Elijah Bennett POV

"Sir, your four o'clock is finally here."

Dan hurried beside me as I walked back into my office, flipping through a folder without even looking at him.

"Send him in."

"Yes, sir."

I tossed the folder onto my desk and loosened my tie while Dan rushed out again.

A few seconds later, a knock came from the door.

"Come in."

A man stepped inside with a wide smile stretched across his face. "Mr Bennett, it is an honor to finally meet you."

"The honor is mine, Mr James." I shook his hand once before sitting down. "Sit. Let us get to business."

"Of course."

Dan quietly placed tea on the table. "I will give you both some privacy."

The moment the door shut, Mr James leaned forward excitedly.

"I have been looking into New Villa Estate for months now. Beautiful environment, good security, amazing houses. My wife loves it already."

I opened a file slowly. "You want one of the properties there?"

"Yes."

"For your family?"

A proud smile spread across his face instantly. 

"Yes."

Must be nice for some people.

I flipped through the papers in silence while he kept smiling at me like he already owned the place.

"New Villa is not for regular buyers."

His smile dropped slightly.

"The houses there are custom built. Private roads, private gym, private cinema, underground parking. We do not just hand those keys to anybody."

"I understand."

"Do you?"

He cleared his throat. "I believe I do."

I leaned back in my chair and spun the pen between my fingers. "Good. Then let us skip the sweet talk. Can you actually afford it?"

A short laugh escaped him. It died almost immediately when I kept staring at him.

"How much is the property?"

"Five point five billion dollars."

The silence that followed was almost satisfying.

His fingers slowly slipped away from the table.

I took a slow sip from my tea.

"What happened, Mr James?" I asked calmly. 

"You suddenly look sick."

"No, I just did not expect..."

"That price?"

He nodded once.

I placed the cup down carefully. "Then maybe you should stop chasing things beyond your reach."

His jaw tightened.

"You spoke a lot about family when you walked in." I rested my arms on the chair. "Surely your family deserves better than hesitation."

He looked away from me completely.

Dan walked back in quietly with more documents, then paused after noticing the tension in the room.

I did not miss the quick glance he gave Mr James.

Neither did Mr James.

"I think," Mr James said slowly while standing up, "it would be better if we continue this another time."

"Anything you want."

He grabbed his briefcase quickly and headed for the door.

"Mr James."

He stopped instantly.

The room stayed quiet for a second before I spoke again.

"Next time you request a personal meeting with me, make sure your bank account can survive the conversation."

He nodded quickly and left.

The door shut behind him.

Dan stayed frozen near the desk.

I looked at him. "How many times have I told you to run proper checks before scheduling meetings like this?"

"I am sorry, sir."

"Sorry does not fix wasted time."

He lowered his head immediately.

I walked toward him slowly and adjusted his tie myself.

"One useless meeting already ruined my mood today. Do not make it a habit."

"Yes, sir."

I grabbed my car keys from the desk. "Cancel every remaining meeting."

"But the investors from France are still waiting downstairs."

"Reschedule them."

"Yes, sir."

"And Dan."

He looked up carefully.

"The next mistake will cost you your job."

His throat moved as he swallowed hard. 

"Understood."

I walked out before he could say anything else.

The drive home felt longer than usual.

Traffic lights blinked red at every corner. Car horns layered over each other until they blurred into one long noise. People crossed roads like they had nowhere important to be.

By the time I finally pulled into the driveway, my headache had already settled behind my eyes.

The front door opened before I stepped inside.

"Baby, you are home."

Isabella walked toward me slowly in a silk robe that barely stayed tied.

"Yeah."

She reached for my tie immediately, but I stepped past her and looked around the house.

"Where is Alison?"

Isabella rolled her eyes instantly. "Seriously?"

"Where is she?"

"I fired her."

My hand paused halfway to dropping my bag.

"You what?"

"She was useless," Isabella snapped. "And honestly, she annoyed me."

"She has worked here for three years."

"And now she does not."

I stared at her for a long second.

"You fired her without speaking to me first?"

"She is a maid, Elijah. Not family."

I dropped my bag near the stairs harder than intended.

"You keep replacing staff every two weeks."

"Because they are incompetent."

"Or because you enjoy controlling people."

Her face tightened immediately.

"There is no need to raise your voice at me."

I laughed once under my breath and rubbed my forehead.

"I just got home, Isabella."

"Well, maybe if you spent more time here, you would notice the problems yourself."

I looked at her tiredly before grabbing my bag again.

"You know what? I am too exhausted for this tonight."

I walked upstairs while she called my name behind me.

Inside the bedroom, I loosened my cufflinks and tossed them onto the dresser.

The bathroom light flicked on.

Warm water hit my shoulders the second I stepped under the shower.

That was the first good thing that had happened all day.

No meetings. No fake smiles. No useless 

conversations that cost me time I would never get back.

I closed my eyes and rested one hand against the wall, leaning my head back under the stream. 

A hand suddenly slid across my back. I knew right away it was Isabella.

"I am sorry, daddy," she whispered.

Her arms came around me from behind. One hand moved across my chest, down my stomach, and wrapped around my cock with a practiced grip that made my breath catch instantly.

She stroked slowly at first.

I said nothing.

She picked up the pace, her body pressed tight against mine, warm and slick under the falling water. She reached for the soap and worked it into her palms, then gripped me again, the slickness of it making every stroke smooth and deliberate. My jaw tightened. My hips moved without my permission.

"You work so hard," she said against my back. 

"Let me take care of you."

She twisted her wrist on every upstroke. I felt the pressure build fast and heavy until my legs locked and I came hard against the wall with a low groan through gritted teeth.

She turned me around to face her.

Water ran down her cheeks, over her parted lips. 

She kissed me deep, both hands holding my jaw, her tongue slow and unhurried like she had already won something.

When she pulled back, her eyes stayed on mine.

"Now come to bed," she said quietly. "And stay this time."

I searched her face for a second longer than I should have.

That was always the problem with Isabella. She knew exactly when to stop pushing and start pulling, and I had never once figured out how to tell the difference until it was too late.

I reached past her and turned the shower off.

My phone buzzed on the counter.

I glanced down at the screen.

Unknown number: We need to talk.

Amani POV

"I need a new job."

Sade looked up from the menu slowly. "That was fast."

We sat at the small cafe across from the hospital. Cars passed outside. Nurses walked in and out with coffee cups in their hands while soft music played somewhere above us.

I rubbed both palms against my jeans under the table.

"What happened to the old one?" she asked.

I stared at her.

"Sade."

"What?"

"You know that job barely pays anything."

She opened her mouth again but I cut in before she could speak.

"My mother is upstairs fighting for her life right now. Every hour she stays in that hospital costs money. The medications cost money. The tests cost money. Everything costs money."

"Amani."

"I cannot even breathe without somebody asking for payment."

The waitress stopped beside our table. "Can I get you ladies anything?"

"Tea," Sade said quietly.

"Nothing for me, thank you."

The waitress nodded and walked away.

Sade reached across the table and touched my hand gently. "You have not slept."

"I do not have time to sleep."

"You are shaking."

I pulled my hand away and leaned back in the chair.

"So do you know any job openings or not?"

She bit the inside of her cheek before shaking her head slowly. "Not really."

I looked down at the table immediately.

The noise inside the cafe suddenly sounded louder, like the whole room had turned up a volume I could not control. Plates clinked against each other. People laughed at tables around me. 

A blender ran somewhere behind the counter and refused to stop.

I pressed my lips together hard and grabbed my bag.

"Mani."

"It is fine."

"Amani, sit down."

"What is the point?" I asked quietly. "I thought maybe you knew something."

Sade watched me for a second before quickly saying, "Wait."

I stopped moving.

"I heard some nurses talking yesterday," she said carefully.

I looked back at her.

"One of the hospital sponsors is searching for a new housekeeper."

"A housekeeper?"

She nodded quickly. "The Bennett family."

I blinked once.

"The Bennett family?" I repeated.

"Yes."

"The rich Bennett family?"

"There is only one Bennett family everybody talks about," she muttered.

I sat back down slowly.

"They are looking for a staff?"

"That is what I heard."

"Why would rich people suddenly need a housekeeper?"

Sade shrugged. "Maybe the old one quit. Maybe she got fired. I do not know."

"Do they pay well?"

Sade laughed softly. "Amani, those people probably spend more money feeding their dogs than we spend in a month."

I grabbed her hands instantly. "Please get me the information."

She smiled finally. "I will ask around."

"You are a lifesaver."

"You always say that."

"And I mean it."

The waitress returned with tea.

Sade pushed the cup toward me instead.

"Drink before you pass out."

"I am not passing out."

"You almost fell asleep while crying earlier."

I grabbed the cup quietly.

Three days later, I stood outside the Bennett mansion holding my bag so tightly my fingers hurt.

The gate alone looked bigger than my entire apartment building.

A black car drove past me and disappeared around the fountain in front of the house.

I looked down at myself one more time. A black fitted gown, small heels, simple makeup, and the only decent purse I owned.

"You can do this," I whispered.

The security guard by the gate glanced at me briefly before opening the door after checking my name.

I walked up the stairs carefully.

Every step made my stomach twist harder.

I knocked twice.

Nobody answered.

Then footsteps approached from inside.

"Who is it?" a woman's voice called out.

"The applicant for the housekeeper position."

The door opened seconds later.

A tall woman stood there staring at me from head to toe. Long hair, perfect makeup, silk dress, and eyes that cut straight through me.

"Yes?"

"Good afternoon, ma," I said quickly. "I am Amani Lewis. I came for the interview."

One eyebrow lifted slowly.

"You are the interview?"

"Yes, ma."

She stayed quiet long enough for my palms to grow sweaty again.

Then she stepped aside finally. "Come in."

"Thank you."

The moment I entered the house, I nearly stopped walking.

The chandelier above the entrance looked bigger than my entire bedroom.

The floors shined so brightly I could almost see my reflection.

My heels clicked softly while I followed her deeper into the mansion.

Then I saw him.

A man sat on the long couch near the fireplace scrolling through something on his phone. Dark shirt, rolled sleeves, one hand resting against his jaw.

He looked up briefly.

And my brain completely stopped working.

"Close your mouth before spit falls out," Sade's voice echoed inside my head suddenly.

I blinked quickly and looked away.

"Well," the woman beside me said, "I am Isabella Bennett."

I nodded immediately. "Yes, ma."

"And that is my husband, Elijah Bennett."

Mr Bennett barely looked up again.

"Sit," Isabella said.

I sat carefully on the edge of the chair across from them.

My hands stayed folded tightly in my lap.

Isabella crossed one leg over the other. "How old are you?"

"Twenty four."

"Previous work experience?"

"I worked at a restaurant for two years and I also cleaned apartments during weekends."

"Why did you leave?"

"I still work there."

She looked up from the papers in front of her.

"Then why are you applying here?"

Because my mother is dying. Because hospital bills are eating me alive. Because I am desperate.

"I need something more stable," I answered quietly.

She hummed softly.

"What about live in arrangements?" she asked.

"I can manage."

"You can manage or you are comfortable with it?"

"I am comfortable with it."

Mr Bennett finally spoke without looking up from his phone.

"She is lying."

My head snapped toward him instantly.

He looked up slowly this time. Dark eyes, cold face, calm voice, like someone who had never once been surprised by anything in his life.

"You are not comfortable with it," he said again. "You need the money."

The room went completely still around us.

I swallowed hard before answering. "Yes."

His eyes stayed on me for another second, long enough that I felt it in my chest, before dropping back to his phone.

Isabella sighed softly. "Can you cook?"

"Yes, ma."

"Clean?"

"Yes, ma."

"Laundry?"

"Yes, ma."

"Can you handle pressure?"

I almost laughed.

Instead I nodded.

"Yes, ma."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What is funny?"

"Nothing."

"You smiled."

"I did not mean to."

She leaned back slowly while studying me again.

I sat straighter in my chair.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Mr Bennett glance at me again. Then once more after that. Each time his eyes moved away a little slower than the last, like he kept finding a reason to look back and could not quite explain it to himself. I told myself it meant nothing and focused on keeping my hands still in my lap.

Isabella tapped her nails against the folder while the silence stretched between us. I could hear the ticking clock hanging somewhere behind the couch. Mr Bennett picked up his cup of coffee slowly. My fingers tightened around my purse underneath the chair.

Then she exchanged a look with her husband, he did not look back at her.

His eyes were already on me.

Isabella's jaw tightened slightly before she turned back and opened her mouth to speak.

"Well, I'm sorry but I won't be offering you this job."