FORBIDDEN TEMPTATIONS: The Billionaire's Nanny

NADIA The red bold letters that read EVICTION NOTICE were all I needed to sober me up. My hangover from my wild night out was gone, and all that was left was trepidation. I was going to be homeless. I had two weeks to pay rent, four days to pay for water and gas. I had officially hit rock bottom. I could no longer afford my meds, lunch, and sometimes even dinner. To think I had over 200k in my account just last weekend. That was before my mother decided to access my savings without my permission and take everything I'd spent the last five years since I turned 18 working for. All because of her 'dream wedding'. Here I was, with crushing debt breathing down my neck—debts I was supposed to pay off today, along with my rent. Debts that she put on me. My life was a dumpster fire, and my mother was the fuel. I didn't go into my apartment. The second I saw that notice, I knew I didn't have the luxury to rest my head or figure out what to do next. I needed to get a job, one that would give me an advance within the first two weeks. Where do I find a job like that? I walked out of my apartment building, roaming the streets like a ghost as my eyes scanned every corner and every store and/or restaurant that needed help. I've lived in this neighborhood for three years, and in those three years I've worked for and been fired by almost every store on the block. I was beginning to think I was the problem. "For f***s sake!" I let out a frustrated huff and kicked a rock, resting my back against an alleyway wall as I tried to gather my thoughts. "You said a bad word." The childish voice startled me from my thoughts. I screamed, turning around abruptly to find a little girl, no older than four or five, staring straight into my eyes with sharp gray orbs. Holy s**t, that was a really intense stare. I scratched my cheek sheepishly, trying to brush off how strangely intelligent her eyes looked as they held mine. "Uh...yeah, that happens sometimes," I chuckled awkwardly, looking behind her and hoping her parents wouldn't scold me for cursing in front of their child or something. There was no one there—it was just me and her in that alley. "Uh..." I slowly and cautiously made my way to her. Cute as she was, a child appearing out of nowhere in the middle of an alley was how horror movies began...or crime podcasts. And with the way her gray eyes followed me... She was dressed in a dark brown dress with black bows at the sides, her brown hair in what I could only describe as a toxic ponytail. Her shoes though, had glitter on them, so did her fingers. Still, there was something about her that I couldn't figure out. "Where are your parents?" I asked, slowly making my way to her. She instantly seemed alert but didn't move away. It made me stop in my tracks though. I had a lot of experience with children, considering the fact that I raised all four of my younger siblings on my own—I was pretty much an expert. She remained silent, only observing my movements, looking like she was ready to run if I came any closer. She was afraid. I squatted down to her height and gave her the softest smile I could muster. "It's okay, I won't hurt you..." I reassured, holding out a hand just so she would know it was her choice to make. "I just want to get you back home, to your parents..." Her head tilted to the side. "You...are nice to me," she spoke the words like it confused even her. And me being the simp for children that I was, my heart constricted in my chest. How could such a cute baby sound so mature? Still, she did not answer my question. "Aren't people nice to you?" She shook her head. "They're only nice to daddy, not me." "Oh, your dad..." I breathed a sigh of relief. I was glad she wasn't some escaped kidnap victim. "I'm so sorry to hear that...you deserve all the niceness in the world, baby girl." She then took my hand, catching me off guard as her small fingers wrapped around two of mine. "I'm Athena..." she spoke slowly, and I noticed she spoke so slowly so her words would be clearer. Silly me, I didn't even ask her name. I held her closer and smiled. "I'm Nadia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Athena." She held up her short arms, a signal to carry her. Ugh! So freaking cute! I carried her in my arms without hesitation, holding her to my chest. She smelled like sunshine and vanilla. "Can you take me to your daddy?" She shrugs. "I guess..." saying the words like an exasperated adult. I fought back a smile as I gave her an encouraging nod. Who would lose such a cute kid? It was obvious she got lost, but I've never seen her in the neighborhood before. She pointed at the tallest building that was only a block away, a mansion that towered over every other building in the area. I'd passed by the house on my way back. "There?" She nods, then hugs me tightly, and almost immediately, I feel her relax in my arms. "You're warm, Nadia," she breathed, her voice suddenly thick with sleep and a relief that felt strange. "It's been so cold..." She sounded sad. I patted her back softly. "I'll get you somewhere warm, okay?" The feel of a child in my arms after so many years of not seeing my siblings made my eyes prickly. I willed back my tears and the memories that came with them and began walking in the direction she'd pointed at. "I'll get you home." If there was nothing there, then I would go to the police and file an official report. Still, Athena seemed too smart and certain to not know where she pointed at. It took me all but six minutes to arrive at the mansion. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw the usual empty house bustling with activity both inside and out. Moving trucks lined the street, and furniture and other things were being taken into the once lifeless mansion. Someone's moving in? They must be loaded! "What do you mean she's gone?!" I heard a woman's panicked voice coming from the gates. She sounded distraught and looked even worse. A young man stood in front of her, trembling like a leaf in the wind. "I only looked away for a second...I didn't know she would—" "Athena's missing?" Then I saw him. His voice was what drew my eyes to his large frame first. He was tall, really tall. Dressed in a perfectly tailored suit that looked like it cost more than I earn in a year, his body fitting into it perfectly. The first thought that came to mind? He was the most sexy, dangerous looking man I'd ever seen. The second thought? He was Athena's parent. His gray eyes were glaringly identical to hers. He had brown hair that was pulled back into a messy man-bun, and thin rimmed glasses rested atop his nose. But I could see the resemblance. "Find her, Miss Taylor," he ordered, his voice was low with danger...anger I realized. Yet he exhibited the emotion so calmly one might mistake it for something else. The woman in front of him went pale and nodded repeatedly, looking like she would pass out from fear in the next second. I watched as the man's eyes moved around frantically, no doubt looking for Athena. I shook my head, shaking off the foolish shock that had kept me in place, and began walking towards the gate. His eyes landed on me the second I began moving, and suddenly, my feet felt so heavy under that stare. His eyes landed on the child in my arms and then me, and then the child in my arms again. Then, his gray eyes widened slightly with surprise, then interest...then suspicion all at once. He really was her father. Such an intense stare. I could hear just how fast my heart was beating. He moved, walking as I walked, closing the distance between us. I noticed the looks of shock from the staff behind him. It left me confused, wondering why they were all so shocked. They lost the child. Did they expect me to take her home with me or something? We both stopped when we were only two steps away from touching. "Are you...Athena's father?" His brows pulled together into a tight frown. "How do you know her name?" Apart from the fact that you just announced it to the world? Isn't he asking the wrong questions right now? "Because she told me?" I deadpanned, unable to keep the irritation from my voice. "Look, sir, I'm not going to tell you how to raise your child, but it is an unspoken fact that you should keep your child close to you when something major like this is happening. You don't just leave her to roam on her own—if she ran into someone else, it could've been a different story." Athena stirred in my arms, and I patted her back again, cooing her back to sleep. He just stared. "So please, be more attentive to your child." He inhaled deeply, his eyes resting on Athena's back or rather, my arm on it. "Thank you," he finally said, his voice had a strange effect on me. His appreciation was sincere, but the look in his eyes told a different story. "And I'm sorry, I have no excuse for letting my child wander off...it's just..." He looked straight into my eyes. "She's never said a word to me before." The suspicion in his eyes became clear. "Who are you?"