THE BILLIONAIRE'S NANNY

THIS IS FAMILY

EPISODE 8: THIS IS FAMILY

Day 15.

We didn’t tell anyone about the kiss.

But the house felt different.

Lighter.

Sofia said "good morning" to both of us at breakfast. First time ever.

Adrian almost dropped his coffee.

"Good morning, baby," he said. Voice shaking.

---

At 9 AM, Ms. Reid called.

"Board meeting. Emergency. Today at 2 PM. They saw the news. They have questions about ‘the stability of the Bello household’."

Adrian cursed. "Fine. I’ll be there."

He looked at me. "Can you... come?"

"What? To the board meeting?"

"Not to the meeting. To the building. With Sofia. So they see her. See us. See that she’s okay."

My stomach flipped. "Adrian, I’m the nanny."

"You’re more than that," he said. "Please."

I looked at Sofia. She was drawing. She looked up. "We going, Amara?"

"Looks like we are, baby."

---

Bello Enterprises Tower. 40 floors. Glass.

People stared when we walked in. Me in a black dress. Adrian in a suit. Sofia holding my hand. Lily holding the other.

The receptionist whispered into her phone.

Floor 40. Boardroom.

12 men and women in suits. All staring.

Adrian walked in first. "This is my daughter, Sofia. And this is Amara Collins. And her daughter, Lily."

Silence.

A man stood up. Mr. Carter. Old. Mean looking. "Mr. Bello. We need to discuss the custody situation. The media. The nanny living in your home."

Adrian didn’t sit. "There’s nothing to discuss. Sofia is happy. She’s healthy. She’s talking again."

"Because of her?" Carter pointed at me. "A woman with no qualifications who you hired off the street?"

Adrian stepped in front of me. "Watch how you talk about her."

"Adrian," I whispered.

He ignored me. "You want to know what changed Sofia? Stability. Love. Someone who didn’t leave her when it got hard. That’s Amara."

The board was quiet.

Sofia tugged my hand. "I’m hungry."

Everyone stared.

Adrian knelt. "Okay baby. What do you want?"

Sofia looked at the board. Then at Adrian. Then at me.

"Pancakes," she said. Clear. "Amara makes the best pancakes."

My eyes burned.

A woman on the board, Mrs. Lin, smiled. Small. "She speaks?"

"She does," Adrian said. "And she sleeps. And she draws. And she laughs."

He stood up. "So if your concern is the company image, don’t worry. The face of this company is happy. And that’s because of her." He pointed at me.

Carter scoffed. "This is inappropriate."

"No," Adrian said. "What’s inappropriate is 12 strangers deciding what’s best for my daughter. Meeting adjourned."

He took my hand. And Sofia’s. And Lily’s.

And we walked out.

---

In the elevator, I was shaking.

"Are you fired?" I asked.

"No," Adrian said. "I own 51% of the company. They can’t fire me."

"Then why did you do that?"

"Because I’m tired of hiding." He looked at me. "And because you’re not a secret, Amara. Not to me. Not to Sofia."

Sofia was leaning against me, sleepy. "Daddy was brave."

Adrian laughed. "Yeah baby. Daddy was brave."

---

That night, Adrian cooked.

Actually cooked. Burnt pasta and all.

"See?" he said. "I’m useful."

Sofia ate it anyway. "Good job, Daddy."

After dinner, we were on the couch. Movie night.

Sofia in the middle. Me on one side. Adrian on the other. Lily on the floor with popcorn.

Halfway through the movie, Sofia fell asleep on my lap.

Adrian whispered, "Come to my office with me?"

I nodded.

In his office, he closed the door.

"That was insane today," I said.

"I know." He pulled me to him. "But I meant every word."

"Adrian—"

"Let me date you," he said. "Properly. Dinner. Dates. Without hiding. Without ‘nanny’ and ‘billionaire’. Just us."

My heart was pounding. "What about Sofia?"

"She already picked you," he said. "‘Almost mommy’. Remember?"

I laughed through tears. "Yes."

"So?" He brushed my hair back. "Will you date me, Amara Collins?"

"Yes," I whispered. "I will."

He kissed me. Deeper this time. Like he’d been waiting.

When we pulled apart, we heard giggling.

Sofia was in the doorway. With Lily.

"You’re kissing!" Lily said. "Eww!"

Sofia just smiled. "Daddy and Amara kiss now?"

Adrian went red. "Uh. Yes baby. Is that okay?"

Sofia thought about it. Then ran to us. Hugged both our legs.

"Okay," she said.

---

Day 16.

The news was everywhere.

"BELLO DATING NANNY. INTRODUCES HER TO BOARD."

There were photos. Of us walking out. All 4 of us holding hands.

My phone was blowing up.

Adrian just turned his off.

"Let them talk," he said. "We’re fine."

And we were.

That evening, Sofia asked again.

"Can Amara sleep with us?"

And Adrian answered before I could.

"Every night, baby. If she wants."

I did want.

---

That night, all 4 of us in the big bed.

Sofia between me and Adrian. Lily at the end with extra pillows.

Adrian’s arm around me. My head on his shoulder.

"Family meeting," Sofia said sleepily.

"What’s the topic?" Adrian asked.

"Us," Sofia said. "We’re a family now."

No one said anything for a long time.

Then Adrian kissed the top of my head. "Yeah, baby. We are."

I cried. Quietly.

Not because I was sad.

Because for the first time in years, I wasn’t scared of tomorrow.

Rule 1: Don’t get attached.

I framed it and burned it.

[END OF EPISODE 8]

Should Adrian propose next?? Or is it too soon? VOTE IN COMMENTS 👇

# Stary Writing Marathon #Contemporary #Billionaire #SingleMom #Nanny #Healing #Kids #FoundFamily #SlowBurn #BoardMeeting