The Billionaire's Nanny

Chapter Four- The Job Offer

Mr Stone looked down at me, his eyes softening slightly. He didn’t give the ultrasound back. Instead, he smoothed the torn edges with a thumb that looked capable of crushing stones or cradling a child. His eyes weren't just dark; they were a storm of calculation.

He looked at the bin bag, the soaked photo album, and the torn evidence of my pregnancy. Seeing my unease he handed the ultrasound back to me.

He helped shovel my few belongings back into my bag, then offered me a hand to help me up.

“Freya, don’t worry about the coffee. It looks like you’ve had a bit of an evening... Why don’t you let me buy you a drink?”

I stood there, stunned for a moment. Jacob’s boss was offering to buy me a drink after I’d just painted the streets of London with his?

I looked down at the ultrasound and tears immediately began to stream from my eyes.

“I...I wouldn’t want to trouble you...” I forced out between sobs.

“Don’t be silly, it’s not a problem. Besides, you look like you could use someone to talk to"

I blinked furiously, the shock clearly showing on my face as a small smile appeared on Mr Stone’s face. Why on Earth would he waste his time with me?

“I...I don’t....” I spluttered.

“Please, just come in and sit down. Have a drink with me. Tell me everything.”

A small, insistent tug pulled at Mr Stone’s coat. I looked down to see a pair of wide, curious eyes - a girl around four years old, her hair a bird's nest of tangles and her red coat wrongly buttoned. Behind her, two older girls stood like miniature sentinels.

“Daddy why is that lady leaking from her eyes?” She asked him.

Trevor’s expression softened for a fraction of a second.

I instinctively reached out to rebutton her coat. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be ok” I told her.

“I’m Mia!” She beamed at me and offered me a hand. I shook it.

“Mia this is Freya.” Mr Stone began. “She’s an acquaintance of mine.”

“Freya, these are my daughters - Mia, Beatrix and Sophie.” The older two girls offered a weak smile and a slight wave.

“Girls, go get yourselves some hot chocolate and cake. Freya and I have an important matter to discuss,” he told them.

“Ok Daddy,” Mia grinned, grabbing her sisters’ hands and pulling them over to the counter. I watched with a smile as Mia’s eyes widened, her mouth salivating at the colourful selection of sweet treats behind the glass.

“Come, sit,” Mr Stone gestured towards a table. I followed him and sat down. He held up his hand and gestured to a waitress. “Americano, please. And the biggest slice of chocolate cake you have,” he looked at me and smiled softly. “You look like you could use it. Drink?”

“Just a herbal tea please. Chamomile.”

I sat still in shock, taking in the haze of roasted coffee beans and damp coats. What could this billionaire possibly be talking to me for?

“So.. Um... Mr Stone?” I stuttered.

“Trevor, please” he said softly. “I’m guessing by the bin bag things didn’t end well with Jacob?”

“How did... how did you know?” Tears began to fall freely once again as I flashed back to the cruel look in Jacob’s eyes and the smirk on Betsy’s face as he slammed closed the door on our life.

“I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you. I’m sure you are most likely aware, my wife left me about three years ago, packed her bags and abandoned all four of us.” His gaze hardened, and his eyes went dark as the memory took him over.

“A few weeks ago I was sent this video.” He opened his briefcase to retrieve a laptop, opened it up, loaded the video and turned the screen to face me,

The scene was a beautiful villa in what looked like the south of France. A woman sat on a sun lounger in a bikini so skimpy she may as well have been naked. Suddenly, a man climbed out of the pool and sat with her, leaning over to give her a lingering kiss, dripping pool water all over her body. She pulled him in closer as her hands slid into his swimming shorts. I shifted uncomfortably as I realised why he was showing me this. The man was Jacob.

But that wasn’t what made my jaw drop - another person entered the scene. A woman, slender and fully nude walked over and sandwiched herself between them. I looked away as the screen developed into a full-blown three-way, tongues and hands exploring each other. Trevor’s wife, my husband and Betsy...

I snapped the laptop shut, the metallic click echoing like a guillotine. The image of Jacob’s hands on Trevor’s wife - and Betsy’s intertwined limbs - was seared into my retinas.

"I think I’m going to be sick," I whispered, pushing the untasted chocolate cake away.

Trevor didn't look away. His gaze was steady, a predatory stillness that made the air around us feel heavy. "That villa in Provence? It was bought with the money Jacob embezzled from my firm, funneled through my ex-wife’s 'charity' accounts. They weren't just betraying us, Freya. They were stealing the future of my daughters to fund their depravity."

He leaned forward, his sensational, strong scent enveloping me. "Jacob thinks he’s won. He thinks he’s traded a 'placeholder' for a queen. He has no idea that he’s actually just walked into a trap I’ve been baiting for twelve months."

He reached across the table, his large hand hovering near mine. "Help me ruin them, Freya Miller. Help me take back everything they stole, and I promise you, by the time the twins are born, you’ll be the one holding the keys to Jacob’s world."