Three

Hailey heaved a sigh as she pressed the doorbell by the huge black gate with sharp spikes. She had no idea who owned the house except that her friend had somehow managed to get her an interview as a nanny.

It wasn't her ideal job but she could start with something small before she can work her way back into her newspaper office or another office.

“Who is it?” a robotic voice asked over the monitor underneath the doorbell.

Hailey peered at the monitor and smiled. “Hailey Parker. I'm here for the nanny interview.”

The gate swung open immediately and Hailey gasped as she took in the interior of the house.

The house had an ice sculpture of a swan in the waterfall. The walls were all tiled and the floor of the house was smoothed with bricks.

The mansion stood tall and proud as she looked around for the person who had opened the gate but she found none.

She glanced at the car park and sucked in a deep breath at the number of expensive cars which were parked there.

She risked a glance at the compound once more and shuddered. What if she was in a kidnapper’s house? She wondered as she approached the front door after crossing the foyer.

She raised her hands to knock but the door was pulled open to reveal a tall man in his mid-fifties staring at her with mild dislike.

He was dressed in a white shirt and black khaki trousers. He had an apron on so Hailey didn't know if he was a staff or her boss.

“Good morning, Sir,” she greeted politely.

The man raised a brow at her and she noticed his grey eyes flickered in surprise. She also noticed that the slight dislike in his eyes has softened.

Yeah, she's gonna crush this interview, she mused happily.

“Thank you. Do come in,” he replied immediately as he composed himself.

She smiled and entered the sitting room. Her jaw hit the ground as she took in the beautiful structure of the sitting room.

The fireplace and mantle were a lovely design that was built in a way that you could place your legs on makeshift sand from the beach.

The house was warm and cozy and the sofas were too soft and milky. The chandelier gave the house a warm glow.

“Take a seat, Miss. Parker.”

Hailey dropped down on one of the sofas and sighed in contention without making it so obvious.

“I didn't know the agency would send someone so quickly. I just put up the ad yesterday,” he stated.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Why did you think so?”

The man glared at her. “Don’t pretend I'm sure you're only here for her dad and not the kid. Normally they usually arrive for the interview at midday after taking their time to look good for her father.”

Hailey nodded. She finally understood why he had exhibited a hint of dislike towards her. It was a mutual affection he had shared with other previous nannies.

Her journalist instincts turned and she figured out how she could turn the situation around without revealing that she wasn't from any agency.

“I’m sorry if you feel that's why I'm here but I can assure you that I'm here only for the little girl. I am a new trainee in the nanny agency so when my boss hinted to me of the job I took it upon myself to arrive earlier because I love kids,” she replied politely.

The man swooned again she could tell as she stared at his dazed look.

“So, you've not taken care of any child before? You don't have any experience?”

She flashed him a bright smile. “No, Sir but I believe I have more experience with kids than those previous nannies. Plus I don't know her dad so he shouldn't distract me.”

The man considered her for a second and nodded his head. “You’re polite and you look sincere. I suppose I could give you a trial. If you mess up, I’ll throw you out on your ass!”

A smile blossomed on her face and she took her acting skills to the next level by kneeling to appreciate his generosity.

“Thank you so much for this opportunity, Sir. I promise you're not gonna regret it.”

The man blushed in embarrassment as he helped her stand up.

“There’s no need for such formalities. Please stand and call me Leo, I'm the family's butler.”

Hailey grinned. “Nice to meet you, Leo.”

He nodded at her and gave her a tight-lipped smile.

“Here’s the contract and your application approval letter for the job.”

Hailey glanced at the document and her heart skipped a bit when she came across her payment.

“Is this my salary?” she quizzed, shocked and not bothering to mask it.

Leo nodded. “The boss can be generous to his workers. That's why it pisses me off when I see other previous nannies throw themselves at him.”

Hailey nodded as she glanced at the number of zeros there again. She signed the contract and handed it back to Leo.

“Thank you so much,” she said this time with sincerity.

He nodded. “I think it's time to give you a tour of the house and also inform you that I sent the chauffeur to get your bags from your house address.”

Hailey raised a brow at him. “My clothes?”

“Yes, you'll be staying in the mansion with Dawn till after the wedding,” he replied.

“Wedding?” she raised a questioning brow at him.

He gave her a suspicious look. “I thought you came from an agency?”

Oh shit! She was about to blow this shit up now!!

“Yes,” she replied in a neutral tone.

“Then why didn't your boss tell you all the information required?” he quizzed his brows still furrowed in suspicion.

She shrugged. “My boss didn't deem it necessary to tell me about a wedding.”

“It was marked as a requirement. Any nanny coming in is supposed to know that the boss is getting married and the mansion will be busy,” he eyed her curiously.

A furious scream was heard by the stairs and that saved her from answering the question she had no answer to.

She glanced up and saw a little girl six years old running down the stairs, screaming her lungs out.

“No, you can't hire her until I've finished my investigation as to whether she's a daddy stealer, Leo!” she yelled.

Hailey rolled her eyes. No one told her she would be taking care of a highly intelligent and annoying child.

Well, she wasn't quitting anytime soon not with the number of zeros in her salary.