Chapter 4

Kate

Immediately I closed the door behind me, I rested my back on it and placed a hand over my thumping chest. "What the hell just happened? How in hell did I emit out a moan? Just from a mere touch." I inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, trying to discard the thought of how Dante's fingers skillfully slid inside my pussy.

In as much as I found it ridiculous, it made my core throb, and that isn't a good sign. "I'm here for a job, not to get myself involved sexually with Dante. No. I won't allow that to happen."

"This is nothing, Kate. It's because you haven't had sex in a while. It's all good." I assured myself as I finally detached my body from the door. I instantly flinched when a knock sounded. "Could it be Dante? He's back to continue what he started?" Bile almost rose in my throat as I slowly reached for the doorknob.

"Who is there?" I asked softly, careful not to show my inner fear.

"It's me. Bianca." A woman's voice came through. I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. Bianca? Who is Bianca? Nevertheless, I opened the door.

The face of an unfamiliar woman greeted me. "Hello," I uttered as politely as I can. Because by all means, the woman will surpass thirty years in age.

"Hello, Kate."

She even knows my name.

"I will get straight to the point. Arthur had already told me everything. I'm Bianca, Dante's maid and Arthur's wife." She extends her hand.

Wait... did I just hear her say Arthur's wife. As in, she's married to Arthur. And what did she mean by Dante's personal maid? Why the need of hiring me when he has someone to take care of his daughter.

I was snapped back to reality by the woman's clearing of voice. "Sorry... I'm Kate. Mr. Dante's...." I trailed off suddenly forgetting his daughter's name.

"Aria." She completed it for me.

"Yes, Aria. I'm Aria's new nanny." I said with a chuckle. I didn't even know why I did that. What I didn't expect though was the woman to smile back.

"Welcome to the family. I hope you won't turn us down too." She spoke.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, not allowing my curiosity to lie low.

"I will be your coach for today. Follow me." She said instead and began walking away. I followed suit, closing my door behind me. I guess I have a lot to learn about Dante Romano apart from the ones written on the internet.

I followed Bianca downstairs, and she led me to the kitchen. My brows creased when she passed me a pen and notebook. "What..." I trailed off.

"It will help in digesting everything. You wouldn't want to mess up even before starting the main job." She said. I nodded my head even though I had no idea why I needed coaching.

I stood there while the woman explained the food Aria eats. From breakfast, lunch, dinner to beverages. And that was when I realized the need for the notebook.

"Lastly, make sure she eats her breakfast, lunch, and dinner on time. No matter how persistent she is. Even if you have to force her."

"Force her? Why would she be forced to eat if she doesn't want to?" Bianca gave me a brief smile.

"Aria has Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. It started when she was three. She tends to vomit and have difficulty swallowing, which is why the doctor gave a list of food required for her to take to prevent the symptoms from occurring. No matter what, she has to eat something even if not much."

I didn't know when I emitted a "Wow" from my mouth. "It would be quite difficult for her as a small child. I tend to see myself having a panic attack as a deadly situation. But I guess we all have one or two health issues we are battling with."

I heaved out a sharp breath and looked up to Mrs. Bianca. "Trust me, Ma'am, I will make sure I take care of Aria. Better than the rest. I hope she's not a troublemaker though," I said the last words in a low whisper.

"Maybe a bit of it. But she's not troublesome like her dad." Well, I don't have to be told that. He had shown me that already. I guess I would say like father like daughter. Though I haven't met her yet.

"I haven't seen her around, though, Ma'am."

"Don't worry; you will see her and get tired of her. Do you want some? And call me Bianca, please. Ma'am makes me look like an old woman." She passed a plate of croissants to me.

At that moment, my stomach decided to notify me of its emptiness, so I took her offer, taking a piece. "Thank you, Ma- Mrs. Bianca. Please allow me to call you Mrs. Bianca." I said with a little smile.

My eyes abruptly widened as I took a bite. My eyes shifted from the croissant to the woman. "This is delicious."

An expression of pride danced on her face. "I will take the compliment with a full chest. No one cooks better than me here."

"Indeed," I uttered, stuffing the rest into my mouth.

Mrs. Bianca chuckled. "I'm glad Dante found someone different this time around."

I dusted off my hand and adjusted my standing position. I decided to use the opportunity to ask her more questions. "Are all the maids that left bad?"

The woman looked as if she didn't expect me to ask her such a question, but then the expression on her face relaxes. "It's pretty simple. They're all after the money. They don't do a good job. And considering the kind of person Dante is, he doesn't tolerate that. He can spend on you on his own will. But stealing and lying. They're his enemies. I pray you won't end up like the rest."

"Trust me I won't," I blurted out. We stared at each other for a while before the woman broke the silence.

"It's all good then. Do you want more?" She asked, pointing at the croissant. I nodded with a light smile. "I want all."

I didn't get to meet Aria until the following morning. And I literally woke up late. I remembered clearly, setting an alarm on my phone. It's either I didn't set the correct time or the alarm rang and I didn't wake up. It has to be one of the two. However, as I checked my phone, I realized I was the one who didn't wake up. The alarm rang. I replied to the text Gina sent to me last night and then aimed for the bathroom.

I did my normal morning routine as I normally do back at home before finally showing my presence downstairs. Mrs. Bianca was serving Dante breakfast while his daughter was seated next to him playing over with her own food. I won't forget to mention, she was wearing a bored expression.

"Good morning," I uttered as cheerfully as I could. One look from Dante, and I knew he didn't reciprocate my greetings.

Nevertheless, I pushed in again, getting closer to Aria. "Good morning, little princess. Did you have a good sleep?"

She nodded her head then turned to her dad. "Daddy, is she my new nanny?" She asked him. She has a cute voice.

"Yes, princess. She'd be the one taking care of you from now on. Even though she's late on her first day."

I rolled my eyes. "How could you say that to her?" I mouthed.

He took a sip of his coffee. "Do you expect me to lie to her? I'm not like you."

Wait... Did he just say he's not like me? Do I look like a liar to him?

I closed my eyes and opened them again. "You-"

Mrs. Bianca's words cut me off. "Kate, why don't you have your breakfast first?" It seems the woman noticed what was about to start between me and Dante.

I passed him a look before taking my seat. Mrs. Bianca served a hot pasta, and I wasted no time in digging in. Silence was maintained all through, but occasionally, I stole glances at Dante, who was half attentive to his food, and half on his phone.

"There's something called giving food respect," I muttered under my breath.

"It's none of your business. Maybe you'd know the meaning of respect if you had woken up early to do what's required of you to do." My head snapped towards him. I didn't mean for the words to reach him. Okay, maybe I did plan it to.

I decided not to answer him and focus on my food. "Aria dear, are you enjoying your food?" I asked the little girl.

"No. I don't like it. Daddy, I want ice cream," she said.

"Finish your breakfast. I will get you ice cream later. Huh?" He said pulling on her cheeks lightly. Aria nodded her head. I found myself staring at the two. The way he kept his cool while talking to his daughter. It made me recall my childhood moments with my parents. Unknowingly, a smile crept up on my lips.

"What's funny?" Dante's question resonated through my eardrums.

"It's none of your business. Eat your food," I threw.

His hold on the knife tightened. "Do you want to use that on me? In the presence of your daughter?" I gestured a smirk, curving up my lips. Aria's eyes darted to the both of us.

"Daddy, is she going to leave like the rest too?"

"It-"

"No, Aria. I'm not like the rest. So don't worry, consider me your friend."

"Do you know my mummy too?" Her question came unexpectedly, and I didn't know how to react.

I opened my mouth and closed it again, then shifted my gaze to Dante, whose jaw was clenched. His expression turning more stoic. "Aria, finish your breakfast!"