The Billionaire’s Nanny

CHAPTER 1 THE GIRL IN THE PHOTOGRAPH “Again.” That word itself hit harder than the already terrifying silence in the room. Four women immediately grabbed the neatly folded stacks of children’s clothes in front of them without saying a word . Amelia ran her hands across her face, wiping the sweat away as she unfolded the tiny sweaters and dresses that she had spent the last hour ironing. Somewhere on the other side of the room, she overheard the faint murmur of two women. She didn’t dare to look, she knew her eyes would threaten to wander again. It was hard not to. It wasn’t every day someone found themselves folding children’s clothes under crystal chandeliers and gold-trimmed ceilings. Seating opposite them was an elderly woman dressed in an expensive looking black suit. She sat with her legs crossed and her posture wickedly straight. “Stop.” The sounds of fabric rustling died instantly. “You.” The woman pointed her index finger. “You.” It shifted to the next candidate. “And you… leave.” She spoke like she was merely commenting on the weather. Her firm expression never changing. Not even the slightest twitch appeared on her face. The room went silent. For what felt like a long time, no one moved. The three women looked at one another, their hesitant smiles making it obvious that they were confused. It had to be a joke. It definitely was. But no one laughed. The woman then silently reached for the white colored landline beside her, and pressed a single button. “Security. Please come to the waiting room.” She calmly returned the receiver and resumed her earlier posture. That was it. No warning. No second chance. The lady next to Amelia turned pale. “W… Wait…” Her voice croaked. “You’re serious?” Before anything else could be said, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed from outside. Immediately, the doors flew open, and two mean-faced security guards marched in. The room suddenly felt ice cold. “Ma’am, please!” one of the women cried, hugging her handbag tightly to her chest, her eyes already filling with tears. “Please don’t send me away. My husband is still recovering from surgery. I… I desperately need this job.” Another woman stepped forward, her voice trembling. “I have two children waiting for me at home. Please, ma’am. Just give me one chance. I promise I’ll do better.” The third woman fell to her knees. “I didn’t do anything wrong. They were the ones talking, not me!” But the woman barely acknowledged them.. She simply lifted her hand and gave the guards a tiny nod. “Escort them out.” The guards obeyed immediately. The women’s desperate cries resounded through the hallway as they were being led away. Eventually, a dull thud was heard from a distance, and silence returned to the room once more. Only this time, it felt heavier Amelia took a deep breath and straightened her back, forcing herself to stay composed. The older woman adjusted the sleeve of her suit before turning to her. “My apologies for the commotion,” she said, her tone even gentler than before. “Congratulations, Miss Amelia.” She added, “You’ve got the position.” For a second, Amelia could do nothing but stare. She’d gotten it. A wide smile spread across her face before she could stop it. She had gotten the job! Finally, she’d be able to pay up her rent. No. She almost laughed at herself. A job that paid three hundred dollars a week would do a whole lot more than cover her rent. “Thank you,” she cried out, her voice filled with relief. “Thank you so much.” The older woman nodded politely and extended her hand. Before Amelia could take it, the doors swung open again. “Mrs. Potts!” A little girl ran into the room, her cheerful voice instantly chasing away the looming tension. She couldn’t have been older than seven. Soft brown curls bounced on her shoulders as she ran, and tiny dimples appeared the moment she smiled. The sternness on Mrs. Potts’ face disappeared . “Perfect timing, Miss Lily.” She rested her hand gently on the little girl’s shoulder before looking back at Amelia. “I’d like you to meet your new nanny.” She then turned toward Amelia. “This is the precious heir of the Sebastian family.” “Lily Sebastian.” Lily stepped forward with no hesitation and held out her tiny hand. “Nice to meet you.” Amelia smiled without realizing it. She crouched to Lily’s height and softly took her hand. The moment their hands met, something inside her stirred. A strange feeling. Warm. Unexplainably familiar. Before Amelia could dwell on it, Lily spoke again. “You have pretty eyes.” Then, just as quickly as she appeared, she giggled and skipped out of the room. Amelia watched her disappear down the hallway, she was still smiling. “Such a lovely girl.” Mrs. Potts’ voice pulled her back. She cleared her throat, resuming her professional composure. “Anyway, as Lily so kindly announced, I’m Mrs. Potts.” She extended her hand again. “Welcome to Sebastian Manor.” Amelia shook it warmly. “Thank you.” “One of the staff will escort you to your room.” Mrs Potts added. “The house rules and your responsibilities will be waiting on the dressing table.” “Take the rest of the day to settle in.” With a slight nod, Mrs. Potts turned and walked away, leaving Amelia alone for a moment. Then a young man, also in a black suit, appeared from another set of doors. Without a word, he walked straight to Amelia’s suitcase. “Hello,” Amelia chirped. “I’m Amelia.” No response. He bent, lifted the suitcase effortlessly, and turned toward the hallway. “Follow me.” That was all. Amelia blinked. “…Right.” She adjusted the strap of her bag and hurried after him. The manor felt a little too quiet. Only the sound of their footsteps could be heard through the long corridor. Landscape paintings lined the walls one after another. Grassy hills. Quiet lakes. Snow-covered mountains. All beautiful. But not a single family portrait. Amelia frowned. Odd. “So…” she tried again. “How long have you worked here?” Still silence. She smiled awkwardly. “It’s my first day. Any advice?” Nothing. She let out a quiet laugh. “I’ll take that as a no.” The man finally stopped in front of a dark wooden door with an antique looking brass handle. He placed the suitcase beside it and pulled out a silver key from his pocket. “Your room.” Before Amelia could say thank you, he had already turned and disappeared down the hallway. She stared after him. “…Definitely not the talking type.” Shaking her head, she inserted the key and unlocked the door. As she reached for her suitcase, her bag bumped the small side table beside the entrance. A framed photograph tipped over. Crash. Glass scattered into a million tiny pieces across the floor. Panic shot through her. Her first day… and she was already breaking things. She immediately dropped to her knees. Carefully, she picked up the broken pieces. A sharp edge of glass pricked her fingertip, and a little pool of blood was gradually forming against her skin. But Amelia didn’t notice. Her mind was already fixed on the colourful photograph. A little girl in a yellow sundress smiled brightly at the camera. The same little girl who had admired her eyes. Without thinking, Amelia brushed her thumb over the child’s cheek. She couldn’t help but smile back. What a beauty. The dimples. The soft curls. The bright… … Her smile stiffened. Her hand went still. Those blue eyes. Something inside Amelia lurched. No. It wasn’t familiarity. She knew that face.