. I sighed.

"Let me help her brush her teeth." I kept my voice polite and lowered it so Zara wouldn't hear the rest. "I'm only here for twelve days to make your job easier."

"Just because she's running into your arms doesn't mean anything. I've spent years looking after her, so don't give yourself too much credit. Give it a few days, and she'll get tired of you."

I smiled. "One would think you don't want her getting attached to anyone except you."

"I never said that. And what exactly do you know about childcare? You've been her teacher for a few months. I've spent five years with her."

"I don't doubt your experience." I kept my tone pleasant. "If you believe I'm doing something wrong, perhaps you should take it up with Mr. Montgomery, who personally hired me."

That didn't help.

"Fine," she snapped, shoving the toothbrush into my hand. "Do your magic, then. Let's see how long it lasts."

I was this close to saying something cheeky, but decided against it.

I took Zara to the bathroom and helped her onto the stool in front of the sink. She started brushing while I watched to make sure she didn't rush through it.

"Did you sleep okay?"

Zara nodded.

"Do you live here now?" she asked after rinsing her mouth.

"No." I wiped the toothpaste from the corner of her mouth. "I'll be here for the holiday, though. We'll spend it together."

A smile spread across her face.

"Can I show you my toys, art supplies, and my dolls?"

I laughed. "You have a lot to show me."

Zara nodded as though I'd just given her an important assignment.

When we returned to her room, she went straight to the closet. I followed and opened the doors.

"What would you like to wear today?"

She pointed to a white dress covered in purple polka dots.

I reached for it.

"She can't wear that."

Patricia's voice came from behind us, and Zara immediately started screaming.

"She's not going to ruin it by wearing it for a few hours," I said.

"Young woman, you're not going to come here and turn her into a spoiled brat."

Zara's crying intensified as Patricia pulled a simpler top and a pair of pants from the closet.

"She'll wear these. They're easier to play in, and she won't ruin an expensive dress. Giving in won't teach her anything."

"I'm only trying to help."

"No. You're making things worse, and I don't see why you're even here. You've been here less than a day, and already you're encouraging her to misbehave?”

I looked at Zara, who was still crying as she clutched the dress.

"I'm not encouraging her to misbehave. I just don't think wearing a dress for a few hours is going to ruin it."

"You don't know her well enough to make that decision!"

"What's the noise all about?"

Omarion stood in the doorway wearing dark lounge pants and a shirt with every button undone.

Holy s**t.