❤A
NANNY
FOR
AURORA????
{The Mafia’s little princess}
By Precious Pinky
Chapter 147&148
♠♠♠♠♠
(ONE-ON-ONE/OCTAVIUS)
•••••
HOSPITAL**
“Diamond works as a live-in nanny?” Elodie repeated, moving her gaze to her husband. “Do you know about this?”
“How the hell am I supposed to know?” He retorted.
“She is close to you than she is with me. She practically tells you everything so you must know about this stupid decision of hers.” She said.
“She didn’t tell me anything about being a nanny. Besides, she has a bad relationship with kids. But wait, leaving that aside, if she works as a live-in nanny, how then did she get stabbed?” He queried, staring between Zara and Ayden.
The two friends shrugged, lowering their gazes.
Rhodes abruptly stood up to his feet, startling everyone in the room.
“Who is her boss? Where the fuc-k is he?” He growled.
“Um, he was here earlier but left,” Zara answered.
“I swear, I am going to deal with that boss of hers until he tells me what the hell happened to my daughter.” He snapped, sitting back down on the chair.
Elodie ran her fingers throu-ghher hair, gro-aning.
“Should you blame the boss right now?” She asked, grabbing everyone’s attention.
“Huh? What do you mean by that?” He raised a questioning brow.
“How many times have I asked Diamond to come back home and help you run the family business, hmm? She brou-ght this upon herself.”
“Is this the right time to be saying something like that?”
“When is the right time then? Look at her. She looks dead! A live-in nanny? Seriously? I was complaining about her being a mere writer and now she is a nanny. Like what the hell? Does this girl like poverty or what?”
“Elodie, watch what you say,” Rhodes warned. “Your daughter is in a coma and only God knows if she is going to survive it. You should be praying instead of talking trash.”
Elodie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.
“She better survives it. Because if she doesn’t, I will personally bury her beside my mother’s grave.” She said and stormed out of the ward.
“That woman is a bit-ch .” Ayden said, shooting daggers at the door as if it was Elodie.
“How can she say something like that?” Zara wasn’t surprised by Elodie’s rude remark and behavior but she expected her to at least have a human conscience at a time like this.
“That woman is my wife, Ayden.” Rhodes said.
“Oh.” Ayden and Zara mouthed in synchronization, having a look of guilt on their faces.
Rhodes didn’t bother to ponder over his wife’s last sentence.
He quietly sat back down on the chair and stared at his stepdaughter’s face, reaching out to hold her warm hands.
She was motionless.
How did she end up in a state like this? He wondered.
If she works as a live-in nanny, how did she get stabbed?
The story makes no sense at all. How risky can a job as a nanny be?
He carefully brou-ght her hand up and placed a light ki-ss on her knuckles.
“What happened to you, honey? Who the hell did this to you?” He started crying bitterly, surprising Zara and Ayden, including himself. He was a man who never gets emotional.
Never.
•••••
OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL**
Elodie stepped out of the hospital building, the cool night breeze hit her on the face.
She su-cked in a de-ep breath and started walking down the street with no destination in mind.
Memories about her past flashed throu-ghher mind almost knocking her down.
She grabbed hold of a poll in the street as she stopped walking to recollect herself and her senses.
No one is ever going to understand her. They will keep judging her for a story they know nothing about.
She remembered the hurtful words of her husband. The words that broke her into a million pieces. The words sounded like a painful truth.
<“You are so selfish and wicked. You don't deserve to be called a mother, Elodie.”>
Her chest was tied in a knot, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Her legs trembled beneath her body and she clutches the street poll, holding herself up so she won’t drop to the cold ground.
Here is the truth she has been hiding from everyone for all these years – The root of her hatred for her one and only daughter…
★FLASHBACK★
#TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO
After so much pressure from her mother, she agreed on doing the ab-ortion.
But fate had something else planned out for her…
“She can’t terminate the pregnancy.” The doctor said.
“What?” Elodie’s mother frowned. “Why not?”
“Her womb is fragile. If she does the ab-ortion, she might die.”
Elodie’s breath got caught up in her throat and she clenched her fist tight.
“Oh, God. What are the chances of her surviving the ab-ortion?”
“30%.” He answered. “I advice that she keeps the pregnancy.”
“Mother, I don’t want to die. Please, I don’t want to die.” Elodie sobbed.
“You won’t die, dear.” The doctor said. “You just have to give birth to the baby, that’s all.”
Elodie’s mother gro-aned, lowering her head. “I have bad feelings about this. Everything will not be okay if this child is born.” She murmured to herself. “This is bad.”
•••
HOME**
“Mum, I’m sorry.” Elodie apologized, crying.
“Why are you apologizing?” The woman asked in a low voice. “It is not your fault.”
“I should have fought har-der . I shouldn’t have let that bastard touch me. I…I…” She cried, kneeling down.
“Stop crying, dear. You don’t want to hurt yourself and the baby.” Her mother said.
“I don’t want the baby. It is like a scar I want to get rid of but can’t. I don’t want it.” She said.
The woman knelt in front of her daughter and reached out to hold her hands in between her warm ones.
“Elodie, my child. My poor baby. Everything will be fine, okay? You are going to be fine.”
Elodie shook her head in disagreement, fresh tears rolling down her face.
“I feel so dirty.” She started hitting her stomach. “Get out of here. Leave.”
Her mother immediately pulled her into her arms, stopping the a-ssault Elodie was doing to herself.
“I will work ha-rd as twice as before. I will take care of you and the unborn baby, okay? As I said, everything will be fine. I promise.”
“But…but the child…”
“Shush, who knows? The baby could be a blessing and not a curse.” The woman said with a rea-ssuring smile.
★END OF FLASHBACK★
Elodie sat on a bench by the roadside, staring subconsciously at the people pa-ssing by in a flash.
She sobbed quietly, biting her bottom li-p nearly drawing out blood.
She thought she has buried all of these memories.
She thought she has moved on from them.
But she was so wrong.
She hasn’t moved on.
She was still like the sixteen years old teenager who got ra-ped in an abandoned warehouse.
Her vi-rginity was taken away from her in a twinkle of the eyes and the bastard had no remorse whatsoever.
Elodie could feel his cold breath against her neck…
She could feel his fingers trailing her body like she was a damn prize he won…
She could hear his mockery and laughter at her helplessness as she plead for him to stop…
She could feel him in between her legs, diving in and out of her, breaking throu-ghher walls, invading her as if he owns her.
However, she didn’t hate her baby. She loved her unborn baby so much and was super excited to have her in the world.
Although, she received stares and gossip from people whenever she walked past them and that made her mother stop her from leaving the house until she have the baby.
Elodie and her mother lived comfortably and it turns out to be that the baby was truly a blessing in disguise which is why she was named Diamond: A priceless treasure.
But one fateful day, things took a drastic turn…
★FLASHBACK★
A WEEK LATER
Elodie was the only one in the house.
Her mother had gone out to get some fruits and chocolate, and she(Elodie) has been craving them since last night.
She was watching her favorite TV show when she heard a knock on the door.
“Oh, mother.” She excitedly said, coming up to her feet and going to open the door.
She was surprised to see Mrs. Tina, her mother’s close friend.
“Oh, Mrs. Tina. Mother is not back yet.” She said.
Mrs. Tina had a sad look on her face and she look like one who have been crying.
Elodie noticed this and asked, “Are you alright? Is something wrong?”
“Elodie, you must stay strong.” Tina said, making the teenage girl confused.
“What?”
“Elodie, I’m sorry…”
“What is going on? Why are you apologizing?”
Tina hesitated for a pretty long time. “Your mother is dead. She got stabbed by a thug who came to steal from the grocery sto-re and died instantly.”
“Wha….what?” Elodie choked out, tears flowing down her face. “What did you just say?”
“Elodie, I’m sorry…”
“NO!!!” Elodie screamed and suddenly goes into labor.
★END OF FLASHBACK★
Elodie shook her head and started crying loudly, ignoring the weird looks she got from people.
All these years she acted to be strong and brave. She put on a facade, afraid of letting those around her see throu-ghher and figure out her de-epest pain.
She was only a teenage girl who got pregnant at a very tender age. She lost her mother, her best friend, and her hope in the hands of death.
She was left with a huge burden. While other kids were living a comfortable life with their parents, she was living a dreadful life, hustling to feed herself and her baby.
Elodie clenched her fist, lowering her head.
There was no single day that she didn’t cry behind closed doors.
It was as if she was punished for the sin of that bastard who ra-ped her; she got pregnant, lost her mother, and also got some complications during childbirth – she will never be able to give birth for the rest of her life.
It turned out to be that the baby was a curse and not a blessing.
She grew sudden hatred for the child, Diamond was a constant reminder of the tragedy that befall her.
And it came to pas-sjust as her mother had predicted; “you will never love this child. The scar and memory will always lurk around the baby and that will build your hatred towards him or her”
Her mother was right.
Diamond grew up without the love of a mother. Elodie made sure she dealt with the poor kid because of the sins of her father.
However, after seeing her daughter that way in the hospital bed, she felt a pang of guilt and fear.
Her mother died from being stabbed and it feels like the same thing is going to happen to Diamond.
Elodie closed her eyes and continued crying, clutching her chest as the pain grew heavier.
“I know I don’t deserve to be a mother but God please save my baby girl. Please…”
••••
#NEXT MORNING
Ca-ssANO’S MANSION**
Aurora descended the stairs in a hurry.
Evelyn and Paige were setting the dining table when the little girl walked in.
“Good morning,” Aurora greeted.
“Good morning”
“Good morning”
They replied.
“How was your night?” Evelyn asked, watching the child closely.
“Fine, I guess.”
Mikhail strolled inside the dining room, making the place suddenly uncomfortable for the maids.
“Good morning, boss.” They bowed their heads and greeted.
He gave a firm nod and turned to his daughter.
“Princess,”
“Good morning, dad.” Aurora smiled.
“How are you?” He placed a ki-ss on her forehead and then sat down beside her.
“I’m fine. We are going to the hospital to see my nanny after breakfast, right?”
“Of course, princess. Daddy always keeps to his promise.”
“But you didn’t yesterday.” She pouted.
“I’m sorry about that.”
Evelyn and Paige finished setting the table and left the dining room.
“Let’s eat.”
•••••
HOTEL ROOM**
Rhodes stepped out of the bathroom, already dressed for the day.
Elodie was still asleep on the king-sized bed.
He approached her and tapped her feet gently to wake her up but she didn’t respond.
“Honey,” He called out.
She stirred in her sleep but didn’t wake up.
“Elodie,” He called again, tapping her feet a little har-der .
She gro-aned and peeled her eyes open, hissing from the bright light radiating throu-ghthe open curtain.
“What is it?” She grumbled.
“Are you not going to get dressed?” He asked.
“Dressed?” She lifted her head to look at him, questioningly. “Are you not going to have breakfast?”
He shook his head. “No. I need to be with Diamond. I shouldn’t have even left her side.” He grabbed his car keys. “Are you going to come with me to the hospital?”
“You can leave. I will be there later in the day.” She said.
Rhodes turned to leave when she said,
“I’m sorry about what I said in the hospital last night.”
He slowly glanced at her, having a surprised look on his face.
“Did you just… apologize?”
Elodie chuckled, got out of bed, and went to stand in front of him.
“Isn’t that the right thing to do?” Rhodes’s li-ps stretched into a smile as he watched her wrap her arms around his neck. “And I’m also sorry for…” She hesitated. “for putting a spy on your tail. That was so wrong of me. I should have respected your privacy just as you respect mine. I’m sorry.”
“What has gotten into you, Elodie?” He asked in shock.
She smiled and slightly shrugged. “I don’t know. I probably got my brain reset. I promise to come over to the hospital and I also promise to be on good behavior and treat Diamond well. You are right. I shouldn’t be hating on her now. She needs me more than ever.”
“What is going on, Elodie? Why are you talking like this?” He asked.
She placed a soft ki-ss on his li-ps and pulled away. “I just don’t want to lose you, Rhodes. I love you so much. You mean the whole world to me.”
Rhodes encircled her wa-istand ki-ssed her again, she responded to the ki-ss almost immediately.
They ki-ss for a few minutes and then pulled apart.
“I’m sorry for hitting you on the face. I should never have done that.”
“I caused it.”
“Even though. It was very stupid and…disappointing of me to slap you in the face. You are my wife and deserve to be respected.”
“I disrespected you first, remember?” She raised her brow.
“That doesn’t justify anything. Listen,” He paused. “I’m going to tell you everything when the time comes, okay? It’s high time I tell you the truth about me. The whole truth.” He stated, staring de-ep into her eyes.
She nodded. “Me too.”
“I should be on my way now. Diamond needs me by my side. And oh, I also want to investigate what really happened to her. I need to know how and why she got stabbed almost to death.”
“Yeah…”
“You are going to come by to the hospital, right?”
“Right.”
He gave her a quick ki-ss on the li-ps and then walked out of the room.
Elodie didn’t make any move. She stood still and stared at the closed door.
“I think it’s time I let go of the hatred towards my daughter…but can I?”
•••••
HOSPITAL**
Zara and Ayden got to the hospital as early as possible.
Diamond was still very much unconscious.
They heard a quiet knock on the door and it opened.
Aurora and Paige walked in with big smiles on their faces.
“Zara,” Paige called out.
“Oh, Paige.”
The two girls hug-ged.
“How are you?” Zara asked.
“I’m…fine.”
Zara glanced at the little girl. “How are you, dear?”
“I’m in a better mood.” She answered and goes towards her nanny’s bed. “Good morning, nanny.”
There was no response just the beeping sound of the heart monitor.
“Hi!” Ayden smiled at the little girl.
Zara and Paige were busy having a conversation by the window.
“Good morning,” She greeted him with a smile. “You are…Ayden, right?”
“Wow. You remember my name.”
“Of course. I have a good memory. My nanny can confirm that.”
They both as down, staring at Diamond.
“She will get better, right?” She asked Ayden after a moment of silence.
“She definitely will. Diamond is a strong girl.”
“I second the motion. It is one feature I love about her.”
“So kid_”
“Don’t call me that.” She cut him off.
“Oh, I see you don’t like to be referred to as a kid, huh?”
“Not that I don’t like it. It’s just that…nanny is the only one allowed to call me that and no one else. Not even my daddy.” She said.
“Oh. You must really love your nanny.”
She nodded. “Of course, I do. She is an amazing and kindhearted person. She claims not to love kids but I bet she does. She is only afraid.”
“Is that so? Afraid of what?”
“That is what I don’t know yet. But I will figure it out.” She grinned.
The door opened, grabbing everyone’s attention.
Rhodes walked in and surveyed the room, his gaze coming upon the little girl.
“Good morning, sir.” Zara, Ayden, and paige greeted at the same time.
“Good morning,” He replied, his gaze not leaving Aurora. “Whose child is this?”
Aurora stepped forward towards him. “Hi, I’m Aurora. And you must be my nanny’s stepdaddy, right?”
“Yeah…I don’t think I know you.”
“No, you don’t. I don’t know you either but my nanny has told me so much about you. You don’t mind, right?”
“Not at all, dear. Tell me, who is your father and where is he?”
“He came along but stopped by to get_” She was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and closing. “Oh, there he is.”
Rhodes turned his head toward the direction and his eyes immediately went wide, he opened his mouth to talk but he could barely make out a sound.
Mikhail had a dark smirk on his face, his hands stuffed inside his pan-ts pocket.
They were standing one-on-one, both having different expressions on their faces.
“Wha…what…how…how…” Rhodes couldn’t make out an accurate sentence.
Mikhail’s smirk grew darker as he stepped forward. “We finally meet, Octavius.”
TBC.