Furious, Gabriel slammed the door without letting go of Viviane's arm. They locked eyes as he turned, and Viviane glimpsed the contained anger on his face. Cornered, she felt her legs weaken. The idea of getting close to Mr. Welsch didn't seem so good at that moment.

"Do you like snooping?" Gabriel's fingers pressed into her skin.

Her boss's hostile behavior frightened her. For a moment, Viviane thought about grabbing her suitcase and leaving the house.

"What did you hear?" he asked, releasing her arm.

"Nothing!" Her trembling voice broke the silence. "I was heading to the dining room."

She stepped back as Gabriel approached. She took a few more steps and lost her balance when her hip hit the mahogany table. A picture frame and some papers fell to the floor.

Instinctively, Viviane bent down. She gathered the papers and picked up the golden frame with Elizabeth's photo. She had to force herself to maintain her posture and conquer the fear that had taken hold.

"Remember your duties in this house and do your job," he demanded. "My mother will supervise you during your probationary period."

"Yes, Mr. Welsch!" She placed everything back on the table.

"I don't want to see you wandering the corridors near my office. I hope you understand."

Gabriel scanned her from head to toe, stroking his own chin and shaking his head. Viviane braced herself for the worst; she knew her boss would soon mention her leg.

"My mother will provide the uniform. You need to be well-dressed and appropriate for your role."

The resigned woman nodded. For the first time, he noticed the beautiful translucence of her jade-colored eyes. Viviane's cheeks were flushed. The way he scrutinized her made her even more nervous.

"You may leave now." Clearing his throat, he turned and opened the door.

Taking a step back, he waited for Viviane to exit the office. Although she was formally dressed, he noticed her slow walk.

"Miss Bernardi!"

"Yes!" She stopped and turned.

"This way!" He pointed to the opposite side of the corridor.

He took a step back and let her walk ahead. For a moment, Gabriel focused on the fabric accentuating her slim waist. He knew the importance of avoiding any harassment with his employees, which is why he had insisted Viviane wear it during work hours.

The metallic pendant chandeliers, finished in rose gold, hung above the expansive table with ten seats. Viviane glanced at her reflection in the large mirror mounted on the wall. She felt small in the face of the room's luxury and sophistication.

"You're five minutes late!" Kathy stood on the other side of the room. "What is she doing here?" She gave a slight wave toward Viviane. "She should be having dinner in the kitchen."

"I invited her, Mom!" Gabriel pulled out a chair.

Even though she disapproved of her son's action, Katherine sat and instructed the housekeeper to serve dinner.

"Sit down!" He sat and gestured to a chair for her.

Silence fell over the room as the staff served them. Viviane shifted in her seat and smiled at the housekeeper.

"Where's Liz?" Viviane dared to ask.

"I sent her to bed early for misbehaving."

"I thought she would have dinner with us," Viviane regretted speaking, immediately catching Gabriel's sharp glare.

"Your job is to assist me with my granddaughter's care. I don't want you interfering with how I raise her."

Gabriel sipped a bit of white wine, ignoring his mother.

Instead of eating, Viviane folded her hands in her lap and stared at them, thinking of her own daughter. She imagined Pietro's wife might be raising the girl the same way.

"You don't like sophisticated food, Miss Bernardi?"

"I do, ma'am!" she answered.

"Sit properly," Katherine ordered.

Viviane straightened her back immediately and lifted her chin, unaware that the man at the head of the table kept his gaze fixed on her. She had a pert nose and prominent cheekbones.

"She's very thin," Kathy commented, trying to draw her son's attention, and laughed at her untimely remark. "You need to gain a little weight."

Viviane didn't respond. Instead of arguing with the matriarch, she focused on her plate of oyster tartare with vegetables.

"I noticed you have a problem with one of your legs." Gabriel held his crystal glass and sipped the wine.

"You should stop drinking, Mom," Gabe said.

"I just want to know if Viviane will be able to handle Liz when I'm not home."

"I can, ma'am!" Viviane replied.

"Were you born with this disability?"

Gabriel cleared his throat and widened his eyes at his mother.

"It was an accident!"

Viviane barely touched her food under the matriarch's interrogation. She set the fork beside her plate and sighed.

"Were you driving drunk?"

"No, ma'am!" She took a sip of water.

Viviane shook her head. She wasn't ready to talk about it yet. The terrible nightmares kept that day alive in her memory.

"Enough!" Gabriel interrupted his mother, revealing his irritation.

He had been aware of every step the new nanny had taken just before entering his house. According to the detective he had hired, Viviane had made headlines four years ago. He had read the article about the robbery followed by an attempted homicide.

"Excuse me!" Embarrassed, she stood up.

She didn't wait for Gabriel's permission. She left, walking frantically. She couldn't remember where her room was. Leaning against the wall, she pressed a hand to her mouth.

"Are you all right, Miss?" the kind woman asked.

"It was just a bad headache," she said, standing up.

"Do you want a painkiller?"

"Thank you, I'll be fine!" She wiped away tears with the back of her hand. "Yolanda, how do I get to my room?"

The woman in a black uniform with a white apron smiled.

"Do you need anything, Mr. Welsch?"

"You may leave, Yolanda! I will accompany Miss Bernardi to her room."

Gabriel rolled up the sleeves of his shirt on both arms as he stared at the nanny's tearful eyes.

They both walked along the carpeted hallway. Gabriel slowed his pace so that Viviane could keep up. She walked slowly, saying not a word.

Impatient, he shoved his hands into the back pockets of his linen trousers. His face remained dark and brooding. They took a few more steps. Viviane glanced at the little table in the hallway and remembered her room. Gabe stopped in front of a door on the left side.

“This is your room, Mrs. Bernardi. I hope you won’t get lost again,” he said firmly.

“Yes, sir!”

“I took the liberty of sending the schedule with my daughter’s activities,” he mentioned to the woman, who stood at the door like a statue, listening. “One of the reasons I hired you is because you are an educator. I would like you to take charge of teaching my daughter Portuguese.”

Viviane offered a restrained smile and nodded as the tall man spoke about the importance of his daughter learning other languages.

“Does she go to school?”

She immediately regretted the question when she saw Gabriel’s impassive expression.

“No!” he said firmly. “Read the spreadsheet with the schedules I sent you.” Gabriel took a step, then turned back. “There’s one more thing—do not override my mother’s instructions,” he warned. “Elizabeth is spoiled, and sometimes my mother has trouble dealing with her.”

“And what about playtime?”

“Read the spreadsheet I sent you,” he said curtly. “Be careful not to overindulge; I don’t want my daughter becoming dependent on you during this probation period. I fired the last nanny because she let Liz play alone on the swing.”

The explanation seemed so absurd that Viviane smiled.

“Seriously?”

“Elizabeth fell off the swing and got three stitches in her eyebrow,” he said, his tone serious.

Viviane smoothed the back of her hand and stared at her feet. The man’s gaze was intimidating.

“Go rest!” commanded the cold voice.

Without looking at him, she touched the doorknob. Gabriel took a step, then stopped, staring at the frail woman’s back.

“I apologize for my mother’s behavior! She’s upset with me for letting you give a gift to Liz. Anyway, she shouldn’t take her anger out on you.”

“No problem!”

“See you tomorrow, Vivian!”

The sound of her nickname in that penetrating voice made her heart race suddenly.

“Good night, sir!”

Viviane opened the door and stepped into her room as he walked away. She just wanted to take a shower and forget the fiasco at dinner.

Even though Katherine was angry with her son, it was clear she wanted to hurt Viviane. Did she do the same to Gabriel’s wife? she wondered as she removed her dress. She looked at her slender body and swallowed hard, remembering Kathy’s barbed remarks.

Later, Viviane was lying in bed when she grabbed her phone and checked her email. She opened the spreadsheet with Elizabeth’s activities. The poor girl would have to get up at seven in the morning.

Around eleven at night, Viviane got out of bed when she heard the engine of a car stop in front of the house. She discreetly opened the curtain, peeking at the tall man. She closed it as soon as Gabriel lifted his head.

Viviane ran back to bed and burrowed under the covers, hoping her boss hadn’t seen anything.

After turning off the lamp, she fell asleep quickly. She longed for the day Gabriel would return to Los Angeles. She needed to go to the company to find Pietro.

“Get up!” The commanding voice ordered.

A flash of light forced Viviane to open her eyes and sit up quickly. She panicked, thinking she was late. Alarmed by the invasion of her privacy, she jumped out of bed.

Gabriel studied the curves visible beneath her thin white nightgown. Without a word, he grabbed her arm firmly.

Fear gripped Viviane. She feared this man might be as harsh as her ex-husband and demand tasks beyond her duties as a nanny.

“Are you making a fool of me, Miss Bernardi?”

Her heart seemed about to leap from her chest. Viviane couldn’t understand the reason for the interrogation.

“Why didn’t you tell me Pietro Müller is your ex-husband?”

For a moment, Viviane remembered the car she had seen before going to sleep. Pietro had probably discovered something and told his boss.

“No, I didn’t know,” she said, her voice trembling.

“Oh! Did you forget you were married to him?” he demanded sarcastically. “Answer me!” His voice rose.

Viviane shrugged in response to the man’s aggression.

“I told you on the day of the interview.”

“Then I have to fire the HR manager.”

“That’s not her fault!” Viviane found the courage to retort. She pulled her arm.

“Whose fault is it then? Yours?”

He advanced on her as she stepped back. Gabriel’s hair fell over his furrowed forehead. His eyes were full of rage.

Viviane ran to the other side of the bed and opened her wardrobe door.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I—I’m leaving!” she stammered.

“Oh, no! You’re staying here!”

“But my ex-husband already told you…”

“Told me what?” He interrupted sharply.

“He did it so you would dismiss me.”

A rough laugh filled the room. Viviane didn’t understand what had been so funny.

“Pietro told you to steal more money.”

Confused, Viviane grabbed the suitcase handle.

“Where is he?”

“I haven’t seen my ex-husband in years.”

“Do you expect me to believe that, Miss Bernardi?”

Gabriel snatched the suitcase from her hand and advanced. He studied the pale face of the woman staring at him in confusion.

“Your husband robbed me, took the most precious thing I had,” his voice faltered suddenly. “You’re staying here! He took what was mine, and now, you belong to me!”

In a sudden movement, he came closer, his hands sliding gently from her shoulders to her soft neck. Horrified, Viviane closed her eyes, fearing the worst. Gabriel’s fingers traced her smooth skin, driven by an uncontrollable desire.

“I quit!” she shouted, trying to free herself.

Gripping her shoulders firmly, he tried to claim her lips, but she turned her head and shut her mouth.

“You will not leave this house until I allow it!”

He pulled her closer, making her feel his hard desire. He claimed her lips in a fierce kiss as Viviane struggled to escape.

“Please, no!” she pleaded in a tearful voice.

Indignant at her resistance, he took a deep breath and released her. Though he wanted revenge on Pietro, he could not hurt an innocent woman.

“Don’t even think about leaving this house! There are guards all over the property. You will leave only when your ex-husband shows up with my money,” he declared forcefully. “Don’t even think about calling the police. Otherwise, I’ll tell them you’re an accomplice of Pietro.”

“That’s a lie!” she said, upset.

“Think carefully before taking any action, Vivian!” he warned, turning to leave.

Viviane threw herself onto the bed, crying with anger. She wrapped herself in the plans she had made to find her daughter.

She dragged herself out of bed and saw the guards patrolling the property.

And if Gabriel found Pietro, what would happen to her daughter? It would be better to stay to make sure Mr. Welsch never laid hands on the girl.

---

The next morning, the alarm rang. It was fifteen minutes to six. Overcoming her laziness, she threw back the sheet and went straight to the bathroom to freshen up.

She grabbed a hanger with a black long-sleeve blouse, matching pants, and shoes—probably the uniform she was supposed to wear during work hours.

She tied her hair in a bun and, as soon as she stepped out, met Yolanda, who was leaving the room next door.

“Good morning, Miss Bernardi!”

“You can call me Vivian.”

“I’m not sure I should…”

“We’re coworkers,” Vivian said calmly.

They walked to a spacious gourmet kitchen where a young woman was eating cereal, seated on one of the stools near the white counter.

“This is the heart of the house!” Yolanda said with a smile.

Viviane’s eyes scanned the space, taking in a hood over the cooktop, the oven, and a stainless-steel refrigerator.

She lifted her gaze and immediately looked away when she saw the couple through the glass door separating the kitchen from the backyard.

Gabriel was sitting at the table with a beautiful woman whose hair made her look like a Hollywood actress.

“Do you like pancakes?” Yolanda asked kindly.

“Yes!”

“Sit there, I’ll make them for you!”

Somewhat awkwardly, Vivian greeted the golden-skinned girl as she sat, but the young woman didn’t respond.

“She’s wearing headphones!” Yolanda mentioned. “Barbara, don’t be rude.”

“What’s up?”

“Hi!”

The girl forced a smile and returned to watching a video on her phone.

“Don’t worry, she always wakes up in a bad mood,” Yolanda said.

Glancing toward the door, Vivian noticed Gabriel smiling briefly. He looked more handsome when he revealed his white, perfectly aligned teeth. He didn’t even seem like the ogre who had invaded her room in the middle of the night. Perhaps this was his girlfriend, she thought.

“She’s Mr. Welsch’s cousin!”

Barbara seemed to have read her thoughts.

“She’s the lawyer who uncovered Pietro’s scams.”

Viviane shifted in her chair when the girl mentioned her ex-husband’s name.

“He’s always yelling at the detective on the phone. Everyone in the house knows about Pietro.”

Yolanda served a steaming cup of coffee and placed a plate with the pancakes.

While eating, Viviane kept track of the time. She already had the day’s lessons planned.

She glanced sideways and saw Gabe hugging his cousin and kissing her on the cheek. She focused on her breakfast when Gabriel touched the sliding door while speaking on the phone. Her heart raced as she heard his hoarse voice fill the room.

“I don’t care about that woman’s problems. Dismiss the HR manager. That’s all!”

Poor woman! Viviane swallowed hard at the thought of the HR manager.

“Change that outfit!”

Barbara looked at her boss in confusion and stood up quickly.

“Viviane, change that outfit and go to my office,” he ordered.

“What about Liz’s lessons?”

“I’ll give you fifteen minutes!”

With heavy steps, Gabriel headed toward the exit. If Pietro didn’t have the courage to show up, he wouldn’t spare any effort to take everything that was his.

Internally, Viviane felt relieved and admitted to herself that perhaps it was better to accept her resignation and find another way to locate her daughter. She made her way back to the room as quickly as she could. "You have fifteen minutes," she imitated the arrogant boss's voice. "What an idiot!" she muttered to herself.

In the room, she removed the uniform and put on the same black dress she had worn to dinner the night before. She let her hair down while looking in the mirror and arranged the platinum strands over her shoulders.

She hung the uniform on the hanger and placed it in the wardrobe just before taking out her suitcase. After organizing everything in the bag, Vivian sighed in relief. She swore to herself she would never act impulsively again.

She still had five minutes to decide what to say to that cold, authoritarian man.

For a moment, little Elizabeth came to mind. The poor girl would have such a strict upbringing and become as cold as her grandmother and father.

"That's not my problem!" she tried to convince herself.

She glanced at the clock and confirmed the time. Since it was her last day in the house, the thought of confronting him crossed her mind.

With two minutes left, Viviane dabbed a little lipstick on her cheeks, rubbing it in to give her skin a healthier appearance, then slid the lipstick across her lips.

Taking a deep breath, she left the room without looking back. She walked slowly along the carpet, in no rush to see the arrogant man. She stopped at the office door and smoothed the fabric of her dress before knocking.

"Come in!"

Dragging her suitcase, she crossed the threshold and faced the man who had his back turned. Gabe was looking out at the backyard vegetation through the glass. Vivian studied him closely. He turned his head and looked over his shoulder at her before saying,

"You're late, Viviane!"

Dark, straight hair fell over his forehead as Gabriel turned, revealing a chiseled jawline and angular chin that complemented his tanned skin. His gaze fixed on the woman holding the suitcase handle.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked sharply.

Dejected, she muttered: "To my home."

"I don't recall giving you permission."

"I'm no longer your employee."

"You're resigning?"

"I can't work in a house where my boss wants to keep me imprisoned."

Gabriel remained unmoved by her audacity.

Her voice faltered as she threatened, "If you don't let me out, I'll call the police."

"Do it! Call the police." He lifted the phone receiver and beckoned to Viviane with his other hand. "I'm sure my esteemed friend-or rather, the chief of police-will be thrilled to meet Pietro's ex-wife and accomplice."

He looked at the papers on the desk and hung up the phone when he saw that the nanny would not insist.

"I just want you to accept my resignation."

"Are you so desperate to run from me, Viviane?" He gave a sarcastic smile, trying to keep his tone controlled. "I will not accept your resignation! You will only leave this house when Pietro shows up," his arrogant voice thundered.

Vivian's face turned pale as she realized that this arrogant man had no intention of setting her free. Mr. Welsch was a powerful man who could make her complicit with her ex-husband. How could she search for her daughter from behind bars?

"Then why did you have me take off the uniform?" she asked, trying to break the silence and rid herself of the frustrating thoughts. "I thought I could leave."

"Don't you have other clothes?" He changed the subject.

He raised his face, his inquisitive eyes taking note of the knit fabric of Viviane's dress as he waited for a response; she remained silent, knowing his intent was to humiliate her.

"Sit down!"

"I prefer to stand," Viviane replied.

"I told you to sit!" he shouted.

Viviane dropped the suitcase handle and limped to the chair, where she sat.

Looking at the nanny, Mr. Welsch asked, "Did you know that Pietro was my wife's lover?"

"No!" She held Gabriel's gaze. "So you just want to use me to get back at Pietro?" Viviane tried to show confidence she didn't feel.

"Perhaps!" A threatening smile hovered on his face. "Since my wife cheated on me with your ex," he flopped into the chair, "I think it's only fair I take what's his."

"I'm not an object, and you can't force me to do anything." She raised her chin, challenging him.

"Listen carefully, Vivian!" Gabriel felt this was the moment to make his intentions perfectly clear. "Your husband ran when the car crashed and escaped with my money. Rachel abandoned her own daughter to run away with a man who left her to die in that burning car."

Viviane knew Pietro had a mistress he met with constantly, but it had never crossed her mind that Gabriel's wife was the woman he spoke to on the phone. Though it was shocking, she still refused to marry the man sitting across the desk.

"What would you want with a woman who can barely walk?" she tried, using her disability as an argument. "I'm not elegant, and I'm not an heiress. My father was a taxi driver, and my mother is a retired bank clerk. I'm just a teacher who spent ten years working as an educator."

"Lady Di was a ballet teacher!"

"She had the lineage of two kings of the Stuart dynasty," Viviane countered.

"So what if you don't belong to an aristocratic family?"

His thirst for revenge blinded him to social differences. Gabriel was obsessed.

"You don't have access to the best medical care, and I can provide that." He gestured toward Viviane's leg. "I've seen your medical records." He pushed a folder with copies of all her tests across the desk. "I've already sent them to a specialist. If you continue with the consultations and physical therapy, you can recover."

Viviane stared at the papers in astonishment after opening the folder. She had no idea Gabriel had access to her medical records.

"I saw you in that restaurant a few months before you were shot and went into a coma," he said at one point, studying her with a pitying gaze. "Where is the baby you were expecting?"

"She wasn't there when I woke up."

Tears stung Viviane's eyes. She had never spoken openly about her daughter. Head down, she looked at the ultrasound image of her baby. A tear rolled down her face and fell as she smoothed the photograph of her daughter still in her womb.

"I'm giving you a chance to take revenge on that bastard. I can find out where he is and locate your daughter."

The offer seemed tempting, but what could she offer a man who had everything, especially beautiful women who would do anything to marry him and care for Elizabeth?

"I don't think I'd be a good wife!" She closed the folder and touched her face, wiping away the tears. "Pietro left me because he said I was frigid."

Gabriel clenched his fists on the desk and swallowed hard.

"I only want you to be a good mother to Elizabeth and testify against your ex-husband."

Viviane sniffled and nodded.

"I'm sure you're not frigid," he commented.

"I can take care of Liz and testify, but there's no need for sexual relations."

"What do you think Pietro did with my wife?" His deep voice was filled with rage. "You will be my wife and the mother of my child. I expect you to fulfill your duties behind closed doors. If you ever insist on defying my orders, you know what will happen."

Viviane had read about women married without love in some countries. She had watched countless videos of young girls crying because they couldn't refuse marriage but had to obey their parents' wishes to follow family customs. Accepting a situation like this felt so strange, especially in the 21st century.

Even though she admitted Gabriel was a handsome man, she still didn't want to marry him. She couldn't stand his rude, authoritarian manner.

Soft knocks on the door interrupted the silence. Gabriel got up from the chair and took a few steps to turn the silver doorknob.

"Mr. Jenkins is here!" Yolanda announced.

"Take him to the living room and serve a drink. I'll be there shortly!"

Vivian turned slightly and glanced at the man standing at the door.

"Mr. Welsch, Elizabeth is awake, and her mother left very early," the housekeeper informed.

"Viviane," he said over his right shoulder, "put a dress on Liz and take her to the living room."

"Yes, sir!" She stood and grabbed the suitcase.

"Leave that there," Gabriel ordered. "I'll take it to the room!"

Viviane got up and passed through the door as Gabriel stepped aside. Could he really carry out those threats? She wondered, walking slowly along the beige carpet covering the hallway floor.

She still had doubts about whether he would truly help her. Now that she knew Pietro was a fugitive somewhere in the world with her daughter, Viviane decided to accept an alliance with the cold, vengeful man. The CEO's nanny was capable of anything to find her lost daughter.