(Aya’s POV)This was the second time I saw everyone at the dining table for breakfast. The first was when I worked as their nanny supervisor, and today, as Mrs. Carlington. The children dashed toward their usual seats, except for Liam, moving to the next chair.“Good morning!” Liam greeted, his lips curving a playful smile, watching me as I checked on the food Onyx’s nanny was putting on his plate. “How’s your first night here, Aya?”“Scary,” I blushed.I glanced at Red, whose eyes were on the tablet he was reading. I walked on the vacant chair on his right side, assuming the seat was mine, but as I held the top rail, I stopped pulling it when I remembered him talking to Scarlett’s picture early this morning.“I think… I…” I turned my eyes to the last chair beside Ariana. I didn’t deserve to be in this place.“Sit!” Red muttered in an autocratic voice.It wasn’t loud, but I panicked, pulling the chair and sitting down. The maid, whose name I forgot because there were so many, walked t
(Aya’s POV)“You’re really crazy, Aya!” Addie rolled her eyes at me, keeping her voice down and tapping her girlfriend’s arm to avoid getting more attention from the other customers in the coffee shop.Leslie’s hands were on her belly, laughing hard when I told them what I did last night to Red. She raised her hand, wiping the tears that shimmered in the corners of her eyes.“Yeah! You’re crazy. Poor Red,” she said, catching her breath. “And the asset?” She wriggled her eyebrows. “I hope it’s worth your effort.”“It exceeded my expectations. It’s a real masterpiece!” I mouthed, winking at her.Addie shook her head while Leslie guffawed but covered her mouth when a few customers turned their heads at us again.“And the length?” I murmured and breathed out. “I think I’ll ask him to make the bed.”“Clean the bathroom, you mean?” corrected Leslie. “You’re blushing, Aya. Are you falling in love with him?”“Na-ah!” I shook my head. “But one thing I’m sure, my body’s screaming for him now.”
(Aya’s POV)“Violet, would you mind watching your siblings for a while? I just need to pee,” I said when Red left me to talk to the manager of the mattress store.Red did not bother looking around for a good bed frame or tried sitting on the mattress; he immediately looked for the store manager as soon as we entered the shop.“Why would I do that? I’m not their nanny,” she sneered and walked away from me.I breathed out and regretted drinking coffee and not peeing before leaving Addie’s apartment. I raised my arm, wiping the sweat on my forehead with the back of my hand, and looked for Red again.“Go, Aya. I’ll watch the kids for you,” Vin, the head of Red’s security, said.“Thank you, Vin,” I breathed in relief and dashed to the nearest restroom.Although Vin assured me he would look after the kids, I still could not help worrying about them. A lot of what-ifs ran through my mind, and if something happened to any one of them, Red would surely get furious because he didn’t like the id
(Aya’s POV)Red was not lying when he told me he was in a meeting. When I opened the car door, his eyebrows knitted, and he stopped talking, so I had to hush the kids to be quiet. His bodyguards finally showed up, taking the shopping bags and placing them in the trunks of their cars.I breathed in relief, having a little free time to put the three kids on a child seat and check Green’s and Violet’s seatbelts. As I kissed the children, I had to explain in a hurry and low voice that I had to go to my night school. I ran different scenarios in my mind, and I would arrive at the same situation if I didn’t leave now, so I tore a page from my notebook and wrote him a message.“See you at home. Tonight’s my final exam. Got to run. -A”I placed it on my seat but made sure he would see it before closing the door and dashing to the road, running like there was a wildfire behind me. I did not even bother answering my phone because if I did, it would take time. When it went quiet, I knew the batt
(Red’s POV)I sucked in my lips to suppress a laugh because I had stopped the car already, but Aya was still asleep, snoring and not waking up no matter how many times I tapped her shoulder. I knew my men were on standby to help me if she had to be carried into the bedroom, but she was fun to watch.“Aya,” I raised my hand and lightly brushed off the strands of hair on her face like I was afraid to touch her skin.“Hmm?” She shifted her seat. “Almost there, mom,” she murmured and sighed.I felt guilty for giving her a hard time today, but I only wanted to point out the hassle of going out with my children. Yet Aya bravely took the responsibility and made the kids ecstatic with their brand new experience, something I doubted Scarlett could do. I remember her crying when I asked her to join me observed the market by going around the shopping mall. At that time, we had three kids already; Violet was four, Green was two, and Blue was still a baby by then. The nannies were with us, carryin
(Red’s POV)“You’re not sleeping here, Red. The floor is cold,” Aya growled, getting up and pulling my arm to sit.“So, it’s okay for you to sleep on the floor, but I shouldn’t?” I raised my eyebrows, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her to me.Aya wriggled her body, escaping from me, but I did not release her. I only laughed when she growled and tried to push me away. She had a strong personality, but I was physically stronger at this point.“Let go of me, Red,” she squirmed, and when she failed, she attempted to bite me.I did not back out, and instead of releasing her right away, I caught her mouth, giving her a quick kiss, just a peck, and laughing as I moved away from her. I thought she would again threaten to kill me if I touched her, but she didn’t. She took the pillow, embraced it, and rolled to her other side, facing away from me. “I’d rather sleep on the floor than see Scarlett in my dreams again,” she muttered in a hushed tone and added, “I’m sorry, but I’m scar
(Aya’s POV) “Did your dog die?” Rica chuckled. My forty-year-old classmate climbed the staircase beside me, and together, we walked to the hall demonstration kitchen for our freestyle cooking. Like me, Rica struggled financially, letting her kids finish high school before she decided to go back to school. “Just nervous,” I smiled sadly and sighed as I pushed the hall door and held it for her, letting Rica enter first before I stepped inside. “I know,” she rolled her eyes, breathing out. “But Aya, you had an edge working in a fine dining restaurant. Unlike me.” My lips puckered, wishing it was the case, but the truth was I felt empty, unhappy, and not inspired to cook today. When I woke up this morning, Red wasn’t beside me anymore. He was again talking to Scarlett’s picture and murmuring his never-ending love for her when I peered at his office earlier. “Are you jealous?” Leslie asked me when I called earlier to inform her I would return the money I borrowed yesterday. “Jealous
(Aya’s POV) “Flavorful.” My lips curved into an all-smile when our evaluators gave their pleasing-to-ears comments about the meals I prepared, but when Red tasted them, he only muttered one word. Flavorful. It was good that I could glue the all-smile in my lips, but it didn’t reach my eyes anymore. The overwhelming happiness from the excellent evaluation I got instantly stopped the flow when my husband, my VIP evaluator, commented and uttered the word as if he had to say something about it. “Thanks. I’ll just help clean the demo area, then let’s go home,” I said, turning around so he would not see the sadness on my face. “Hey,” Red grabbed my arm. I gritted my teeth, not moving because my tears betrayed me. They happily trailed my cheeks, even when my heart and mind held them. Red walked and stood before me, chuckling gently as he shook his head when he saw me crying in silence. “I knew it,” he pursed his lips, holding my hands and pulling me to him. “What?” I murmured, chokin