The Billionaire's Nanny

Death trap

You know that feeling when you wake up to a day that just feels off right from the moment you open your eyes? It could be the harsh rays of the sun nearly blinding and forcing you to wake up early on a Saturday morning or the annoying sound of your alarm reminding you that it's a Monday Morning again after you spent Sunday evening drinking your guts out. That small, seemingly unimportant detail in your morning that makes sure you have a bad rest of your day. I was having one of those mornings, but unlike most, I knew exactly why it was going to be a bad day.

After laying motionless in the same spot for what felt like an eternity, body unwilling to move and mind refusing to come alive, I finally found a reason to get up, thanks to my pressing bladder. I walked back into the room after finishing my business and realized for the first time this morning, that Lucas was not here and the kids had not come to barge down my door in search of me.

I knew Lucas would leave early for what he had to do today—find Sarah—but the house should not be so quiet. I was halfway through panic when the white piece of paper sitting next to a tray of pancakes, maple syrup, and some orange juice caught my eye. Grabbing the note first, I read the first line and a smile cracked my lips.

I'm still a terrible fucking cook, mom made the pancakes. She has the kids for the weekend. I know you're still upset about last night and I wish I were there instead, but I need to do this. For our family.

And that opened a sea of tears. Only this time it came from the best part of my heart. That part filled with only love for Lucas and what we shared. He was on a death mission—as I would call it— to find Sarah but still had the time to leave a gesture just enough to rejuvenate my soul.

Suddenly my plan for the day now included doing something other than staying in bed all day, indulging in self-pity, and waiting for some news. Celine had offered to join me for some Christmas shopping today. Christmas was still more than a month away, so I knew she was just doing what she did best. Protecting me, only this time from my own emotions. I had turned it down before not feeling up for it, but now all I wanted to do was spend the whole day trying to find the perfect gift for Lucas.

After taking a bite of the heavenly pancakes, I reached for my phone and called her. I sighed, feeling a twinge of disappointment when the call went through the third time without an answer. It was quite unusual for Celine to miss all three calls, usually on the second or third ring, she would pick up the phone and scream "I saw your call the first time. I love you but I'm busy so I'll call you back!"

I checked the time on my phone. It was a late Saturday morning, she and Alexander were probably too occupied frolicking in their bliss. I was torn between cringing and smiling at the thought. Not wanting to be alone today, I left Celine a voicemail and shot Mia a text instead.

That's when I saw it. An address, a time, and "Don't be late."

It was a simple message, yet it made me freeze for what felt like minutes. What did that even mean? I looked up at the sender ID, It was not a number I recognized. I sucked in a sharp breath, willing myself to give it some thought before spinning out of control.

There could be three different reasons why an unknown number sent me an address to meet. It could be one of those crazy scam messages and seeing as that was becoming more popular these days, it was not a far-off thought. But why on earth would a person who wanted to scam me send a location to meet? It could be that my fiancee planned a surprise dinner for me to celebrate the events of today—God, I hoped it was. But I knew that was not the case even before the thought left my mind. If Lucas had any such plans, he would have revealed them in the note he left me, so no, definitely not a romantic dinner invite.