The CEO's Manny Contract

"Down on your knees," He said without preamble. His voice was deceptively gentle It took a second for her to react to the strange command. This was different from last time. "I said on your knees, b***h!” He said again, louder this time. Immediately after, she felt a slap across her face. It was hard enough to make her see little white lights. She didn't cry out. She'd be damned be for she'd satisfy him with, her pain. He was standing before her, butt naked. His slight paunch directly in front of her as he looked down at her. She, on her knees was clad in nothing but red fishnet stockings and a garter belt to hold them up. And she thought it couldn't get any worse than the disgustingly tiny maid outfit from last week. She was so wrong. He walked slowly around her. Studying her silhouette with greed in his dead blue eyes. He picked up a horsewhip from the bed. A real one, as she deserved nothing less than the original. "Now turn around." The pleasure of anticipation was obvious in his voice. She looked up to plead with him, but his face was featureless. No eyes, nose or mouth. Just an empty space and a dark beard... What the f**k?! She shot up out of bed, drenched in sweat and panting with both dread and relief. "Another nightmare" She shook her head. When will they stop?! She glanced at her alarm clock on the bed side table. The time read 4:13 in neon red. Knowing she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, she sighed "Looks like that's that for my night. Time to get some work done" there was always work to be done. If Sophie Daniels, Billionaire CEO, had been paying closer attention, ahead would've noticed something was off the moment she opened the front door to her penthouse apartment, which was left open. She never left the front door open, and her live-in nanny, Vera, had strict instructions to keep it locked at all times, but that day, it was wide open, and the stylish foyer was in full view. It seemed she'd have to have a stern talk with Vera on the importance of locked doors in New York City. She absently rubbed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger as she stepped out of her high heels and into more comfortable house slippers. It was only Wednesday, but the week already felt so long. With Summer just kicking off, her eight-year old twins, Kathy and Kelly had more than enough energy to spare. Not good news for anyone looking to get the minimum amount of sleep required for the night. She saw Kathy's little face peep from the corner leading to the kitchen. "Hey, baby girl!" Instead of the little human to launch herself at her mom and begin chattering nonstop about all that happened throughout the day, Kathy tucked her lip between her teeth and withdrew into the kitchen "s**t," Sophie said under her breath. She recognised that look on Kathy's face. She’d done something bad. It could be anything from nearly maiming Kelly and attempting to set a wing of the house on fire if Sophie had to take a guess. Going past the TV room, she saw the TV on mute with an episode of Teen Titans Go playing. Beastboy had taken the shape of a toilet. Wasn't he supposed to only be able to transform into animals? Shoving that thought out of her head, she moved on to the kitchen, silently praying that Kathy hadn't done what Kathy was liable to do. "Hey, munchkins! Hi, Vera!" She called out. Something was off, but Sophie still didn’t catch it. The scene she was met with wasn’t an unusual one. Kelly sat at the kitchen island, a small bowl of green grapes in front of her. Kathy was standing behind her sister bouncing on her heels. “Hi, babies” “Hi, Mommy!” Kathy blurted out before biting her lip again. “Vera said I have to give you this as soon as you got home.” Kelly held up a piece of paper. Sophie set down her purse and took the folded piece of paper out of Kelly’s little hand. “Where is Vera?” she asked as she opened the cream colored stationery I’m sorry, but I quit. I can't do it anymore. “She left” Kelly said at the same time as Sophie read the note. Sophie blinked and read the note again. “Uh,” was all that came out of her mouth. She swallowed, shook her head a little, and gave it another try as she looked between the girls. “Where’s Vera?” “Gone,” Kelly said. “She’s gone, Mommy. Gone!” Kathy added for good measure. A sudden pressure gripped the vein on the side of Sophie’s face. “She what?” She kept her voice calm and steady, but the pressure was quickly spreading lower, down her neck to her chest. Sophie got it then. Kathy hadn't been worried about her own misbehavior. She was hyped up over Vera running away. Sophie walked like a zombie to the living room and flopped down on the couch. Her little brood followed closely behind. She looked at Kathy “Baby, what time did Vera leave?” Kathy was big on telling time these days. "Three twenty-five," came her reply. Sophie glanced at her Armani watch. It was nearly eight Sophie was incredulous. "She was gone for almost five hours?" It was getting increasingly difficult to keep a lSophiel tone "Yup" Kathy said with two deep nods. "Why didn't you call me?" Sophie had her personal number on speed dial in the kitchen phone. "You said emergencies only" Kelly replied "And Vera said it wasn't an Emergency. She also said we could watch TV 'til you got home from the office" "She left with all of her stuff" Kathy added. "She put it in a pickup truck" “What in the name of—” Sophie hopped up and stomped down the hall to Vera’s wing of the house. As expected, all of her things had been cleared out of her room. Drawers and closet completely empty. Toiletries gone from the en-suite bathroom. “What in the fresh hell?” Sophie breathed. “You said we couldn’t say hell.” Of course Kathy followed her. Sophie turned around and squatted before her little girl. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” “This means we’re going to get a new nanny, right?” Kathy asked. “Kareem has a new nanny.” “Yeah, I think that’s what this means.” f**k. She needed a few minutes by herself. Just a few to scream into a couple of pillows. Probably rip them to shreds, too. Maybe trash the place for good measure. Finding the girls a new nanny would be first on her list. After she called the cops on Vera for abandoning her babies. “Are you hungry?” Kathy nodded and clutched her midsection dramatically. "I'm starving!" "Okay, then. Go ask your sister what she'd like on her pizza and I'll be downstairs in a bit. Okay?" Kathy took off before the last word left her mother's mouth "'Kay!" Once she was all alone, Sophie realized she wasn’t feeling right. Their full-time, live-in nanny had just left her high and dry, and abandoned her little children in the middle of the day til night time. Without a phone call. Not even a text. Nothing. When she calmed down a bit and her heart stopped racing, Sophie tried to look on the bright side, like how both Kathy and Kelly were perfectly safe even though they’d been left by themselves for hours. That was the most important thing. They were okay. Sophie would focus on that. She really would. But she also had to figure out just what the hell had happened to Vera?