Chapter 2

"Come, my darling." Said a voice tenderly. Cassie noticed it was her mom. She looked like nothing had happened at all. Her mother was alive and Cassie ran towards her to hug her, but as soon as she touched her, she disappeared. 

Cassie stared where her mom was, then looked at her hands, and collapsed to the floor. 

She now was in the last place where she saw her parents alive, before getting killed. 

The thing is, she was no longer a child. She was an adult but with the body of a seven-year-old. And she saw people running and screaming, but no one noticed her. The place was burning, but she was not. People were dying, but she wasn’t.

Then someone with gray hair and blue eyes comes in front of her and looks behind her. Cassie turns, just to see her parents. The man lunged at her parents and stabbed a dagger in Cassie's mom's stomach, she then spat blood. Cassie's dad grabbed her mom and cried frantically. 

He then fought the man and stabbed him, but a bullet pierced his chest, making him fall to his knees and drop dead. 

…

Cassie opened her eyes, panting and gasping for air, just to see her bedroom. She scanned her hands and her face. It was all just a dream. But these types of dreams are called nightmares. And she hated having nightmares.

She heard a knock on the door and let the person in.

“Morning Cassie,” said the brunette girl, not entering the room, “The Headmistress wants to see you right now.”

“Okay,” said Cassie, nodding and walking towards her closet to pick up the Nanny uniform, “I’ll be right there.”

The girl left and Cassie was the only one left in the room. She tried to ignore the nightmares she’s had for the past week, but she just couldn’t. She put on a brave face and got dressed with her uniform. 

A white blouse with a red lace bow choker necklace, a formal pastel pink jacket with a long pink skirt that matched her jacket and black shoes with a little of platform.

She walked down the hall towards the Headmistress’s office doorstep and stood there. She didn’t enter. She gave herself the pep talk her friends in HQ gave her. You got this Cassie and Your first assignment and don’t fuck it all up and Somewhere out there, a child needs my protection. She touched the green necklace her late mother had given her on her seventh birthday, the same day they died.

Cassie took a deep breath and swung open the door, to meet the Headmistress.

Amira was giving Cassie her back. The room had lights and everything, but it all somehow, felt and seemed cold. Like there was a tense atmosphere.

“Headmistress Oakley.” Said Cassie, entering the room, and therefore closing the door after.

“You’ve been offered an assignment, Cassie.” Amira said, giving Cassie her back, bringing both hands behind her back and raising her head.

Cassie relaxed her shoulders, lowered her face and put both hands in front of her, “But why me?” Cassie asked, but Amira gave no answer. Cassie decided it was time to act excited, “Finally.” She raised her head, “I’m ready. I’ve been waiting for this day since—”

“This offer..” hesitated the Headmistress, “I would not have chosen it for you.” She said, still giving Cassie her back.

“Oh. Then why..?” Asked Cassie, tilting her head slightly. Feeling a little disappointed.

“The client came, and chose you himself.” She said, turning to look at Cassie with a frown on her face.

“The client?” Cassie asked, confused, “Who is it?”

Amira, the Headmistress, grabbed a black file, and handed it to Cassie, “His name is Damian Ricci.” The headmistress said, unsurprised.

Cassie’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe it. “Ricci?” She murmured, “As in..” she stopped. 

She remembered the newspaper she had read when she was ten. With the captions Ricci’s strikes again? Over the picture of Cassie’s house covered in flames and the people who died in the massacre. 

Cassie grabbed the file the headmistress gave her, with trembling hands. As she looked to her employer, she couldn’t believe her eyes, “The Ricci Mafia?” Was she going to be the nanny for the person who possibly murdered her parents?

“It’s a great offer. But it will not be as easy as you think. Don’t take it, Cassie,” said the Headmistress, walking towards Cassie, “I am bound to convey the offer, but I urge you to refuse.” She grabbed Cassie’s hands. 

Cassie was staring intently at the file with the Ricci information, “Refuse my first assignment?” Cassie asked, “After everything you’ve done for me?” The headmistress stayed quiet, “Ricci…” Cassie said, glaring at the picture with Damian’s face.

Cassie remembered when she stood in between the ashes of the house, crying and mumbling, “Why..” she sniffled, “Why did they..”

Cassie snapped from those memories, “I thought I’d never get answers,” She said, wrinkling the paper the headmistress had given her, “But now..” we must make you strong, Cassie she remembered, “I’ll take the assignment.” Cassie said, with a brave face on. Just like when she was seven.

“Are you taking it for the right reasons?” Asked the Headmistress, “Because, Cassie, your past—”

“That’s exactly why I have to!” Said Cassie, raising her head from looking at Damian’s face from the paper, to look at the Headmistress, cutting her short. 

Cassie turns her head to the left, her body still facing Amira, the Headmistress, “If this Ricci has a child..” hesitated Cassie, “Then that child needs protection.” Said Cassie, looking at Amira straight to her eyes. And if I learn the truth of what really happened that day… the better thought Cassie.

The next day

Cassie was walking down the stairs with the luggage she had packed late at night.

She was wearing her nanny uniform and her long red-hair in a bun. 

When she almost reached the floor, she heard her employer talking to the Headmistress. She hadn’t met Damian yet but judging by his voice, he was tall.

Cassie heard a faint, “Did she sign the contract?” And a “Yes she did.”

Cassie strode to the exit of the ESNA HQ and saw Amira, the Headmistress, waiting for her.

Amira turned her face to look at Cassie, and did a faint smile only for Cassie to see, “Cassie,” Amira said, “Meet your new employer, Mr. Damian Ricci.”