Jayden laughed bitterly, staring at his half-naked reflection in the mirror. He bent against the sink and took some of the running water, splashing the cold droplets against his face. He repeated his action, meeting his face with harsh water. It seemed more like he was punishing himself. Slapping his face continuously without giving himself a moment to breathe. The more he thought about how Maria had been treating him lately, the more miserable anger dominated his entire self. "Arrrg!!" He exploded and slammed his two fists against the sink so hard his phalanges almost crushed into pieces. Sadness forming as boiling fury was spiking through his veins. He planted his wet palms on the mirror and focused his gaze on himself. "Why?" He queried with his brows lifting higher. "What exactly doesn't she like about us?" he added and laughed again, realising that a girl was turning him into a professional soliloquist. She had infact changed him into something else. He was almost losing his s
Her red sneakers led her into the building and halted her quick strides before him. "Good morning, Mr Stanley." She greeted, finding his standing figure with her eyes. Turning quickly, he looked up to see the woman who have been occupying his mind lately. His eyes ran over her, realising how much he had missed her even though she was only away for a day. "Good morning." Maria repeated, halting his wandering stares. He twisted his lips slightly to a displeased sneer, noticing that she was yet to drop her unfriendly vibes. "How was your night?" She questioned, stepping closer to his chair. "Terrible." She fluttered her lashes at him, clearly showing how surprised she was to get a honest reply from him. He was always very secretive about his migraine attacks. "Terrible?" She returned his words with lowered brows. "Yeah.""Was it an attack? Please tell me every detail about it." Her notebook and pen was out already and her blue eyes gazed at him attentively. "Yeah.""How many min
"Jayden!" Delia called out vociferously, stomping her heels irritatedly as she stepped closer to her son. Jayden turned a little, and lowered his gaze at his mum. She looked enraged and whatever reason causing the almost visible fumes soaring above her head was something he didn't care about. "What just happened between you and the doctor?" His mother questioned, pointing a fake nail towards the direction the mentioned person had passed. His brows moved up a little as he figured his mother was among the onlookers Maria was referring to. "What is what?" He questioned, his brows lowering back to position against flat eyes. "You two...t-two just kissed!" "Let me be." He stated dismissively and turned to walk away. Apparently, he wasn't in the right mood to talk to anyone, especially topics that included his pathetic rejection. "I'm talking to you Jayden!" Delia berated, yet her unconcerned son ignored her. "Are you having an affair with your doctor?!" She quizzed, her words
TWO YEARS LATER. She heavily inhaled a refreshing amount of air and slowly drew them out. Her palm reached for her chest once again to feel her heat beat, hoping the breathing exercise had calmed her down; however, it did not work at all. It seemed to have worsened her palpitations. Her heart was still drumming wildly beneath her ribcage, and it felt like each time she took in air, it only aggravated her condition further. There was no time to waste so she decided to try a different approach to treating her momentary anxiety.Like a wrestler warming up for an upcoming fight, she spread her arms above her head and started to lift her body in repeated jumping jacks. After all, exercise was one of the best ways to release tension from stress and anxiety.She kept moving, her ponytail bouncing in motion as her heels hit the ground again and again. Her mind drifted away from her pounding heartbeat as she focused on the movements that were keeping her alive; her body's need to mov
"Like a Nanny...?" Maria slowly pronounced, still not comprehending fully what her boss meant.He was amused by her interpretation, but concealed his emotions well, remaining professional. "Well, something similar, but much more advanced. You will be saving him from himself. Saving him from self-destruction." he explained, his tone becoming firm as he spoke."How does that work?" Maria ventured, trying to understand the idea."It's simple." The chairman nodded again and gestured for her to grab the next document he had been referring to. "You will be assigned to him full-time. You will be the closest person to him, in the sense that you will be with him every single day, monitoring his condition and keeping him company. In addition, you will be responsible for making sure he doesn't hurt himself or others by doing things that will eventually deteriorate his mental health and state of mind." He concluded, his fingers tracing the lines of the paper in front of him as he watched h
It was her favorite place in the world. A place that solved all her hunger issues, fatigue, and whatever term that fitted the category of negative emotions that could irritate someone's soul. It was a planet of food that welcomed her nostrils with the rich aroma of delicious delicacy.No matter the condition of her stomach, it always roared into her life each time she stepped into the restaurant. It was not any kind of restaurant. The place was special to her and her view of the word special was quite distinguished from that of a common man. It wasn't lavishly decorated and customers wouldn't find a group of bands possessing the atmosphere with tasteful music. No grand artwork and beautiful flowers were gracing the walls the way it was done in those fancy restaurants.It was a simple and cozy eatery that offered different varieties of rich meals that would leave a customer looking forward to his next visit. It was her place of comfort and was owned by her best friend. The bo
Stanley.It was a name she had heard before, seen severally on screens, and came across in books. The name loomed in the air like it was oxygen. It was a popular name and many people in the world went by it. But that wasn't the reason why the name was always alive on every lip. A mere combination of seven letters of the English alphabet wasn't sufficient enough to attract such fame.It was because of the influential and prosperous family recognized by the name. A well-to-do family of four who was recognized as the richest family in America and only someone living under a rock wouldn't have heard of them. There were only two categories of people who talked and debated about them. The first category was the majority group who held nothing but pure adoration and the opposite group was the minorities who were prejudiced about their wealthy lifestyles.Maria had never been in any of those categories. There were many other things in her life to handle than while away her tight schedule goss
The home of the Stanleys' was the exact paradise she had envisaged as a dream home. It grandly occupied two hundred acres of land and stood out like an oasis in the middle of the desert, because there were no other houses near it. The charm of the place gave her a royal-world vibe and she felt like she was in a period movie or novel. The manor's white walls contrasted with its dark green trim, making it look more like a castle than a building. It was a sprawling structure, with a long front lawn and manicured gardens stretching away from the house to either side. The main entrance was guarded by a pair of stone lions that sat at attention in front of an arched door flanked by several rows of columns. A large fountain dominated one corner of the grounds, surrounded by tall flowers and shrubbery. A few other fountains dotted the area around the house, adding splashing sounds to the atmosphere. The wrought-iron gates were shut by the security as they drove inside and it t
"Jayden!" Delia called out vociferously, stomping her heels irritatedly as she stepped closer to her son. Jayden turned a little, and lowered his gaze at his mum. She looked enraged and whatever reason causing the almost visible fumes soaring above her head was something he didn't care about. "What just happened between you and the doctor?" His mother questioned, pointing a fake nail towards the direction the mentioned person had passed. His brows moved up a little as he figured his mother was among the onlookers Maria was referring to. "What is what?" He questioned, his brows lowering back to position against flat eyes. "You two...t-two just kissed!" "Let me be." He stated dismissively and turned to walk away. Apparently, he wasn't in the right mood to talk to anyone, especially topics that included his pathetic rejection. "I'm talking to you Jayden!" Delia berated, yet her unconcerned son ignored her. "Are you having an affair with your doctor?!" She quizzed, her words
Her red sneakers led her into the building and halted her quick strides before him. "Good morning, Mr Stanley." She greeted, finding his standing figure with her eyes. Turning quickly, he looked up to see the woman who have been occupying his mind lately. His eyes ran over her, realising how much he had missed her even though she was only away for a day. "Good morning." Maria repeated, halting his wandering stares. He twisted his lips slightly to a displeased sneer, noticing that she was yet to drop her unfriendly vibes. "How was your night?" She questioned, stepping closer to his chair. "Terrible." She fluttered her lashes at him, clearly showing how surprised she was to get a honest reply from him. He was always very secretive about his migraine attacks. "Terrible?" She returned his words with lowered brows. "Yeah.""Was it an attack? Please tell me every detail about it." Her notebook and pen was out already and her blue eyes gazed at him attentively. "Yeah.""How many min
Jayden laughed bitterly, staring at his half-naked reflection in the mirror. He bent against the sink and took some of the running water, splashing the cold droplets against his face. He repeated his action, meeting his face with harsh water. It seemed more like he was punishing himself. Slapping his face continuously without giving himself a moment to breathe. The more he thought about how Maria had been treating him lately, the more miserable anger dominated his entire self. "Arrrg!!" He exploded and slammed his two fists against the sink so hard his phalanges almost crushed into pieces. Sadness forming as boiling fury was spiking through his veins. He planted his wet palms on the mirror and focused his gaze on himself. "Why?" He queried with his brows lifting higher. "What exactly doesn't she like about us?" he added and laughed again, realising that a girl was turning him into a professional soliloquist. She had infact changed him into something else. He was almost losing his s
Ted glanced at the lady sitting beside him and her bottled up attitude happened to perturb him. "Hey," he called out softly and she met him with dull eyes. "What's wrong? I know something is." It was obvious. "Nothing much." Maria shrugged, taking her eyes back to TV which she wasn't even paying attention to. "Mood swings, I guess.""Mood swings?" He repeated and then she nodded curtly. "Are you on your period? You have some pain?" He loaded her with several questions immediately and shifted closer to her. "Uh?""It's not that, Ted. And stop talking about my period so freely like that." She responded in a low tone, and she sounded like someone surviving on her last energy. "C'mon, man. Then tell me what's wrong. We have been watching TV for good two hours and in silence. It's so unlike you. And what's with the gloomy face all about?""Do I have to smile all the time, Ted?" She rubbed her eyes and returned an indifferent gaze at her favourite TV show."I do not mean that but still...
The double doors opened and Jayden's face lit up to see the lady walking into his room, in spite of the fact of causing him a sleepless night. The smile he was about giving out immediately went back into hiding when he noticed the odd vibe bounding out of her. A serious expression distorted her face with her usual smiling lips falling into a straight smile. Her face held no glint of humor And she seemed she had come to work for business and business alone. "Good morning, Mr. Stanley." Even her tone was thick with a professional accent. He wanted to reply to a morning greeting for the first time but she was too quick to say something else."I'm afraid I won't be spending much time with you today sir. I have an appointment with my boss later in the day. We will do a quick check up and then I will be out of your hair."Jayden stared at her as she walked closer to where he sat in the mini living room. What's with the formality? Weren't they passed that already? Apart from that, everyth
"Don't cry.... Don't cry," She muttered to herself and fell on the couch with a thud. Crying because of a man would definitely be the last rule she would break. After-all, she had broken every laid down principles she made for herself, and crying because of a man would render her defeated. The more she thought about how cheap she had become, exposing herself, acting like a slut and playing hickey-dory with a rich guy, the more anger took over her soul. She was angry with nobody but herself. She had destroyed whatever she stood for; professionally, ethically, you name it. Why had she of all females acted like one with no dignity. What could have gotten into her? It could have been any other guy. It could have been some guy who wasn't her patient or someone who wasn't engaged to another female. She would never be Ashley even though the universe flip ten times over. She broke her last rule eventually, her cheeks flooded with streamy hot tears as she cried because of a man. Each year d
He peeled his chocolate eyes from the monitor and directed them at the blonde lady whose attention was deeply fixated on a large potrait in his office "You have a crush on my dad?" His asked, folding his arms with his lips crooked a little. His question was supposed to tease her but her body language happened to be too serious to stomach some jokes. "Your dad??" She asked, glaring at him with crushed brows. He simply nodded, finding her reaction odd. That dazed expression was the usual kind of look he got whenever people realised he was Jayden Stanley or that his father was Helbert Stanley. But she was Maria, his personal doctor to be precise, who already knew who he was already. "What's with that look?" He asked, switching on his second laptop to work on something Daniel informed him about. "Didn't you know that?" He added, chuckling a little bit. Maria returned her eyes, staring at the stern looking man in the picture. "Well... I didn't know this was your dad. I mean I have hear
The dining room seemed too exquisite for a home. But it was okay and unchallengeable. It was the home the Stanleys and situations of such were considered normal. It was her first time coming to that particular part of the vast mansion and it was all thanks to Mr Grumpy who surprisingly decided not having breakfast in the room he usually locked himself in. A maid rushed in, approaching the both of them with a concerned look. "Good morning sir." She immediately voiced after throwing her head down into a bow. "You dismissed the meal brought to you sir. Is there something you didn't like about the meal or would you like us to prepare another kind of dish?" The woman furthered, and slowly looked up at Jayden for a reply. "No," was the prompt reply from her superior."Si-Sir?"Jayden looked away, walking past her with his steps targeted at the dining table. "He could have just said he was having his breakfast differently," Maria muttered, shaking her head at his retreating figure and won
"And then he said he likes me? With an emotionless tone and dead pan looking face? Who confesses to a lady like that?!""And what did you actually do?""What do you think I might have done? Picking up my cellphone to make a fake call and hold the call throughout the drive home just to avoid the awkward conversation? Yes. That was what I did.""So let me make a summary of what you just told me.""Okay?" "You both relationship is becoming weirder of late. You guys also kissed but you don't know what it means to him, although you think it's a drunken mistake. And now he told you he likes you but his confession lacked the required emotions needed to buy his words. And besides all that, before all that happened, he already attempted flirting with you numerous times including kissing you during a time you both pretended to be lovers.""Yes, yes, yes. O boy, you are so attentive.""And now you are completely confused if he is messing around with you again.... Or maybe not."She nodded again