The Heiress' Revenge-Chapter 122 Being His Nanny

Sarah’s POV

A voice crackled through. "Hello?"

"It’s Sarah," I said, my voice shaky. "I’m here to see Ariana."

The gates swung open silently. I walked up the long driveway, my suitcase wheels bumping over the stones.

I reached the front door with my heart pounding.

Before I could knock, the door flew open.

And then I was surrounded.

Isabella, who was now all grown up and so tall, crashed into me first. Her arms wrapped around my waist. "Auntie Sarah! You’re here! You’re really here!"

Then Sofia followed suit, jumped up and down before grabbing my arm. "We missed you so much! Did you bring presents? Mummy said you might not bring presents because you came on a plane!"

Asher and Leo.

I laughed, real tears stinging my eyes. I knelt down trying to hug all of them at once. It was impossible.

They were everywhere, kissing my cheeks and talking over each other.

"I missed you too," I managed to say, my voice thick. "I missed you all so much."

"Alright, alright, let the poor woman breathe!" Ariana’s voice came from the doorway. She was smiling, her own eyes wet. Her belly was big now, almost ready to pop.

She waddled forward, and the kids finally let me go.

Ariana opened her arms. I stood up and walked into them. We hugged tight, neither of us speaking for a long moment.

"Thank you," I whispered into her shoulder. "Thank you for this."

"Don’t be silly," she whispered back. "You’re family."

She pulled back and looked at me. Her eyes scanned my face. "You look tired and thin. Have you been eating?"

I laughed weakly. "Define eating."

She shook her head and looped her arm through mine. "Come inside, I’ll have the cook make us something. Kids grab Sarah’s bag and take it to the guest room!"

The kids cheered and fought over who would pull my tiny suitcase as we walked into the house.

It was even bigger inside.

We settled in a cozy sitting room, and a woman brought in tea and sandwiches.

"So," she said, settling back into her chair, her hand on her belly. "Tell me everything... the whole story and leave anything out."

I took a deep breath. Where to even start?

"He came into the cafe every Tuesday and Thursday and ordered the same thing. Black coffee, no sugar. He was..." I paused, trying to find the right words. "He was handsome, really handsome. Dark hair, sharp jaw, these intense gray eyes. He looked powerful, like he owned the world."

Ariana raised an eyebrow. "Sounds interesting."

"He always had bodyguards with him," I continued. "Two big guys in suits. They’d stand by the door while he sat at his usual table and worked on his laptop. He never smiled nor said more than two words. Just cold and quiet."

"So what happened?"

I sighed. "I was carrying his coffee to his table, and I don’t know what happened; my foot caught on something. A chair leg, maybe I stumbled. The coffee went flying all over his shirt."

Ariana winced. "Oh no."

"Oh yes," I said. "He stood up so fast with eyes... Ariana, I’ve never seen eyes so cold. He just stared at me like I was dirt. His bodyguards moved towards me, and I could swear the whole cafe went silent. My manager came running and apologizing like crazy, promising I would be fired."

"What did he say?"

"Nothing," I said. "He just looked at me for what felt like forever, then he looked at his ruined shirt. Then he looked back at me, and he said in this low, quiet voice, ’Get her out of my sight.’ Just like that, like I was garbage to be removed."

Ariana groaned. "Sarah, that’s horrible."

"His bodyguards didn’t touch me, but my manager grabbed my arm and dragged me to the back. She fired me on the spot and told me not to come back. Wouldn’t even let me get my tips from that week." I felt the old anger rise up, "All because I spilled coffee beside it was an accident... Something that could happen to anyone."

"And that’s when you called me?"

I nodded. "I had no savings, my rent was due in three days I had nowhere to go. I sat in my tiny apartment and cried for hours. Then I thought of you and all the times you told me to come here if I ever needed help." I looked at her. "I hated asking. You know I hate asking."

"I know," she said softly. "You’re stubborn like that."

"But I had no choice," I admitted. "So I called."

"And I’m so glad you did," Ariana said firmly. "Now about the job situation."

I held up my hand. "Ariana, before you start, I know you’re going to offer me something at Dante’s company, and I appreciate it really, but I can’t."

"No! I know, of course, you can’t work there, I mean, you’re keeping a low profile, and I know that"

I leaned forward. "I’ve been lying low for five years, five years of small apartments, cash-only jobs, never staying in one place too long. I changed my last name, and sometimes I wish everything was normal and okay."

Ariana’s face softened. "You’re still scared they’ll find you."

"I’m always scared," I whispered. "Every time a stranger looks at me too long, my heart stops. Every time someone asks where I’m from, I have to remember which lie I told them. I can’t risk being in the spotlight. Working for a famous company would put me right in the middle of it." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

She was quiet for a moment, then she nodded slowly. " I understand, dear, no company job... but I still got you something."

My brows furrowed in confusion.

"So," she said casually. "I was talking to Dante the other day."

"Okay," I said, suspicious.

"And he mentioned that Marcus is looking for someone."

I raised an eyebrow. "Marcus? Your husband’s best friend? The one who helped you during the whole Melissa thing?"

"That’s him," Ariana said. "He just got full custody of his son. His ex-girlfriend... It’s a long story, but she wasn’t fit to be a parent. Marcus fought for months and finally won. So now he has a five-year-old boy, a demanding job, and no one to help."

I nodded slowly. "That sounds hard."

"It is. He’s been a mess, honestly. Dante says he’s exhausted all the time. He’s tried nannies, but they never last. Either they’re not good with the kid, or they can’t handle Marcus’s... personality."

I laughed. "His personality? What’s that supposed to mean?"

Ariana shrugged. "Marcus can be a bit of an asshole... He’s intense, blunt, and doesn’t suffer fools, but I can assure you that underneath all that, he’s a big softie. He’s just been through a lot."

I felt a pang of sympathy. "Poor guy."

"So," Ariana said, her voice getting that casual tone again. "I was thinking you need a job. Something quiet with good people. He needs a nanny."

I stared at her. "You want me to be his nanny?"

"I want you to consider being his nanny," she corrected. "It’s perfect, Sarah. You’d be working for someone who is as private as you are, Marcus, maybe as famous as Dante, but he likes to keep a low profile. You’d be safe, and you love kids. Look at how my kids adore you."

It did make sense.

Too much sense.

But doubt crept in.

"Ariana, I don’t know," I said slowly. "I’m not sure. I mean... I’ve never been a nanny before. What if I’m not good at it? What if his son doesn’t like me? And what if Marcus is really an asshole and I can’t stand him?"

"Then you quit, and we find something else," Ariana said simply. "But at least try. Please?"

I bit my lip. "You’ve already done so much for me, I don’t want to add more weight. More things for you to worry about."

Ariana reached over and took my hand. Her grip was warm and firm. "Sarah, listen to me. When I was at my lowest, when my world was falling apart, you were there for me, you let me cry, you told me I was strong when I felt like nothing. You saved me in your own way."

Tears pricked my eyes.

"Let me do this for you," she continued. "Please consider this as a way of me saying thank you for everything, and you’re not a burden."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You really think this could work?"

"I really do," she said. "Marcus is a good man. He’s just... prickly on the outside, but he has a good heart, and his little boy Ryan is adorable."

"Okay," I whispered.

Ariana’s face lit up. "Okay? You’ll do it?"

"I’ll try," I said quickly.

Ariana leaned back on the couch with a satisfied look. "You know, Marcus is actually kind of hot. In a grumpy, scary way, like a lion that might eat you but also you kind of want to pet it."

I laughed. "That’s a weird description."

Ariana grinned. "Exactly! Maybe you two will fall in love. Wouldn’t that be something? My best friend and Dante’s best friend. We could be sisters for real."

I laughed out loud. A real laugh. "Fall in love? Ariana please. The man sounds like a grumpy ice king, and me? I’m a mess with a fake name and a past I can’t talk about. People like us don’t fall in love. We survive. That’s it."

She gave me a knowing look. "You never know what life has in store."

I shook my head, still smiling. But inside a small voice whispered: She’s wrong. Love isn’t for people like me.

I pushed the thought away.

"So when do I meet this grumpy ice king and his son?" I asked.

Ariana grinned. "Tomorrow. I already told Marcus you were coming."