Diamonds Dancing

Forty Three

Grumpy little faces and an overly hostile atmosphere proved that the late start to the morning was not appreciated.

Working the brush through the short mousy brown locks, the nanny collected the hair into her delicate hands and put it up into a neat ponytail. "We're going to have to do a pony today because we're running late."

Fascinated in her current storybook, the eight-year-old merely mumbled a quiet 'okay', disregarding her cereal altogether.

Rika sighed, glancing around the room. His strong presence was at the head of the table, sipping on his morning coffee whilst a smartphone stayed attached to his hand. He was dressed in a white dress shirt and black slacks, the first few buttons were open showing off his diamond chain and tattoos. He looked refreshed, unlike the intoxicated state he had been in the night before. Lilia sat beside the diligent man, determination set on her face as she 'played' with her toys.

It was safe to say that she was tired and extra grouchy this morning.

The nanny had already attempted to do the young child's hair but she had refused and fussed about it until she was left alone. And so, that is what everyone in the room was doing, leaving her alone.

"You need to eat something before your tutor gets here." She told the distracted young girl, reaching down and placing the bookmarker beside the bowl onto the current page. "Janessa, come on, darling. That's enough now, I let you read your book all morning."

Closing the book, her solemn face made contact with her breakfast and she picked up her spoon, begrudgingly. Too upset to reply, she ate her cereal as her eyes watered ever so slightly.

She noticed her silence, finishing off the ponytail and securing it with a hair tie. A kiss was placed on the sensitive child's temple as the chair next to her was pulled out. "You can finish reading after you eat all of your breakfast, okay?"

"'Kay."

Scoffing down her food in record speed time, Rika flicked her interest onto the youngest Ivanov, worried about her current temperament.

Every time she took a mouthful of her cereal, she dunked the cuddly bear in her arms in a separate bowl of milk.

She was trying to feed her bear at the same time as herself, regardless of how adorable the innocent action was, it was something Rika found somewhat alarming.

"Lilia," the cautious woman called out, "You're going to destroy your teddy bear if you continue doing that."

Her morning breakfast consisted of coffee and croissants, all thanks to the cook.

"This is how I play with my teddies." She snapped harshly, the effects of the late start evident in her depleted persona.

She stopped sipping at her hot beverage and folded her straight brows in heavy reflection.

Her eyes were polite as her next words, she didn't want another drastic reaction from her. "I know that, sweetheart. All I'm trying to say is that you don't need to drown all your toys, I'm sure they have feelings too."

Lilia gave her nanny an odd look, holding up her stuffed teddy bear, who was now dripping wet in the milky liquid. "No, they don't, they're made out of fluff." She argued, in a know-it-all way.

Something she was convinced she had learnt from her older sister.

As the nanny sighed again, opening her mouth to make a further effort to explain that pouring liquids onto her toys would only wreck them, a deeper, much more intense, voice entered her thoughts.

"Pour anything else on your teddy bear and I'll make sure I give them all away." He barely glanced up from his phone. "When your nanny tells you to stop doing something, you listen to her."