Amelia's POVI hesitated for a moment. "I don't know, I don't want to. He might be my ex-boyfriend but he is now also my boss. I mean I'm the nanny of his daughter. Getting involved with him at this moment will just make a mess of everything. I just want to focus on my job," I eventually saidMom hummed thoughtfully. "Is that why you pushed him away so harshly?"I nodded my head, feeling so ashamed. Everything I had said to him that night replayed over and over again in my mind. "It's fine, Eddie. You do not have to explain yourself to me. It is not entirely because of your ex-wife that I say that this is a mistake. There are several… no, hundreds of reasons why this was a mistake. I'm sorry if I led you on, but this should have never happened. So please, Eddie, let me go and let's forget that this ever happened." "You are my employer, Eddie. I work for you as a cook and also take care of your daughter. You are paying me a substantial amount to do so. Do you think it is right for us
Amelia's POV"You'll be fine, Amelia," she said, her voice firm yet gentle. "Just be honest, be sincere, and everything will work out.""Thanks, Mom," I replied, a wave of gratitude washing over me. "I really appreciate your support."Blaire leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And remember, Amelia," she said in a conspiratorial whisper, "if things don't go as planned with the apology, always resort to Plan B.""Plan B?" I repeated, an eyebrow raised."Distraction, my dear," she declared with a dramatic flourish. "Charm him with your wit, mesmerize him with your cooking skills, and before he knows it, he'll be completely smitten and all thoughts of the apology will vanish."I couldn't help but laugh at her audacity. Blaire always had a way of lightening the mood, no matter how tense the situation.Just then, my phone buzzed. Eddie's POVMy gaze drifted to the holographic display hovering in the center of the table, a complex financial breakdown of the Crawford acquisiti
Eddie's POVMy cheeks flushed slightly. "Alright, alright," I conceded, throwing my hands up in mock surrender. "Maybe I was thinking of getting Amelia something nice. It's been a tough week for her, and…""And you want to show her you care," James finished my sentence with a knowing nod."Something like that," I mumbled, feeling strangely self-conscious about my sudden urge for chivalry. I briefly wondered if it would be too much. Showing up with flowers especially after the tense atmosphere that would undoubtedly be between us. After that night, I had avoided Amelia the following morning, only corresponding through notes in the house and through John, the driver. He must have thought the two of us were loony for passing messages to each other through him rather than just talking to each other, especially since we lived in the same house. James clapped me on the shoulder, his grin widening. "Go for it, Eddie," he said, his voice filled with encouragement. "A little gesture like that
Eddie's POVMy heart pounded against my ribs as I waited for Amelia's response. Did she think it was strange, me wanting to meet her mom? Maybe it was too forward, especially considering our current situation.Finally, her voice came back over the phone, a hint of surprise laced with hesitation. "Are you sure, Eddie? You don't have to do that.""Absolutely sure," I affirmed, my voice more confident than I felt. "I'd like to see how Mrs. Johnson is doing myself. Besides, wouldn't it be easier for everyone if we just met upstairs?"There was another small pause, then a sigh. "Alright, fine," she conceded. "We're in room 312."Relief washed over me. "Great! I'll be up there in a sec."Hanging up, I took a deep breath, trying to calm the nervous butterflies fluttering in my stomach. Meeting Amelia's mom felt like a big step, a step towards something more than just employer and employee. But it also felt like the right thing to do.I parked the car, grabbed the flowers, chocolates, and gif
Amelia's POVMy mom, propped up in bed and sporting a mischievous glint in her eyes, piped up, "Amelia, is this the Eddie you were telling us about? The one with the…interesting…cooking skills?"A groan escaped my lips. Of course, Mom would latch onto that particular detail. I shot her a playful glare, which she only met with a wider grin. Eddie, however, looked mortified."Oh, no," he stammered, a blush creeping up his neck. "That was…that was a one-time thing. I promise I'm a much better businessman than a chef."Blair, ever the instigator, chimed in with a mischievous giggle. "Oh, don't be so hard on yourself, Eddie. A little kitchen mishap adds to the charm, wouldn't you say, Amelia?"I swatted playfully at her arm, mortified by her teasing. "Shut up, Blair," I muttered.Eddie, however, seemed to relax a little at Blair's comment. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He cleared his throat and offered the flowers to me. "These are for you," he said, his voice regaining a
Amelia's POV"I used to be a financial analyst myself, you know," Mom revealed, her voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness. "Before, well, before all this happened."Eddie's eyes widened with genuine interest. "Really? That's fascinating! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the potential merger."Mom seemed pleased at his interest. "Well, I may be a bit rusty, but I still follow the market trends," she admitted with a small laugh.And just like that, they were off.I watched in amusement as the conversation between Mom and Eddie shifted to a lively discussion about the intricacies of the acquisition. Jargon like "synergy" and "market share" flew back and forth, and I couldn't help but be impressed by Mom's sharp wit and insightful observations, even though she hadn't worked in the field for years. Eddie was clearly captivated, hanging onto her every word and asking insightful questions.Time seemed to slip away as they dissected the potential impact of the merger, their enthusiasm for
Amelia's POV"There you are, Daddy!" Chloe exclaimed, untangling herself from my embrace and throwing herself at him with a newfound glint of joy in her eyes. "You came to pick me up too?"Eddie knelt down to her level, his smile widening as he caught her with an exaggerated oomph! . "Of course I did, Chloe. I couldn't leave my favourite girl hanging, could I?"Chloe giggled and nodded vigorously. "Right! We're a team, aren't we?""So," he said, his voice breaking the silence, "what would Team Awesome like to do for dinner tonight? Pizza? Takeout Thai?"Chloe's eyes lit up at the mention of food. "Pizza!" she declared without hesitation."Pizza it is then," Eddie confirmed, pulling out his phone. "Any specific toppings, little miss?""Extra cheese and pepperoni, please!" Chloe chirped, bouncing on the balls of her feet.As Eddie placed the order, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. The emotional rollercoaster of the day – the girl's day out with mom and Blair, the awkward car ride, a
Amelia's POVChloe eyed Olivia with suspicion, then turned to me and tugged on my hand as she whispered, "Amelia, who is this lady?""Someone your daddy knows," I replied vaguely, not wanting to get into a complicated explanation in the schoolyard.Meanwhile, the little boy Olivia was holding had wandered over to Chloe, seemingly emboldened by his mother's interaction with us. He reached out and snatched a toy car from Chloe's hand."Hey!" Chloe shrieked, reaching out to grab it back. "That's mine!"The boy, however, held onto the car tightly and began to pull on it. "Mine now!" he declared, his voice thick with defiance.Tears welled up in Chloe's eyes. She looked at me helplessly, her lower lip trembling.Before I could intervene, Eddie knelt down between the two children. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he said calmly, taking the car from the boy's grasp and gently prying Chloe's fingers off.He handed the car back to Chloe and then turned to the boy, his voice firm but kind. "We don't take ot