CHAPTER 3

Two years passed…

Scarlett bolted upright in bed gasping for breath, she couldn't have a clear vision of her nightmare, but all the physical effects of the dream reflected on her.

Her skin was sticky with sweat, her heart was pounding hard against her chest, and the palpable tension between her thighs.

The confused Scarlett merely took time to notice the conspicuous changes but a part of her yet felt at peace.

Her eyes flickered in a short while, as she recalled receiving a mail in the night but was too drowsy to check.

"Oh my God! I must have forgotten!" She dashed towards her laptop, and checked her most current mail, only to realize the fast rate at which her heart resumed beating.

The mail had stated posting her for a job at Lucas Maxwell's home, opening her browser for further investigation, she realized her soon-to-be boss was the CEO of Leonard, a multi-billion dollar, biotech company.

The article painted him to be a badass, but also a genius who uses his pain to bring his company to the top five in the world and save lives.

Adding to that, at the top of the article had a picture of him, inwardly she bit her lips hard to have realized how hot he looked despite the huge responsibility.

Then she felt like she knew him from somewhere, then Scarlett found herself drooling over him, yet in a short while, she shoved the thought aside.

"No come off it Scarlett, you will make a fool out of yourself."

The moment her eyes fell on the wall clock, she dashed towards the bathroom for a quick shower.

The mail had stated the interview time to be 8:00 am, and here she was even at 7:00 drooling over his picture.

In less than an hour, she was in a short off shouldered blue gown, revealing her slender frame and exposed shoulders.

She picked up her bag and checked the time again.

"My gosh! I hope I don't miss out."

***

All through Scarlett being in the taxi, she felt nervous, with lines of sweat visible on her forehead, while she checked her time consequently.

"Goodness Lord I don't want to lose this job!" She found herself saying.

The house was quite a distance and she spent an hour in the vehicle.

Her nervousness increased twice the initial, the moment she alighted the vehicle, and clicked the gate bell.

Just once and a masculine voice spoke briefly and concisely. "Your name!"

"Scarlett Barnes." She replied briefly with a lifted chin.

"Do you have an appointment?" The man asked again.

"Yes, with Miss. Maxwell. The job of a nanny." 

"Alright, please give me a minute." Taking another glance at her wristwatch, she was exactly thirty minutes late.

While he was gone, Scarlett's nervousness doubled, the thumping rate of her heartbeat was audible, and her expression proved how tensed she was.

The security spent more than a minute as expected, almost giving up on the job, the voice came.

"Come in."

Scarlett introduced herself with a tentative smile and a handshake, as she tried keeping away her nervousness.

Accepting the handshake meant a lot to Scarlett, it only dawned on her then, that her appointment was still intact.

Then Miss. Maxwell turned and led the way, the click-clack sound of her shilottue making a rhythm as they walked.

She walked confidently and elegantly. Boldly stated in the mail, Lucas was referred to as a single father, the lady in front of her didn't seem to be his spouse, perhaps his sister.

That had made Scarlett nervous once again, in her perspective she would have preferred Lucas take her interview.

Females were known to be too protective and picky, unlike the males, she thought.

She led Scarlett past several rooms until they came to the study room and the door was shut behind them.

In the middle of the room was a brown table and a chair, then a sofa.

"Please sit!" Miss Maxwell gestured.

The moment she settled, another question came from Miss. Maxwell. "Anything you will like for a drink?"

The tensioned Scarlett rejected. She couldn't wait to get the job, for good three months, she's been jobless upon several rejections, and she found herself looking for a better-paying job.

"Alright, Scarlett, I guess there are some things you would need and love to know as regards the job."

"Yes, I'll be delighted. The only thing I know is that the six-year-old kid needed a nanny."

"Alright, the most important thing is, the kids are identical, but never mind it's a boy and a girl. Callan and Claire. With this, you wouldn't have an issue identifying who is who."

"Wow, they are twins! A boy and a girl?" Scarlett was awed, her love for kids had grown since the day she lost her child.

"Anyways, that's fine, I would be asking less, but the decision lies with the kids and their father…" Miss Maxwell wound up saying.

"The kids need someone to act and offer them the love of a mother… fully committed to them and understands their needs…"

Those words brought Scarlett thinking. I've been abandoned to the cold by my father, allowed to beg on the streets and eat at the remnants of tables just to fend for two mouths, passed through hell until the baby was born, and in a jiffy, the baby was gone. Scarlett thought to herself.

"Can you do this?" Miss Maxwell asked breaking the silence.

Excitedly, Scarlett replied with a grin. "I'll give them my commitments and love as you requested Miss Maxwell," Scarlett assured.

Miss Maxwell had her gaze stationed on Scarlett, she could tell she already loved Scarlett, but it wasn't hers to decide. Followed by half a minute, she spoke. "Let's go meet the kids."

***

Scarlett felt a lump in her throat, as she tailed right behind her interviewer.

She couldn't care to think of the aftermath if the kids do not like her. The job was the only thing she relied on as a means of survival, only if she got it.

"Okay, be natural Scarlett, just be yourself. Remember the kids hate two things: softness and being too sensitive." Miss. Maxwell tipped as she led the way to a room, decorated and designed as a large playground.

"Softness and being too sensitive! What does that mean?!"

"They don't want you to be a hypocrite, be yourself." Miss. Maxwell advised.

The kids were on the floor, trying to build a piece with their Lego toys.

Scarlett simply setting her gaze on theirs could tell how striking their resemblance was even though they differed in gender.

Same brown curled hair, emerald green eyes, and the same facial structure only that the girl had her hair flowing down to her shoulders while the boy was just a short brown curl.

Scarlett froze to the ground, she could tell such kids will be difficult to please, then she had the drums of defeat beating through her chest.

"It's so hard Miss. Maxwell, I can't do this anymore.." She said with a deep frown. The kids were yet to notice them in the room.

"Scarlett please don't give up, I promise they are cute to abide with." Scarlett was quite unsure but Miss. Maxwell's words gave her some courage.

Scarlett took a few steps closer to them and leaned forward as she picked the manual, only then did they notice a third-party presence.

The twins looked at Scarlett terrified, only to feel at ease at the sight of their aunt.

"Why don't we use the manual?!" Scarlett proposed with a smile.

"Does that work at all? We've tried a million times but it failed." Claire spoke leaving Callan silent, he seemed to be more of a talker but an observant.

"There's no harm in trying once more right?!" 

Callan's gaze locked with his sister then they approved. "So what will you both love to build?"

"A doll house!" Claire said, Callan merely approved with a nod.

"Alright then, let's get to work." Scarlet laid the manual to the floor, following every single step the trio set to work.

Miss Maxwell took her time to observe Scarlett's relationship and choice of words with the kids. 

Half an hour later when she noticed how tall the dollhouse had been constructed, she went closer.

"This is awesome guys! It's a job well done." 

"Not without her help!" Claire said referring to Scarlett, shooting her a smile then she added. "Would you like to see my book?"

Scarlett's tension died down a little bit more but not totally, only one of the kids spoke while the other remained silent. 

She peeked at Miss Maxwell, only those eyeballs seemed to give her some peace.

In a short while, Claire was back to hand over a princess story to Scarlett. "See, my dad has always said I'm his princess, so I'm saying every girl is a princess and so are you."

"Nice meeting you, I'm Claire, and that's my brother Callan." After a chuckle, she rendered the handshake.

Quickly but surprisingly Scarlett grabbed the little girl's hand. "I'm Scarlett, nice meeting you, Claire and Callan." 

She expected a response from Callan, yet none came, he only marveled at the bonding between Claire and Scarlett, curved a smile, and strode off.

``Don't worry, that's my brother for you, he's always quiet, do you mind seeing my room?" Claire called Scarlett who already traced Callan to the exit with her gaze.

"Hmm, wait, what! your room!" The young girl was so enthusiastic about clinging to Scarlett, the fact that she saw a friend in Scarlett, she couldn't wait to show her all.

"No dear, she can't enter your room, there's still an approval left before she can." Miss Maxwell said.

"What approval! She's good, I like her why can't she be our nanny already?" Claire went berserk with a frown.

Followed by a sigh, Scarlett leaned forward to say. "Your dad has to approve girl!" 

***

"Stage one approved, stage two approved, left with stage three." Scarlett counted with her fingers as she sat in the study as instructed.

The chills that ran through her spine were entirely different from those she had felt all along since she came around for the interview.

Just one word gave her a flicker of hope. Miss. Maxwell had assumed that since the kids did love her, Lucas had no choice but to agree to the request of his little angels.

While she sat in the study, Scarlett took her time to take a good look at the study, it was pretty sure that a very high pay attached to the job with lots of incentives would aid her in paying off her debts.

In a short while, she could hear the arrival of a car, brought to a halt, and within a few minutes, shoes crunched towards the study.

However, the sound was compounding which made her realize it wasn't just Miss Walker coming but Lucas together.

Immediately Scarlett felt her body overclouded with cold chills, and on the spot, she began to tremble, her legs shivered as she felt the intense push beneath her bladder.

As the sound became closer, her heart raced faster. Scarlett couldn't help but clutch tight to her chest, tightening her eyes.

In a few seconds right before her, stood the great Lucas Maxwell, his aura was intimidating, hence portraying him like a demi-God.

His scent whiffed past her nose then she realized he was right close to her. Instantly, Scarlett stomped to her feet.

In a jiffy, she couldn't help but notice his eyeballs sparkling blue like the calm ocean beneath twilight and his hair brown as that of the kids.

"Scarlett, this is my brother Lucas."

She felt a lump in her throat but struggled to say. "Hi, I'm Scarlett," she wound up saying, offering a handshake with a reddened eyeball.

Lucas refused her an answer, he merely looked the hands down as insignificant. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Scarlett apologized realizing how many fools she seemed to have made of herself.

Scarlett threw the hand down and went numb, she could feel his eyes accessing her whole body, and felt uncomfortable but had no choice but to direct her gaze away.

A minute left, two left, three left then he voiced. "I don't like her."