Chapter 10 · Late to Arrive, Warm to Stay

Chapter 10

On the fourteenth day, in the afternoon, an unexpected visitor showed up at the manor.It wasn't Claire, but Isabelle.She pushed past the security guards, strutting into the hall in a pair of red-bottomed heels, her steps echoing on the marble floor."Charles Landon!" she shouted.Her voice rang out across the entire first floor.I was on the second floor, helping Leo build a tower with his blocks.Leo's hand shook.The tower of blocks collapsed.His face went pale."Leo," I said, crouching down to block his view. "Don't be scared. Look at me."His lips were trembling."She's going to take me away," he whispered."No one's going to take you away," I said firmly."She will. She once said she'd take me with her and left me by the side of the road," he whispered.It felt like someone squeezed my heart."Leo, listen to me. You're safe here. I'm here, and your dad is here too. No one can take you away," I said firmly.He stared at me, those big, dark eyes brimming with fear.Then he threw himself into my arms, clinging to my neck.It was the first time he'd ever hugged someone on his own.His little body was trembling.I held him close, gently patting his back.The shouting downstairs was getting louder."Charles, I want to see Leo! The court said I have visitation rights!" Isabelle yelled."Your visitation rights have already been revoked. Isabelle, don't push me," Charles said coldly."You revoked? Who gave you the right?" Isabelle shot back."You left a six-month-old baby alone in a mall for three hours. Do you really think you deserve visitation rights?" Charles shot back."That was an accident! I had something to do that day..." Isabelle protested."Something to do? What, like running off to a foreign country for a vacation with your lover?" Charles sneered.Things suddenly went quiet downstairs.Then I heard something crash."Charles! Don't think money makes you untouchable! I'll hire a lawyer and sue you!" Isabelle yelled."Bring it on," Charles said, his voice icy.The frantic click of her high heels echoed as she stormed out.The front door slammed shut.Leo was still trembling.I held him close and whispered, "She's gone. She's really gone."He slowly let go, but still clung tightly to my sleeve."Sophia," he murmured."I'm here," I said."Are you going to leave too?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper."I told you, I'm not going anywhere," I said softly."They all say the same thing." His voice was so faint it could barely be heard. "The other nannies said they wouldn't leave either, but then they were gone."I held his hand close to me."Leo, look at me," I said softly.He looked up at me."I always keep my word, Leo. I'm not going anywhere," I said firmly.He stared at me for a while.Then he whispered a quiet "okay."That night, Charles returned to the second floor.Leo was already asleep.He lingered outside Leo's door for a long time.Then he came up to me."Thanks for today," he said quietly.He'd never thanked me before."I'm just doing my job," I said."No," he replied. "You've done far more than that."He looked at me, and for the first time, I caught a flicker of something in his usually cold eyes, something I'd never seen there before."Sophia, I did some digging on you," Charles said.My heart skipped a beat."You were Professor Samuel Chase's final protégé, won the grand prize at the national pediatric pathology competition, and that paper you wrote on early intervention for childhood autism has been referenced more than three hundred times," he said.I stayed silent."After your mentor got into trouble, they canceled your internship, took back your scholarship, and you almost didn't even get to graduate. When you were at your lowest, your father turned his back on you, and Jason picked Claire over you," he continued."You really looked into me," I said."Someone like you shouldn't be working as a nanny here," Charles said."But I am," I replied.He looked at me for a few seconds."I'm not asking you to leave," he said."I know," Charles replied."What I mean is, you deserve better," he said.I smiled."Mr. Landon, honestly, nothing matters more to me right now than making enough to cover my mom's medical bills. This job is the best one I've got," I said.He didn't say anything else.But just before he turned away, he paused and said, "If you ever decide you don't want to be a nanny anymore, tell me."He headed upstairs to the third floor.I stood in the hallway, my heart pounding a little out of control.Calm down, Sophia. He was your boss. That was all he was to you. You were just here to take care of his son. Never think about crossing the line.

Chapter 10