Chapter 3

Lana’s POV

Handling the kids wasn’t as easy as Lana thought it would be. They had been a whirlwind testing her limits with their naughty chaotic behavior. She tried everything to calm them down, but they seemed to find new ways to push her buttons. Her patience was wearing thin already but she wouldn’t let it get the best of her unless she wanted to cause bigger problems for herself.

After what felt like hours of chasing after Max and Lily, she finally managed to settle them down on the couch with a movie. Exhausted, she stayed by their side, hoping that the calm of the TV would help them drift off to sleep. And thankfully, it worked.

Slowly, the kids began to doze off. Lily nestled onto Lana’s chest, and Max curled up beside her, his small arms hugging her. Tired from the stress that the children had put her through, Lana found herself drifting off as well.

She did not know for how long she slept but after a while, she stirred in her sleep and her eyes slowly fluttered open only to be welcomed by the sight of the children’s father, Nikolai, crouched beside her. He was staring at her with a serious, almost contemplative expression.

Startled by the suddenness of his presence, Lana’s head jerked up and her lips suddenly and unexpectedly brushed against Nikolai’s. At the contact of their lips, Lana’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief with Nikolai mirroring her expression, his body tensed. Immediately, Lana pulled back again, her cheek warming up in embarrassment. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her this instant.

“I’m so sorry,” she blurted out, her chest heaving in fear. “I didn’t mean to…”

But Nikolai waved her apology off and Instead, took out his phone and sent her a notification.

“I have transferred the remaining balance to your account,” he said calmly, his voice silky and seductive.

Lana slapped herself mentally at the dirty thoughts.

Shut it already!

She glanced at her phone and saw the payment had come through. Giving him a small, closed mouthed smile in gratitude, she thanked him and started to gather her things, preparing to leave. Just as she was about to exit, Nikolai’s voice stopped her to her feet.

“It’s already 2 AM,” he said. “It’s late. You should stay over for the night.”

“Oh, that’s nothing sir. I have a car that I can just drive…”

“How do you think I’ll feel if you get into harm’s way because we made you work past your work hours and let you leave in the middle of the night?” He cut her off again, his face expressionless and yet, it had this dominating, imposing aura that demanded obedience. “Spend the night here and leave first thing in the morning.”

Lana hesitated again, her mind racing.

Even if she wanted to stay, the recent awkward moment between them made her reluctant.

“I uhm… I don’t want to impose…”

“It’s no trouble. The guest room is available. It’s late, and it’s safer for you to stay here.”

Well, guess he was right after all. She couldn’t imagine Rusty breaking down in the middle of nowhere by this time of the time. It would terrify her to the bones.

Lana sighed in surrender and nodded her head at him.

“Okay,” she said, giving him a grateful smile. “Thank you for letting me stay over.”

Nikolai simply nodded, his face still impassive.

“I’ll have one of the house help show you to the guest room.”

The house help appeared shortly after and Lana followed her to her temporary room while another house help helped the kids upstairs to their rooms.

As Lana and the house help reached the guest room, the woman opened the door and gestured for her to enter.

Slowly, Lana stepped inside, her eyes taking the space in awe. The room was nothing short of opulent. There was a massive four-poster bed with plush linens dominating the space. Rich, dark wood furniture complemented the room’s decor, and an ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, ambient light.

“Here’s the guest room where you will be spending the night,” the woman said with a polite smile. “If you need anything, just call.”

“Thank you,” Lana replied with a thinned smile of gratitude and the house help nodded and left, closing the door behind her. After the woman was gone, Lana stood in the middle of the room, overwhelmed by the luxury. She had never been inside a room like this before. In fact, she had never even dreamed of stepping foot into such a room before.

She walked over to the bed and allowed herself to fall backward onto the soft, inviting mattress, her laughter bubbling up as she sank into its comfort.

“Woah. This feels like heaven.” She laughed as she lay there for a few moments, reveling in the sheer comfort of the bed.

With a grin, she got up again and began exploring the room. She admired the intricately designed furniture, the lavish drapes, and the exquisite decor. Everything was immaculate and thoughtfully arranged, from the elegant throw pillows to the plush area rug underfoot.

“This feels like heaven on earth. Wait till Mabel hears about this. She wouldn’t believe me.” She laughed softly and continued to wander around. As she did so, her eyes fell on a magazine lying on the coffee table. She picked it up and scrutinized the pages with her eyes. The cover featured the familiar face of the kid’s father and the headline read: “Nikolai Sinclair: CEO of the Century.”

That was when it all clicked.

He was Nikolai Sinclair. The CEO of the most widely known multi-billion-dollar company. That was why she had thought he looked familiar. She had seen his name and face in the news, but it had never clicked until now.

“Woah.” She stared at his gorgeous image in the magazine. “That explains why he lives such a life of luxury and owns a wealthy mansion like this.”

Her lips curled up in a small, proud smile. To think that she had been in the presence of someone so influential and wealthy was overwhelming.

“Who would’ve thought that I would one day babysit Nikolai Sinclair’s children. Feels so surreal.”

After a while, Lana retired to the bed and tried to sleep, but the excitement and awe kept her awake. The thought of a life so different from her own, where financial worries seemed a distant concern and comfort was a given, filled her with a mix of envy and admiration. She wished that her own life could be as effortlessly comfortable as this.

If wishes were horses….

Sighing from her inability to sleep, Lana got up from the bed and proceeded to go grab a glass of water from the kitchen downstairs. She slipped out of the guest room and made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

Just as she entered the kitchen, she froze to her feet, momentarily stunned by the sight before her. Nikolai Sinclair was standing by the counter, shirtless, and drinking from a glass of water. The cool liquid dripped down his toned chest, accentuating the definition of his muscles. As her eyes took in his hard, seductive features, Lana’s mouth went dry instantly and she could imagine her fingers slowly and sensually running along the hard lines of his chest and licking the droplets of water dry off his chest.

Holy grace!

She was cut off of her wild imaginations when Nikolai glanced up and caught her staring. Her face flushed red instantly with embarrassment and she quickly cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure.

“I’m so sorry,” she stuttered. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just came down to get a glass of water.”

Without waiting for a response, she hurried to the cabinet, retrieved a glass, and filled it with water from the faucet. She avoided looking in his direction as she completed her task, acutely aware of how awkward and out of place she felt.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, her cheeks burning as she made a beeline for the door.

Jesus Christ, Lana!

As she slipped out of the kitchen, she mentally slapped herself for her clumsiness. She was grateful that by morning, she’d be back to her own life, far away from this man that was too good looking for his own good, with a demeanor of a freaking Greek god.

And his sex appeal! Good lord!

She just couldn’t wait to be out of here by morning and go back to her normal life away from this man that she could never dream of having.