6. Evie

six

I stood in front of Sophie’s door. It had been a little over a week, and there were still no changes. It wasn”t like I expected her to just… change. I knew all good things took time.

Like every other day, I waited for a while before knocking. As usual, I heard footsteps for a while before I knocked. Then the door opened. She turned her back to return to the bed when I entered.

I still didn”t know what pre-morning routine she had. In order not to be forward, I planned to ask her some other time. When she would be comfortable enough to tell me.

“How are you doing today, Sophie?” My smile was anything but fake. Even though I knew there may be no response, I still smiled genuinely at her. And I hoped she could see that.

I hoped she could tell that, unlike the others, I didn”t see her as a project. I was interested—invested— in the process.

There was no response as she remained in her usual position. Knees tucked to her chest, and face half tucked between them. Before I could urge her out of bed, she untucked her legs and slowly climbed out of bed. She stood still when she reached me.

With another smile, I lowered myself and then started undressing her. As I did so, I noticed her eyes glued to my head. And her blank expression slowly gave way for another, curiosity.

I briefly tried to recall if I did anything extra with my hair. I didn”t. So, I wondered why she was staring.

Perhaps she liked my tight bun today?

I was still in the middle of undressing and thinking when I felt a feathery touch on the side of my head. The touch was light, it felt like I”d imagined it. But when I looked up, I found her holding her index finger to her chest.

That”s how I knew she’d indeed touched me. Furrowing my brows, I brought a finger to the part she’d just touched. Oh…

Suddenly, I recalled I”d worn a small hair clip— a shiny, silver one. I quickly straightened my brows. “Do you like my hair clip?”

I held her gaze until she moved her eyes to her feet. She probably liked it. I gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Thank you, Sophie.”

The urge to give it to her was strong. But I only just realized she had no such accessories. I wondered why? Why did Alicia not let her have any?

My heart dropped.

“Let’s have your bath, Sophie.”

I made a mental note to ask.

When we were done and now sitting at the dining table, Virginia was nowhere to be found. My best guess was she was busy in the west wing.

Our food was already served. As much as I hated to admit it, Joseph did a good job. His meals tasted delicious and each of them were served like they belonged on the cover of a culinary magazine. It was hard to fault him.

Today’s breakfast was a frittata. Nicely baked and sliced in precise wedges. Glistening bits of ham and cheese peeked through the surface. Indeed, it looked yummy and, when I tasted it, it was delicious. Probably the most delicious frittata I”ve had. But I wouldn”t inflate his already oversized ego.

“I didn”t add vegetables because Sophie doesn”t like it.” I looked up to find Joseph staring directly at me in his chef uniform.

Did I ask?

“Either way I know the meal is delicious.”

Raising an irritated brow, I started. “You could—”

The sound of the doorbell interrupted my words. I expected him to attend to it but to my irritation, he called for Virginia.

“Virginia!” he yelled. “Get the door.”

I scrunched my brows. Why couldn”t he get the door since he was closer? Like the wind, Virginia sprinted down the staircase to the door. I suddenly wondered who it was. Mr. Thorne didn”t strike me as one to receive visitors.

I watched as Virginia bowed before giving way for the visitor. My breath almost caught in my throat when I saw who it was.

Her hair, the shade of Sophie’s, fell in loose waves that framed her face. She was clothed in a luxurious orange dress that blinged as she walked. I couldn”t seem to take my eyes of her as each of her steps exuded elegance.

“Hello, you must be the new nanny.” Smile lines etched the corners of her lips, stretching across her aged face until they reached her eyes. Her blue eyes were as bright as the color of a summer sky.

Something about her presence made me stand. “Yes, ma’am. My name is Evie.”

Her smile widened before she nodded. I didn”t need anything to know she was Sophie’s grandma. Mr. Thorne’s mother. She looked to be in her early eighties but with her beautiful face and skinny frame, she didn”t look a day over sixty.

“Good morning, Mrs. Thorne.” Joseph bowed. She shot him a smile before turning to Sophie.

“Sophie, come give grandma a hug, darling.” Her voice was smooth, soft, and sweet.

Sophie stood up and moved to her grandma. Mrs. Thorne lowered herself to give her a big hug.

“I”ve missed you so much, my darling,” she cooed, placing a kiss on her cheeks. Sophie simply rested her head on her grandma’s shoulder.

She missed her too.

“I have a few things to do so you can finish your breakfast, okay?” Without waiting for a response, Grandma Thorne detached from Sophie. Blankly, Sophie returned to her food.

Grandma sighed, turning to face me. “Evie, you say.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I cleared my throat.

“Come with me.”

I couldn”t detect any emotion in her voice. It was bland, and the smile on her lips was gone. Her face was stern and suddenly, she seemed different.

My heart rate spiked as I trailed after her. I watched her climb the staircase gradually. With each step, my mind churned.

Why the sudden change? Why did she want to speak to me in private? Was that even what she wanted to do? Why was she even here?

I knew it was her son’s house but was she a regular visitor? Virginia and Joseph didn’t seem fazed by her visit. And Sophie seemed familiar with her.

My legs twisted to a halt when she suddenly came to a stop on the landing. She paused briefly before turning left. Left was West wing. I wasn’t allowed there. Virginia had informed me based on the boss’ orders.

For a moment, I thought of informing her but decided against it. She didn’t seem like she wanted opposition. We finally reached a giant brown door.

She pushed it open and entered. I followed. The smell of books was the first thing that hit my nostrils. The room was huge, filled with books arranged on shelves. At the center was a polished table and chair fit for a king.

It was Mr. Ethan’s study.

“How old are you?” Her voice echoed through the room as she dove between the shelves.

“Twenty-one.” I was glad that my voice came out smoothly.

She continued walking until she disappeared from sight. “You know you aren’t quite what I was expecting.” Her voice thinned out somewhere between the shelves. I contemplated following her, but her next words kept me rooted in my spot.

“You don’t seem much experienced and I wonder what good a twenty-one-year-old would do to Sophie.”

I swallowed.

“Sophie is my first granddaughter. Not to mention, she’s my only female granddaughter out of the three I have.” He had siblings? I was suddenly curious.

I heard her before I saw her. Trailing her eyes in between the shelves, she continued.

“Now I’m not underestimating you. I’ve heard of your records.” She stretched to check something between a book.

When she didn’t find it, she turned to me. “Honestly, I’ve missed my granddaughter. I miss who she was before she turned into… this.” Her voice held longing. Her eyes too.

Slowly she walked until she was right in front of me. “I just want you to promise me that you’d do everything in your power to bring my granddaughter back.”

Tears glistened in her eyes, and I restrained myself from doing the same. That’s what this was about. Making sure I did my best.

I held my breath. “I promise you, ma’am, you’ll have your granddaughter back.” Conviction laced my words. Frail hands wiped her eyes before she smiled. “Thank you.”

I nodded. It didn’t take long for awkward silence to settle between us. I mean, what else do I say to an eighty-year-old—

“Do me a favor. Find my ring.”

Uh?

“It’s silver and has a huge diamond on it. I may have left it the last time I was here. It’s why I’m here now. Finding it is one of the things that brought me here.”

“O- okay.”

I turned to the table to begin the search. One by one I raised a few papers. Each one revealed an empty table. Just when I turned to the other side of the table, I spotted something. Shit. The flash drive.

I quickly held it in my hands to be sure it was the same one from last night. It was. It was the same flash drive he needed for a deal today.

Instantly I found my phone in my pocket and dialed his number.

Ethan Thorne, leave a message.

Shit. Voice mail.

“What’s wrong, Evie?”

I could barely hear Mrs. Throne from the loud thrum of my heart. He’d seemed stressed working on it for the presentation just to forget it? Hadn’t he realized it was missing?

“I’m sorry I have to get this to Mr. Thorne immediately.”

“Then what are you waiting for,” she urged. “Go.”

I raced down the stairs and immediately met Virginia at the end.

“Virginia, where”s the driver?”

She must have sensed the urgency in my voice because she quickly replied. “Outside, just around the corner.”

I nodded, brushing past her and the door until I reached the compound. I didn’t need to knock because he was outside, thankfully.

“We have to get this to Mr. Thorne.”

The drive to the office was a blur. Some minutes later, we arrived at the building.

Without wasting time, I jumped in the building. I didn’t have time to gawk at the extravagance and a seemingly white robot at the entrance when I spotted the secretary.

There was an interactive touch screen on the wall behind her that displayed the company’s name. Thorne industries.

“Hi, I need to see Mr. Thorne, please.”

The red haired eyed me warily, chewing gum obnoxiously. “Who are you?”

Ugh.

“I’m his daughter’s nanny, and there’s an emergency.” I rushed.

She seemed to be resisting a yawn. “Mr. Thorne just commenced a crucial presentation, so you’ll have to wa—”

“Where’s the conference room?” I quickly interrupted.

“What?”

Fuck. It wasn”t the time for this.

“Look, I have to get the flash drive to him. It’s important for his presentation.”

“Give me a few minutes while I confirm from his assistant. Have your seat somewhere there.” She waved her skinny hands before dialing a number.

How would the assistant pick? Wouldn’t she be in the meeting with Mr. Thorne?

After a few seconds, she dropped the telephone. “There’s no response so you’ll have to wait.” She blew bubbles in my face.

My anger was slowly rising, but I had to keep my cool for this one last trick. “Okay, I’ll wait. But just tell me what floor holds the conference room.”

She stared at me blankly before replying. “Seven.”

Dumb ass.I sprinted in the direction of the elevator and quickly entered. I could hear the red-head yelling for me, so I quickly pressed the number pad and heaved a sigh when the doors closed.

The door soon opened on the seventh floor. I hurried in the only direction until I came to a halt in front of large double doors. Then I started to rethink my decision.

Anxiety slashed my ribs as I wiped my sweaty palm against my dress. What if I had a wrong flash drive and would interrupt the meeting for nothing? What if they had a database and there was no need for the drive.

Momentarily, I shut my eyes to bury my thoughts. I was helping. I’d blame myself if this drive was the key to something big and I didn’t act.

With that thought, I pushed the door open.

I froze for a brief moment as all eyes turned to me. Shit. They were all around the large table. Crisp military uniforms were the first thing that caught my attention.

Shit. I hoped I didn’t interrupt anything.

I briefly glanced at the screen, then at Mr. Thorne. I could see the worry in his eyes as his brows furrowed at me. When I realized I hadn’t moved, I did.

Hurriedly I walked to Mr. Thorne and handed him the flash drive. “You forgot this,” I whispered.

Relief flooded his eyes as he quickly retrieved the drive from me before handing it to a lanky guy. The room was still silent as the guy hurriedly unplugged a similar drive before inserting that one.

There had been a similar one.

The screen lit up. After a few taps from the guy, the lights went off and a video started to play.

I didn’t know whether to stay or leave. But when I noticed that there wasn’t a single sound other than the one from the screen, I decided to stay still.

The lanky guy started to control the… virtual drone with a… gamepad?

The video opened in a military setting, with a few soldiers in red standing behind an armored tank.

The drone flew towards the red soldiers. An enhanced view through the drone’s lens was shown before it turned swiftly and then produced two lasers from underneath it.

I could feel the tension in the room rise as all eyes remained glued to the screen. For no reason, I swallowed. The guy pressed a button and the laser fired on all the targets.

The video stopped. Then the lights came on. There was an instant round of applause from the military people. There were four. A woman and three men.

I watched as Mr. Thorne rose in his full glory.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you have just witnessed a simulation of our drone, and how it can efficiently interact with the military environment.”

He tugged the lapels of his suit as his voice sliced through the silence. The military people seemed very interested in what he had to say. But me? Not really.

I let the sexiness of his three-piece Armani suit take my breath away. His hair was set in a short back and sides with a clean part. This somehow enhanced his sharp jawline and cheekbone.

I didn’t know if it was the ambience or the way his eloquence spread through the room, but my insides churned with butterflies. There were a lot of them in my stomach, raging for satisfaction.

Fuck. Focus, Evie. Focus.

“…Hence, Thorne Industries has produced an improved version that can effectively and efficiently carry out reconnaissance and survey while still maintaining its ability for combat.”

Interesting. Both the creator and his creation were very interesting.

“Mr. Thorne, impressive presentation. But one question remains.” I trailed the voice to the military woman. Her fists were clenched on the table, her face drawn in what seemed to be a frown. Was that a frown or her natural face?

The rest of them also had unreadable expressions.

”These drones are incredibly sophisticated. How do we ensure they don”t become susceptible to... psychological manipulation?”

“Excellent question, General.” Mr. Thorne cleared his throat.

General?

“We”ve implemented robust security protocols,” he continued, “to prevent unauthorized access and manipulation of the drone”s software. These protocols include encryption, multi-factor authentication, and constant monitoring for potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, the drone”s operating system is sandboxed, limiting its ability to interact with other systems or be infected by malware.”

The room remained silent as he finally finished. The general nodded, but something about the way her eyes held him told me she wasn’t too pleased with the answer.

“Mr. Thorne, I understand that those strategies have been put into place, but beyond that, what else?”

My brows arched in surprise when I noticed the subtle look of confusion on Mr. Thorne’s face. It was for a brief moment. But I could tell he didn’t understand the General’s question.

What else?

She sounded like she wanted something different.

How do we ensure they don”t become susceptible to... psychological manipulation?

“What I’m asking, Mr. Thorne, is for you to consider a different perspective. An outsider’s approach to the psychological manipulation of the drone.”

The silence started to grow thicker as I watched confusion slowly infiltrate everyone’s faces. I let the wheels turn in my head until…

Wait. She wanted something different. She wanted another perspective to the drone.

“The materials have been ma—”

“Perhaps I could offer a different perspective.” My heart struck out of my chest as the general raised a brow. Shit. I shouldn’t have talked. First, interrupting the CEO, now talking without permission.

I could smell my doom looming as the company members turned their attention to me. Still I continued. “From a psychology perspective, I believe the concern about manipulation goes beyond simple hacking.”

The three military men finally turned to me.

I willed my voice to maintain a steady cadence. “Soldiers operating these drones will be under immense pressure. The battlefield is a chaotic environment, filled with split-second decisions and emotional stress. I’m sure that beyond… robust security protocols… the drone’s… interface minimizes cognitive overload and doesn”t inadvertently trigger anxiety or confirmation bias.”

I could now feel my heart in my throat, thumping harshly against the walls of my esophagus. My palms became sweaty and with each second that the General held my gaze, my knees threatened to give way.

She couldn’t shoot me, right?

“And who might you be?” Steely gaze narrowed on me. Shit. The nanny?

Before I could respond, she leaned against her chair. “That is a brilliant and unorthodox perspective.” Her words were curt with no emotion.

The other military men nodded. “Oftentimes, technologies like these neglect the human aspect. I’m glad that was considered during this project.”

She turned to Mr. Thorne. “This is your secretary, I presume? I want her actively involved in every step of this project and future ones.”

What?

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Thorne. My team and I will get back to you with the finalized contract. Congratulations.”

My vision was hazy from the shock as I blurrily watched the General stand. Then every other person followed. She nodded briefly at Mr. Thorne before walking out of the room.

Releasing a deep breath, I summoned the courage to look at Mr. Thorne. I shouldn’t have. He didn’t look too pleased.

Eyes narrowed on me, lips set in a thin line, and hardened jaw. He didn’t look too pleased.

“This meeting is over,” he boomed. I watched with rising fear as the members picked their stuff and hurriedly rushed out. I quickly joined them.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Much to my dismay, his voice stopped me.

Swallowing thickly, I turned slowly. “To the mansion.”

I cowered under the weight of his intense gaze. He should be happy that I helped, right?

He reached for a drawer on his side of the table. His hands came out with a remote control, which he pressed before turning.

Everywhere turned significantly darker as the blinds rolled down the windows.

Suddenly he dipped his hands in the pockets of his pants. And the air crackled with tension. “Come here.”

Forcing a lump down my throat, I obliged. There was a certain lightness in my step that I didn’t understand. I finally reached him.

His gaze locked on mine, keeping me rooted in my spot. But this time they weren’t hard. They were… indecipherable.

Silence hung thickly in the air as his eyes darted around every inch of my face.

Slowly, he leaned in a fraction of an inch. The movement was barely perceptible, yet it felt like a seismic shift.

My breath hitched and the butterflies danced more aggressively in my guts.

What was happening?

From this angle, I could see the muscles in his jaw loosen. I could feel his hot breath on my forehead. I could feel my resolve slowly melting away under the heat of his stare.

Time seemed to slow down, and everything faded out as his mouth parted to release words that made my blood circulation go haywire.

“Fuck, that was… smart.”

His voice was barely a rasp and his eyes darkened. I shivered when I felt strong arms wrap around my waist. Our chests were now touching. I could feel his muscles tense.

Fuck. My body was a mess. My panties were a mess.

“You… you make it hard to concentrate on anything else.” His voice was strained before he muttered, “Fuck.”

A delicious mix of nervousness and exhilaration ran through my body when his lips touched mine.

Just like the other night, I felt it in my whole body. The electricity arced through my being, charging every nerve, ending with insurmountable pleasure. Fuck.

He released a small groan, pulling me impossibly closer.

It wasn”t the way his teeth lightly nipped at my lower lip that had my toes curling in my shoes.

It was the small rub on the curve of my back before sliding down to cup my ass that made me shiver in pleasure.

I quickly brought my fingertips to his face. They now burned with a desperate desire as he plunged his tongue into my mouth. I tilted my head to give him more access.

The kiss was gentle. Yet the feeling of his tongue exploring my mouth felt laced with urgency. His other hand soon joined the sensual massage on my ass. Instinctively, I moaned and wrapped my other hand around his neck.

He continued to kiss me until another growl ripped from his throat. A new wave of pleasure hit me when he pulled my leg around him. I could immediately feel his bulge at my entrance.

The room seemed to tilt when I felt myself being lifted off the ground.

In a flash, I was placed on the table. Without wasting time, he parted my legs and made sure his bulge made contact with my bare thigh.

I gasped and he took the opportunity to reconnect our tongues. I let my hands roam his hard chest as he slowly started to pepper kisses down my neck.

Instinctively, I clutched his sides and angled my neck for more. He took the hint, alternating between nipping and kissing.

His hands continued their burning trails up my thigh until they reached my core.

“So fucking wet for me.” He growled against my neck. Slowly his thumb rubbed against my clit through my soaked panties. I couldn”t resist the moan that fell through my lips.

“I like how you feel…” he whispered against a spot in my neck.

I shivered and almost pushed my legs closed.

“… against my fingers.” His strong arms between my legs held my thighs apart.

With a thick grunt, he pushed his bulge against my clothed entrance. I froze instantly, my fear clouding my mind.

He noticed because he pulled back. I focused my eyes on the lines that creased his brows. I couldn”t meet his eyes.

Disappointment washed through me when he pulled back. I suddenly felt cold… bare. Finally summoning the courage, I looked him in the eyes.

They were back to normal. Hard and blank. “You should go home.”