Chapter 0004

CAMILLA

Sprinting to the garden which didn't take me a minute to arrive, I saw him... The man I refused to meet my whole life, was talking with Miko.

His brows furrowed as he darted a stare at Miko. Will he recognize him?

No! Over my dead body!

"Miko! Are you alright?" I rushed, scanning his body for any bruises or injuries.

"I'm fine, Mom," Miko reassured me which made me feel better and sighed in relief but only took a second when I realized the man behind me was glaring at us.

The toy car was wrecked in Miko's hand. He must be devastated to see the toy he loved the most, destroyed in his hand.

"Who are you two? What are you doing here?" Nikolai raised a question causing me to gasp silently as I tried to hide my trembling voice stuck in my throat.

"I... I-I..."

What should I say?

"She is the new maid, Sir Nikolai."

The voice of Linda saved me.

"New maid? Who said I need a new maid?"

"Your mother."

"The fuck!"

I abruptly covered Miko's ears as soon as he let out a curse. My mind went blank as I kept hiding my face while my heart raced frantically as sweat was streaming down my temple because of nervousness.

"Look at me." He ordered, perhaps because I hadn't looked into his eyes the entire time.

I lowered my head as soon as I came nearer him, refusing to meet his eyes. I'm afraid he'll recognize me, but given that I haven't heard from him in over five years, it makes me wonder if he still remembers me.

"I said, look at me." He repeated, trying not to raise his voice too much because there was a child.

"Camilla." This time, Linda warned me.

I'm obstinate enough but when he harshly grasped my arm, I was forced to look into his ocean-blue eyes.

Shit!

The sight of him made my heart do awkward palpitation expanded once again. He gave me a brief moment of intense attention as his brows furrowed.

Again, here we are, the sensation from that evening returned. His lustful gaze darted on mine. The vicious touch against my naked skin. His virile body drove me crazy. The way he gazed at me set my insides on fire.

I took several blinks before averting my eyes from his captivating gaze.

Another desire rose and burned in my chest with a desperate emotion.

This should not be happening to me.

"You..." He hesitated.

Please don't remember me… Please, I'm begging, don't remember me.

He closed his eyes as he massaged his temple, soothing the pain in his head. He then slowly let go of my arm.

My hand trembles as I clasp my fingers to Miko's head, pulling him closer to me while hiding his face on my stomach.

Why is this happening?

This should not be happening.

God!! I am currently unable to think clearly due to my wrecked mind.

I closed my eyes as my pulse raced frantically, in the hopes that he wouldn't recognize me or the child's similarity.

"Whatever." He let out a heavy sigh. "And kid, don't worry, I'll replace this toy. Are we good?"

Miko nodded teary-eyed, saddened by the loss of his car toy that I gave on his last birthday.

Nikolai left without another word for me, followed by Linda. Not even chastising me for bringing my child onto his property.

Frightened by what was meant to occur, I took hold of my chest and let out a heavy breath.

However, I'm thankful enough that he didn't even recognize me and my son.

Why, of all people, does it have to be him?

I asked Miko again if he was alright. Upon hearing that Nikolai would replace the toy he wrecked, he flaunts his smile while nodding his head.

As long as he was okay.

But I have to leave right away.

I spoke with Linda in privacy while holding Miko in my arms. I wanted to resign from the job but she refused to accept my resignation.

"If you're not serious about this job, you shouldn't have applied in the first place, Camilla." I can sense the frustration in her tone.

"I was serious--"

"Then what are you doing now? Seriously, resign on your first day?"

Jesus! I was overjoyed to learn that I had a regular job with a three-fold increase in pay, but I quickly regretted it after seeing Nikolai.

"I..." I contemplated as my eyes were seeking a perfect alibi in the air but she snapped her fingers on my face.

"Enough. I know you need this job desperately. You have to think about your son, Camilla. The salary here is enough to save for Miko's future." I lowered my head. She was right. "Now... Go back to work." She said before striding out of her room, leaving me without any other choice.

Why can't I find a perfect alibi?

I also previously signed a three-year contract, which I greatly regret. I shouldn't have taken the job if I had known Nikolai was my employer.

Oh God! Help me get out of this situation!

***

Miko followed along with me as I continued to clean every room throughout the day. He occasionally helped me, but I always urged him to play around rather than help me.

I was now vacuuming the floor in the library. With a lot of thought running through my head.

"Why didn't he remember me?" I hissed under my breath.

To make sure that Miko didn't hear me, I glanced at him playing with the feather duster. I sighed and continued cleaning.

Is it simple for guys to forget the night after stealing a woman's virginity?

I'm mad.

I'm infuriated at his face.

I'm hoping, if it's possible in this huge mansion, I'll never see his face again. It made my blood boil whenever I clearly remember his gaze while having sex with me that night.

"What a jerk!"

"What is a jerk, Mom?"

The abruptness of Miko's query left me stunned.

"H-Ha? Uhhmm... I mean, jerky! Beef jerky! Do you want some?" I reasoned, hoping he would fall for it.

"No thanks. I'm not hungry, Mom." He politely responds.

"O-Okay..." I pursed my lips before turning my back on him.

Cursed you, Nikolai!!

Camilla, stop obsessing over that jerk.

That's good news for me if he doesn't remember me, right? I don't have to worry that he would recall that night, inquire about Miko, and then discover the truth.

I won't let that happen!

I complete the library's cleaning while inwardly berating myself for continuing to visualize Nikolai's face.

Miko was hurrying to our room ahead of me first as we descended because I needed to return the cleaning supplies to the storage room.

I stopped in my trance as I was making my way back to the living area. My eyes widened as my pulse pounded furiously.

Shit! What is she doing here?!

Alyssa Hayes was comfortably sitting on the couch as if she owned the place.

Are they married?

Goddamn it!!

I must leave this hell immediately!

But she hailed me before I could turn around.

"Do you hear me? I need iced tea!" She repeated with a loud voice.

What a brat! She didn't change at all, after all those years.

I bet she's shooting me a death glare at my back. I nodded while walking on my back l, trying to hide my face from her glare.

Once I arrived at the kitchen, I panicked. I've been searching for a tool to help hide my face but it looks weird if I use the lid of the casserole.

What should I do? I have to call the other maids but I can't exit the kitchen without meeting Alyssa's raised brows and eyes darting on mine.

I heard the news of him having a fiance but not the wedding. If Nikolai learned about our son, he would take him away from me.

My heart clenched in pain just by thinking about the worst-case scenario.

"My iced tea!"

I jumped off the floor when I heard her raging voice, demanding her iced tea.

If she's in a hurry, why won't she make it on her own?

Goodness! It's my job to make iced tea for a señorita.

Why did Nikolai fall in love with that psycho?!

Nevertheless, I take my time making iced tea. She should learn the word 'patience' and put it in her dictionary.

Because her uncle was the owner of the school we attended, she began behaving badly when we were in the eleventh grade. She thinks she's a queen and no one, literally, no one should be on her way while doing a runaway on the pathway that leads to her classroom.

What a brat.

Aubrey hates her guts the most to the point they have a catfight during the cheerleading audition. If an oil and water collide, the result is incompatible and ends up in a mess.

I had an iced tea in my hand and was ready to walk out of the kitchen when I realized I had nothing to cover my face with. As a result, I stopped at the door and failed to see someone walking into the kitchen and smacking into the iced tea.

Her scarlet dress caught the cold iced drink, and her scream reverberated throughout the entire estate. I was about to apologize but a pair of hands hit my both cheeks causing me to fall on the floor.

Damn... That was hella painful!!

"What's happening here?!"

I jumped at Nikolai's rage-filled voice.