"You what?!!"

I put my palm to my ears dramatically. It is much too early to deal with noise but I know Xander deserves an explanation for why I returned with only the clothes on my back last night.

She was gracious enough to let me sleep without having to talk about it but her curiosity has gotten the best of her.

So here we are, two girls sitting on her bed in the darkness of the early morning.

"Can't we talk about it after you get back from work?" I groan and fall back onto the soft pillows, trying to escape the conversation.

"How do you fucking expect me to face Mr Thompson today without knowing the full fucking story?!" she shrieks.

I groan again, louder this time, when I hear his name. Last night, after finding out the Theodore Thompson I knew is my new employer, I ran out of his house as fast as my legs could carry. I can feel my face turn a little red as I think of what Mrs Jenkins and the children must think of me now. And him...

"Oh shit!" I sit up in bed immediately and ask Xander, "Will this won't affect your job? I know how much of a risk recommending me must have been."

Alexandra, my best friend since college, has good things going on for her. Unlike me, she actually finished college and has a life. She works as an executive assistant in a famous business company, a company I now know belongs to Theodore Thompson, and it would break my heart if she loses her job because of me.

She rolls her big doe eyes and says, "Fuck him. Are you shitting me? If I had known Mr Theodore, my amazing employer who is one of the most handsome men and eligible bachelors, is actually Teddy, the love of your life who turned out to be a fucktard asshole who ruined shit for you, I never would have made you go anywhere near him!"

I smile because of her sharp words but that quickly turns into a playful frown when she looks at me accusingly. "You! How the fuck did you not know who your employer is? I passed the nanny handbook to you and everything."

I fall back into the bed, not bothering to explain how I glossed over the part of the handbook describing the children and my new employer, preferring to come to my own impression of them.

"What am I going to do, Xander? I absolutely need this job to pay for the studio."

The plan has always been to work hard and earn enough money to buy a music studio and launch my career as an instrumentalist. But now I'm back to square one.

"Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe I should just move back in with-"

"No bitch! You're going forward in life not back," Xander says encouragingly. She shimmies closer and lies besides me, taking my hand in hers.

"You're not going back there, Nova. Stay here, forever if you have to, and think of another way. You're not giving up on your dreams yet girl."

I squeeze her hands in silent thanks as the sun slowly lights up the room. In the silence that follows, I listen to her heartbeat until I drift away.

**********

As I stand in front of the music studio with my eyes fixed on the sleek glass door, the muffled sound of instruments trailing out fills me with excitement and determination.

In my mind's eyes, I see myself walking through these doors, instruments in hand and ready to create.

"One day," I mutter as I walk away.

On my way home, my mind drifts to my childhood and memories of love, laughter and music. There was always music playing, making it a huge part of my life.

Everyone around me back then knew I was meant to make music. I would tell anyone who was interested enough to listen about my plan. Study music, get a degree, and become the world's best instrumentalist.

Back when everything seemed so straightforward and sure. Before my life took a drastic turn. Before I met Theodore Thompson.

He was so confident and world wise, telling me about all the places he's visited and the things he did there, but he was also very kind and soft, Iike when he would look into my eyes like I was the only girl in the world.

And I, who had never even thought about having a boyfriend before, found myself falling head over heels in love with him.

My chest aches as I think about the months I spent with him, ignoring warnings against rushing into things, ignoring warnings against falling for a rich boy on summer vacation.

The night before he was to return to the city was the first night I slept out. We laid under the moonlight talking about our future together.

When he began kissing my body, I offered no resistance and fully surrendered myself to him, allowing him to bring me pleasure I had never felt before.

And that was the last time I heard from him.

Refusing to believe what was clear to everyone else, I ran away from home in search of Theodore. I tracked him down to his house in the city, just in time to see him walking out...with his bride.

And just like that, reality came crashing down on me.

My first taste of heartbreak was on a busy street in a strange city, alone and watching the man I loved drive away with another woman, his new bride.

If only that was the end of it...

I sigh deeply and shake my head, forcing away thoughts of the past. Theodore Thompson's involvement in my life all those years ago was a mistake and I will never be able to erase the consequences of trusting him.

But this time, I won't allow myself to make the same mistake. I have to resign the nanny position and stay as far away from Theodore as I can.

The more I think about it, the more determined I am. I won't let Theodore Thompson fuck up my life all over again.

"Excuse me, Miss."

I turn around in time to see two big men in dark suits get up from the bench they were sitting on and approach me.

"You need to come with us."

Theodore

"What do you mean the investors are backing out?" I demand with my voice low and even.

My grip on the phone tightens as I listen to the anxious voice on the other end of the line. "Unfortunately sir, the latest projections indicate--"

My patience is wearing thin so I cut off the associate, speaking through my teeth. "I don't pay you to tell me what's going wrong. I pay you to fix problems."

I pace behind the desk, watching the city below as my mind races with thoughts of solutions and damage control.

"I want a revised proposal on my desk by tomorrow morning. And Harrison?"

"Yes sir."

"Make it work."

I end the call and collapse into my desk with my jaws clenched. The timing couldn't be worse. I might have to fly out once again to handle it all myself.

Just as I am about to call my team and assemble an emergency meeting, the voice of my personal assistant comes through the intercom.

"Mr Thompson, your guest has arrived."

My expression softens a little as a fleeting distraction from chaos arrives.

"Send her in," I say as I compose myself.

Seconds later, the door opens and the security guards walk in with an uncooperative Nova Patel.

I watch her every movement closely.

As they enter, she struggles in the guard's grip trying to free herself, but when she notices me, she goes limp as shock flashes in her eyes. A wicked smile plays on my lips when her expression changes to distrust.

"Leave," I say to the guards without breaking eye contact and we both wait quietly until we hear the sound of the door click close.

For a moment, she stares at me defiantly in the silence the guards left behind.

"Why am I here?" she finally says.

"Can't an employer request the presence of his latest employee?" I ask casually.

She sighs lightly. "About that. Thank you for the opportunity, but I have to apologize to you Mr Thompson..."

I raise an eyebrow at the way she addresses me but she continues, telling me her reasons for resigning.

As she speaks, my gaze drifts over her from head to toe, taking in all the things that have changed since I last saw her.

She's dressed casually, in a fitted tee that hugs her body and a pair of joggers that does nothing to hide her soft curves. Her dark hair falls loosely around her soft face and I can't help but think about my hand running through it.

She has grown. Gone is the awkward young adult I once knew. Now, as her body screams out, now she is a woman.

As she finishes speaking, I am distracted by the sudden downward rush of blood.

"...and so once again thank you for this opportunity. I will have my things out of your house by the end of the week," she concludes politely, almost impersonally.

"You're not wearing your glasses," I remark. "You switched to contact lenses."

She raises an eyebrow as confusion flickers on her face. "Pardon me?"

"I like the glasses. They made you look...vulnerable. Innocent." My voice drops to a low murmur. "Like a lamb waiting to be devoured."

I pay attention as the shock dances on her face, followed by a deep blush. Just like before, her face turns red at the smallest innuendo.

"I see no reason why we should talk about that," she says flustered as she tries to compose herself. But I'm not ready to let the moment pass.

"Do you still have that birthmark? The one near your-"

Before I can finish, she cuts me off with embarrassment and annoyance flashing in her eyes.

"Excuse me! Can you please maintain a professional image?" she says with a firm voice, but her cheeks are still burning with colour.

"Professional?" I say as my tone becomes grave. "Are you being professional? You're here in my office, dressed casually, when you're supposed to start your duties as nanny today."

"I'm here to resign-"

I pull out a contract from my desk drawer and hold it up, my eyes locked on hers.

"Do you remember signing this?" I ask as I slide it across the desk to her.

She picks it up and nods her head as she scans the document. "Yes, I did. The day I accepted the job offer."

"You might want to take a closer look at section 5, subsection 2."

A small smile graces my lips as she reads to herself and her eyes widen in disbelief. Years ago I was forced to let her go. Last night, I was too shocked at seeing Nova Patel standing in my house to stop her from leaving. But now, she won't be going anywhere.

"I'm required to work a minimum of one year?" she asks in disbelief.

I nod firmly. "I won't have my children go through a frequent change of nannies. Stability is crucial for their development," I say as I lean back into my chair, my eyes never leaving hers.

"I could have sworn I went through this contract twice before signing," she says as she flips page after page. "Is there no way to negotiate this clause? I haven't even started working yet."

I shrug absentmindedly. "If you want to leave so badly you can pay the penalty clause. It's there on the last page."

I watch as she frantically turns pages and her eyes widen at the number of zeroes.

There's a moment of silence as she comes to terms with the arrangement. Or so I thought until she speaks..

"Mr Thompson...please. Let me resign," she pleads.

I feel a pang of surprise, followed by a hint of hurt at the desperation in her voice. Why is she so desperate to get away from me?

"Mr Thompson..." I say frowning as I stand up from my chair. "I can't say I like the sound of that, Nova."

I notice a flicker of fear in her eyes and my frown deepens. I am surprised to realize how hurt I am that she would think of me as a threat.

"Do I scare you?" I ask quietly as I move closer to her. She takes a step back, her eyes darting around the room and I can sense her unease.

"Don't come any closer or I'll...I'll report you to HR," she warns and her voice trembles slightly.

I stop in my tracks, surprised by her threat and a low, rumbling laughter builds in my chest.

"You'll report me to HR?" I repeat as I get closer to her. Soon, she backs herself into a corner, leaving no room for her to escape from.

My eyes are locked on hers as I slowly approach and the air in the room thickens with tension. When I close the distance, all that is left is a hair's breadth to make physical contact. I can feel the weight of the space left between us and as her lips slightly part, I know she can feel it too.

Watching her like this, her chest falling in rapid breathes, my body responds.

"You're breathing faster, Nova," I say slowly, not wanting to break the spell we have on each other. "Are you scared...or aroused?"

Nova

I'm trapped. My back is pressed against the wall as Theodore's body towers over mine, radiating a potent, sexual energy. The closeness is suffocating, yet enticing, making my skin prickle with sensitivity and it takes everything in me not to reach out and touch him.

My arousal has me in a state of hyper awareness, so when he leans forward and my nipples graze against his body, I find it hard to keep my eyes open and I feel my juices oozing onto my panties.

"You're mine..." he says in a deep, husky voice. A baritone voice that has haunted my sex dreams for years.

"You're mine, Starlight."

And just like that, the spell that trapped me in his sensual web is broken.

Memories of him calling me his Starlight, memories of our past romance floods in, and with those memories come all the pain of his betrayal.

Anger courses through my veins and I push his wide chest, trying to create some distance between us. To my surprise, he allows himself to be pushed and takes a step back, his eyes never leaving me.

I stand tall and my chest is heaving with emotions as I glare at him.

"You have no right to call me that," I begin venomously. "No right at all!"

I take a step forward with eyes blazing in anger.

"You left and married your rich wife, didn't you? I was not good enough so you threw me away for her. And now what? You're tired of her?" I spit out the words, my tone dripping in disdain. "You're probably bored with her or maybe she's no longer pretty enough for you. Whatever the reason, you don't get to choose her over me and then use me for pleasure. Go back to your fucking wife, Theodore."

As I catch my breath after my outburst, I see a flicker of sadness in Theodore's eyes but he quickly turns away and slowly walks to his desk, leaving me feeling a mix of emotions.

I am still fuming and ready to say more, but the deep sadness in his eyes leaves me feeling unsettled.

Theodore's voice cuts through the silence. "There's a car downstairs to take you back to the house," he says as he sits down and turns to face the city skyline outside his window. "The twins are waiting for you."

It is clear that the conversation is over.

I huff and storm out of Theodore's office, slamming the door shut behind me. Only when I am alone in the elevator do I realize that, according to that contract I stupidly signed, I will have to deal with Theodore Thompson's presence even more and the thought makes my stomach twist in complicated ways.

At the ground floor, I wrap my arms around my midriff, feeling vulnerable and out of place among the sleek, suited business people rushing to and fro.

Just as I am about to exit the building a hand reaches out from behind and drags me away from the revolving doors.

I am yanked sideways and my feet stumble to keep up. When I finally regain my balance, I look up, ready to confront whoever it is but my eyes widen in surprise when I see Xander, or as she is more appropriately known in her workplace, Alexandria.

"Christ! What the fuck, Xander?" I say as I try to shake off her grip on my arm but she doesn't let go. Instead, her fingers dig deeper as she navigates me through the crowded lobby.

"Xander, where are we going?" I demand, trying to keep up with her pace but I am met with silence as she continues dragging me away.

It isn't until we stop in front of an unremarkable door marked 'storage locker' that she finally speaks up.

"I'm sorry Nova," she whispers. "I heard Mr Thompson sent those guards to bring you and I was worried so I called him. You can bitch about it later."

"Called who?" I ask, but before I can get an answer, Xander opens the storage locker and shoves me inside, making me stumble head first into mops and brooms.

"What the hell, Xander!" I shout as I regain my balance in the dark space. I turn around about to bang on the door to be let out when the small room is suddenly illuminated.

And there, standing surrounded by cleaning supplies, is my older brother, Kai.

"Xander you fucking snitch," I mutter.

"Is that really your reaction to seeing your older brother Nova?" he asks amusingly.

"Maybe I'd be happier if I knew you weren't coming to lecture me about something," I say casually, hoping to sidestep the main issue.

"Maybe I'd be happier if I didn't get a call telling me my younger sister has been kidnapped by the rich fucker who owns this company." His tone is light, but even in the low lighting from his phone, I can see the anger in his eyes.

When I found out about the contract, one of the most prominent things on my mind was how Kai would take the news. I at least thought I would have time to prepare him for it, but instead, now I have to face his disappointment in a cramped storage room, in the company of the man Kai blames for everything.

"I wasn't kidnapped, Kai." My voice voice drops to a whisper when I say, "I was employed by the CEO and he wanted to see me."

Kai's eyes narrows and he stares at me in disbelief. "Employed by Theodore Thompson? The Theodore Thompson who bankrupted our family business and sent our parents to an early grave? That man?"

His words are a stark reminder of who the man who was making my underwear a dripping mess minutes ago really is. Shame washes me as I realise what I was close to doing with the person that did so much harm to my family.

"I didn't know he was the fucking employer," I say defensively.

"Watch your fucking language, Nova."

I take a deep breath to calm myself. "I didn't know he was the employer, Kai. I had no idea."

For a moment, the small room falls silent as Kai stares at me skeptically. "Have you sent in your resignation?"

I steel myself for his reaction, taking a deep breath again. "I-I can't resign. I signed a contract and breaking it comes with a penalty.

"How much?"

I hesitate, knowing the answer will only make things worse. "More than we can afford definitely."

"Fucking hell Nova."

"Language," I say under my breathe.

"I guess there's just one option left," Kai says resolutely as he begins to walk out of the storage room but I quickly grab his hand to stop him.

"You're not going to ambush or beat up Theodore Thompson, Kai," I say firmly, trying to reason with him. "You can't keep going through life using your fists to solve problems."

Kai's face darkens in a way that would have been scary if he wasn't my brother. "If you didn't keep getting yourself into trouble, I wouldn't have to," he replies calmly.

Guilt pricks at me but I decide to ignore his reply and focus on stopping him from doing what he's planning on.

"He's a CEO. If you hurt him, no matter what I do I won't be able to keep you out of jail again, Kai. It's not worth it."

We stand there in silence for moments, both of us lost in thoughts until a sly glint appears in Kai's eyes. "What is your role?"

I raise an eyebrow, wary about where this is going. "I'm the nanny."

"So you have access to the house?"

"I live there."

Kai's face twists in distaste when he hears my reply, but he says nothing about my new living arrangements and outlines his plan.

"You'll be my spy, Nova. You'll gather any information you can find on Theodore Thompson's business dealings, and we'll sell it to his rivals and people who want to see him taken down.

My eyes widen after I listen to his plan. "Kai, I'm not sure I can do that," I say hesitantly.

"We'll take Theodore Thompson down together, Nova. We will get revenge for our parents."