The Billionaire's Affair

Chapter 4- Samantha

It was my first day of work, and I was nervous as hell. I tried to put what happened between Ryan and me away from my mind and focus on my reason for being here. I really couldn’t afford to be one of his numerous lovers, it was beneath me. Besides, he said he didn’t have affairs with his employees, so there was that. Under normal circumstances, things should go smoothly.

Hopefully.

“Hi, there.” I turned to see an elderly woman walking towards me with a smile. “I’m Betty Howard.” She stretched out a hand. “I’m the housekeeper. You must be Samantha. Master Ryan said you’d be coming by today.”

I smiled back. “Hi, Mrs. Howard. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise, dear. Come, I’ll show you to your room.”

Wait, what?

“My room?”

“Yes, dear. The nannies are required to live here so they can attend to little Ella round the clock.”

“I… I didn’t know that.”

Her smile blossomed. “Well, now you do. Come with me.” She turned around and started walking. I, on the other hand, couldn’t seem to get my feet to move. “Come along dear,” she said as she hopped up the stairs without looking back. “We haven’t got all day.”

I forced my feet to move even though my mind was running a million miles per nanosecond. Live here? I was expected to live here? With Ryan?

Oh, dear God.

We walked past Ella’s room and went to the next door.

Hmm, I wonder why we didn’t get here yesterday.

“This is where you will be staying.” She opened the door and gestured for me to go in. The room was quite beautiful, it was clear that Ryan had spared no expenses in making this place fit for a lady.

Ryan clearly spares no expense when it comes to women.

I groaned and turned to the housekeeper. “I can’t stay here, Betty.”

“You will call me Mrs. Howard, dear.” Her smile didn’t dim an inch. “And this is standard protocol.”

“Ok, but I’m sure I can convince Ryan-”

“Master Ryan has assigned me to take care of you. Should you have any problems during your time here, you should come to me as Master Ryan would not be available. And as for the accommodations, I’m afraid it’s non-negotiable.”

“Betty- Mrs. Howard, I honestly think-”

“Ella comes home at three, and she’ll be needing you. I’d suggest you go home and get some of your things for your stay here. You can bring the rest later. I’ll have Tim take you where you need to go; he’s our driver. Oh, don’t look so sad, dear, you’re free to come and go as you please. Just think of this as your second home. Welcome to the Halt residence. I’ll be in the kitchen should you need me.” Then she left.

Dolores Umbridge.

That’s the singular person that came to mind when I thought of Mrs. Howard.

Ugh, why did things have to be so complicated? First, Ryan, now this housekeeper.

First was Dominic, actually.

No, he’s dead to me.

I went and sat on the bed, my bed.

If you choose to accept the job.

I didn’t have much of a choice at the moment. And really, it wouldn’t be so bad to live in this house, would it?

“Yes, sir, I’ve shown her to her room and allowed her to settle in.” I heard Mrs. Howard say.

“Thank you so much, Betty. I have to head out as-” Ryan stopped as he passed by my room. And beside him was Mrs. Howard. She wasn’t smiling now. “Hi, there.”

“Ryan.” I jumped to my feet. “I was hoping we would get a chance to talk.”

“Master Ryan is in a hurry, dear.” Mrs. Howard said with a sweet smile, even though her eyes were blazing. “You can talk to me if you have any issues.”

“I need to talk to Ryan.”

“You should-”

“It’s ok, Betty,” Ryan said. “I’m sure I can spare some time.”

She held her tongue even though she looked like she still had a lot to say. Her eyes, however, promised that I would hear from her later.

It took a moment, but it finally dawned on her that we were waiting for her to leave. If there was fire in her eyes before it was nothing compared to what leaped into her eyes now. “I’ll just go downstairs and check on the cleaners.”

“Thank you, Betty.” Ryan smiled.

When she left, he looked at me. “What’s up?”

“She doesn’t like me.”

He raised a brow. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

Ouch.

“No, um…” I cleared my throat. “It’s this room.”

“What? You don’t like it? We can have you moved to another one if you think that’s best. I just figured it’d be easier if you stayed closer to Ella.”

“No, that’s fine, but I can’t stay here. I can’t live here.”

“Well, you get your weekends off since I’ll be home, it’s not like we’re keeping you under lock and key.”

“I…”

“It’s a requirement, Samantha. If you want this job, you have to live here during the week.”

Whatever hopes I had of appealing to Ryan died instantly. This was no longer my friend, he was my boss.

“Yes, sir.”

“Besides, you can always redecorate if you want. I’m sure-”

“Where’s my baby?” a voice called from downstairs. And I saw Ryan stiffen. “Ella? Ella, honey, momma’s here.”

Hurried steps climbed up the stairs and Mrs. Howard tried to stop the newcomer. I already had an idea who it was.

“Oh, hi Ryan.” The voice was closer now, much closer. And I watched as tall, raven-haired beauty came and hugged Ryan’s stiff form. “I called a million times. I was worried that-” Then she spotted me, and all forms of happiness bled from her.

“Really? You bring your whores into the house? And right next to our daughter’s room?”

What?

“Shame on you, Ryan” She continued and turned to me. “And you, get out of here right now.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ryan seethed.

She scoffed. “Me? I should be asking you. Have you lost your mind? I’m going to-”

“The only thing you’re going to do, is get the hell out of my house, right now.”

Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down the stairs while she threatened to sue him for the very breath in his lungs.

And me? Well, I just sat there, motionless.

What have I gotten myself into?

By the time Ryan came back, I was standing by the window. I’d watched as some men in suits dragged Tessa- that’s her name right?- out of the compound.

“Hey.” He said.

I turned to find him standing inside the room with his hands in his pocket. “Hey.”

For a moment, we just stood there, staring at each other, neither one knowing what to say. Then he closed the door, and I instantly wanted to run.

Calm down, Sam. He’s not harmful.

Yet.

“I’m sorry about that.” He started.

“It’s ok.” It wasn’t, really, but what else could I have said? I rubbed my arms to keep myself steady. “Will she be coming around a lot?”

“Unfortunately. But I will make sure that never happens again. I assure you.”

Damn it, he looked so good, so… different. I don’t know, he was always so unserious before, but now, he looked so grown.

“And,” he continued, “as an apology, I will give you two nights off every week. We’d have to work around my schedule though. I’ll let you know at the beginning of the week when I'd be free, and you can take those nights off. How does that sound?”

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. “Does this affect my weekend?”

“No. That’s a constant.”

“Then you have yourself a deal. Master Ryan.”

“Oh, no, please don’t do that.” He groaned. “Mr. Halt is fine.”

I laughed. “As you wish, sir.”

We stood like that, staring at each other. My heart sped up in my chest and I felt this suffocating need to go to him and… I didn’t even know what I wanted to do, I just knew that I wanted to go to him.

“Samie-”

“I should go and meet the others,” I said without thinking. If the others were anything like the housekeeper, then I didn’t want to meet them. “I’m sure you have to get back to work,” I added, before walking out of the room.

I didn’t stop until I was at the bottom of the staircase, then I dragged in a breath.

“One day at a time, Sam.” I wiped my damp palms on my slacks. “One day at a time.”