Elena sat in the bright kitchen, carefully applying a small bandage to Leo's scraped knee while he quietly ate a sugar cookie. Her mind was racing with worries about her own future and her family's mounting bills back home.
Leo: Miss Elena, why was Lady Victoria so mad at you?
Elena: She was just confused, sweetie. Sometimes people get angry when things don't go the way they want them to.
Leo: I don't like her. She smelled like heavy flowers and yelled at the cooks. I like you because you read me stories about the ocean.
Elena offered a soft smile, gently stroking the boy's blond hair. She had been working at the Sterling mansion for only six months, hired as a low-level maid to help clear the estate's massive guest quarters. But over time, Leo had grown attached to her quiet, gentle presence.
Elena: You're a good boy, Leo. You always have to be brave, okay?
Leo: I am brave! Daddy says I have to be strong like my mom was.
Elena paused, a slight pang of sadness hitting her chest. Arthur's wife had passed away three years ago in a sudden, tragic accident, leaving Arthur as a cold, distant billionaire focused entirely on expanding his vast corporate empire, while his little boy grew up in a massive, lonely mansion surrounded by staff.
Arthur: Leo, go with Martha to the playroom for a bit. I need to speak with Elena privately.
Arthur walked into the kitchen, his hands tucked into his trousers pockets. The elderly housekeeper, Martha, stepped in right behind him, taking Leo by the hand with a warm smile.
Leo: See you later, Miss Elena!
Elena: Bye, sweetie. Be good for Martha.
Once the door closed and they were alone in the vast kitchen, Arthur turned to face Elena. The silence between them felt heavy, filled with unspoken questions.
Arthur: Take a seat, Elena.
Elena: I can stand, Mr. Sterling. If this is about my employment, I understand if my actions were unprofessional—
Arthur: Unprofessional? Elena, you stood up to a woman whose family controls half the commercial real estate banks in this city just to protect my son. That isn't unprofessional. That's remarkable.
Elena: I couldn't just stand there and watch her hurt him. No child deserves to be treated like that, no matter who their family is.
Arthur: Victoria was right about one thing. Our families were planning a merger through marriage. Her father holds key shares in a trust fund estate that belonged to my late wife. Canceling this wedding means a corporate war is about to start.
Elena: I'm so sorry, Mr. Sterling. I didn't mean to cause financial trouble for you.
Arthur: Don't apologize. Victoria was putting on an act for months just to get closer to my fortune. Today, she showed her true face because she thought no one was watching. You saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life.
Arthur pulled a leather folder from under his arm and set it down on the polished wooden table between them. He opened it, revealing several thick legal documents marked with official red seals.
Arthur: I am restructuring the staff today. I want to offer you a new position. I want you to be Leo's primary personal nanny and the manager of his personal trust estate affairs.
Elena stared at the documents in shock, her breath catching in her throat as she read the figure listed at the bottom of the contract offer.
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