7. Ethan

seven

Three Days Later

“So how are you getting along with my daughter?” James’s voice was hard from the other end of the phone.

“Is she following your directions well?”

My throat clamped together.

“I’m just kidding!” He laughed. “I know my daughter is doing everything perfectly.”

I forced a laugh of my own. I’d always known James to be a funny man. But this type of joke was dangerous. He almost had me shitting my pants.

“James, you never stop being funny.” I chuckled again.

“I know you’re taking care of my daughter well. We’ve been friends for over twenty-two years. I trust you.”

It became hard to swallow again. Out of all days, James had chosen today, three days after I made out with his daughter in my conference room, to call for a checkup.

“Of course,” I cleared my throat. “Of course, you can trust me…” not to fuck your daughter. “…to take care of your daughter. I mean, she’s taking care of mine.”

James rereleased another laughter. “Our daughters should be besties now, but your old self decided to get married late in life.”

I tried to ignore the pang of guilt that pricked my skin. Each of his words kept giving reasons why I shouldn’t indulge his daughter. Why I should never have.

“You know I had business to attend to first.” I cleared my throat. Unlike James, who believed success may sometimes be gained when you find true love, I believed success could only be achieved when you work tooth and bone for it. And I did.

Not until I was completely satisfied did I decide to settle down.

“No. You had to explore all kinds of women first.”

That too.

“I was looking for the right one.”

“Ah ah. And how long did that take? Ten? twelve years?”

He had a point. At the end of the day, I didn”t think I settled with the right woman. “Did you call to bring up my past?”

“Hoe phase,” James snickered.

“What?”

“Evie calls it… hoe phase.”

I raised my brows in confusion. “What”s that?”

“She’d said it was a slang for—”

A loud crash barreled through my ear as I quickly pulled the phone away.

“James?”

A bit of grunt followed. “I”m okay. My wood just…. Ugh. Some of the woods I had arranged just fell. I”ll call you later.”

The call ended, and I didn”t know whether I should be glad or sad. But I definitely could tell the emotion that slowly crawled up my gut. Guilt.

It seemed to get worse each time. Every time I got too close to her, it intensified. I didn”t like it. I didn”t like that I couldn”t speak to my best friend freely.

I intended to tell him about Evie’s feat in the conference room. But guilt had clawed my throat. It’d silence me. I didn’t want this.

Not only because she was too young -literally half my age- but also because she was my daughter’s therapist. So why exactly couldn”t I fucking stop? Why did I behave like a fucking horny teenager around her?

Why did the universe keep trying to bring both of us together? First, from Minnesota to my mansion, and now to my company?

I waited for the noise in my head to be silenced. Perhaps it was all in my head. I just needed to get laid. And the universe wasn”t doing any damn thing.

I was only reaping the consequences of my actions. How could I have mixed up two similar flash drives? Of course, I fucking knew how.

After that night, once I reached my bedroom, I pleasured myself with images of her in the nightgown. I shamefully did that until I was spent. Until I was exhausted.

Still, I managed to fix the bug. Then I passed out.

The following day, I was already late for our team meeting. So, I grabbed the similar flash drive, which I”d used to cross-check something, before hurrying out.

I rarely panicked— I seldom made mistakes. But the meeting had me rethinking some decisions.

When I found out it was the wrong drive, I knew I”d fucked up. Big time.

We couldn”t use the simulation stored on the company’s database. It wasn”t the updated one. For the first time, I was blank– out of options until she came.

I”d never felt so much relief at her sight. When she handed me the drive, I wanted to hug her. Thank her for saving the deal. But she turned out to do a lot more.

She’d answered the question even without having full knowledge of the project. Her boldness… confidence was a huge turn-on.

Fuck.

It drove me crazy, both in a good and bad way. I”d wanted to take her on the table, right there. But then she froze again.

That was enough to come to my senses. I wondered why she kept having the same reaction. But I sure as hell wouldn”t find out. There wouldn”t be a third time.

This was a promise to myself.

With that thought in mind, I wore a soft t-shirt and dark-washed jeans before heading downstairs. Another thing I wanted to do today was take Sophie to the park.

She still needed social interaction, especially with kids her age. Even though she wouldn”t interact, it wouldn”t hurt to try again. It was, after all, why I’d taken the day off from work.

I descended the stairs and found her in the playroom. The door was slightly ajar—just the perfect position to watch both of them.

How have you been treating my daughter?

“…Good girl, Sophie.”

Evie clapped, staring at her jotter. “I”m glad you know shapes. You know what? Today, I will read you a bedtime story as a reward for getting all of them correct.”

The excitement on her face was evident while Sophie remained undeterred. Sometimes, I wished I could know what went on in that little mind of hers. I wished I could see her thoughts…

Perhaps she wouldn”t have been at the end of the staircase to see her mother’s neck twist at an ungodly angle—her lifeless eyes and a floor filled with blood.

“…So now I want you to use green to color the leaves.” I watched Sophie immediately find the color and then start coloring. Evie’s eyes trailed every movement.

She had the look in her eyes. The same look of hope I was sure I had. The one that Mother and the rest of the house staff had. The same look of hope on each therapist”s face before it flickered into disappointment.

She continued to talk, but I drowned out the conversation. Evie was good as a therapist. There was no doubt she’d be the same as my secretary. But I couldn”t deny it would be difficult for me— for her.

Returning my eyes to Sophie, I leaned slightly against the wall. She looked relaxed. This also was a first. Since the incident, it took Sophie a lot of time to get used to people.

But barely three weeks in, she seemed pretty comfortable with Evie. I wondered what Sophie would think when she learned that Evie may not spend as much time with her.

I’d been thinking about how to fulfill the Chief’s request.

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

I still hadn’t gotten a solid schedule for her yet. But whatever it would be, I knew I had to balance it out. My daughter’s well-being was a priority.

I made my presence known with a single tap of my feet.

“Good morning, sir.” She greeted softly.

I didn”t miss how her eyes were on anything but mine. I nodded, brushing past her to where Sophie was seated.

Her hand still held the coloring pencil when I lowered myself beside the table.

“Sweetheart, we’re going to the park today. Okay?”

I was met with no response. Her eyes remained blank.

“Do you want to go to the park?” I rephrased. There still was no response.

“Daddy wants to spend the day with you.”

Nothing.

Slowly, I reached out to rub her cheeks. “It”s okay, Sophie. Give daddy a hug?”

Instantly, she stood up, turned around, and sank into my chest. I pressed her even closer. This was my favorite part of life. Where she”d melt in my arms, and I”d momentarily forget all other things.

As usual, I felt her clutch my shirt tighter before she heaved a subtle sigh. My heart ached at this. I pressed my nose further into her hair as warmth seeped through my skin.

One day… just one day, Sophie, I”ll have you back.

Placing a kiss on her hair, I pulled back before standing. Then, I lifted her into my arms, with one arm supporting her mid-thigh. She rested her head against my shoulders.

I turned to Evie. “Get ready, Sophie’s going to the park.”

She nodded. After a few minutes, we were ready. I decided to drive my Audi Q4 e-Tron. Clenching my fist against the wheel, I revved out of the gates. There was only one wish I had.

For Sophie to speak.

When we got to the park, there weren”t many people. Just a few kids and adults, perfect for Sophie. It was what the morning offered— just the right crowd to make Sophie feel comfortable.

It was routine.

Evie set up a white picnic blanket under a shady tree. She chose a tree that wasn”t too close and, at the same time, close enough for interaction. I was impressed, but I quickly let it go. She was trained for this. There was nothing special about what she did.

We settled on the blanket with Sophie between me…and Evie opposite us. I watched as Evie brought out different items for activities.

A storybook and color book. An empty drawing sheet. Sophie’s favorite toy, a train toy for when her repetitive behavior kicks in. And… an unknown item.

I ignored it.

Usually, it was one of three things. The nanny or I would read Sophie a book, let her draw, or let her play with her toy, depending on which she wanted.

“Sophie, do y—”

“Sophie, I brought something different this time,” Evie smiled.

I pressed my lips into a thin line, watching how she stared at Sophie.

The sun took this moment to dapper through the leaves, illuminating her hazel eyes. It was…captivating the flecks of gold that appeared in them. Somehow, they pronounced her slightly red lips. Was she wearing lipstick or was that her natural color?

I know you’re taking care of my daughter well. We’ve been friends for over twenty-two years. I trust you.

I suddenly hated that I was noticing this.

Thankfully, a small breeze blew Sophie’s pencil off the blanket. I let her go to pick it up before turning to Evie.

When she grabbed the unknown item, I spoke. “She reads a book, draws, or plays with her toy.”

Her smile quickly disappeared when she turned to me. “This is a new game–”

“No.”

“No?” She shot me a quizzical look.

I wasn”t ready to reply, so I settled for a deadpan stare. I”d be lying if I said her angry gaze didn”t pierce my skin. I”d also be lying if I said I knew why I was doing this. But maybe she shouldn”t force Sophie to do what she didn”t want to.

“Mr. Thorne, I”m her therapist.”

“No. You”re her nanny. And you have to listen to me.” I was probably irrational, but she had to understand our routine.

The crease between her brows deepened. When I glanced at her eyes, I could see her losing it. I mused at the tint of pink on her cheeks.

“This is a new method. It”s… it”s something out of the box. Something…. Something different.”

I shot her a dry stare. “You could be forcing her.”

“No...” she shook her head. A few tendrils escaped her messy bun. I forced my eyes away.

“…I would never. Plus, how do you know she won”t like it if we don”t try? Just because it isn”t part of her routine doesn”t mean she wouldn”t like it.”

“You have to understand, Mr. Thorne,” she breathed deeply. I didn”t let my eyes fall on her chest. “This routine… people coined them. Sophie’s growing, and her routine needs too.”

I failed to admit that she had hit the nail on the head.

With a small wave, I dismissed her. “Do what you have to.”

She released a sigh. Then turned to Sophie, who was now seated, staring at a bird. The white bird was at a distance, eating stuff from the ground.

Again, she called out to Sophie, who slowly turned to her. “This is a bubble toy. Would you like to try?”

I could see how the plastic immediately caught Sophie’s attention. It was shaped like a friendly ladybug. Its bright pink shell, dotted with black spots, contrasted with a translucent green dome inside it.

The dome seemed to be for a solution, and curved towards a small spout at the front.

The spout was wide enough for Evie’s fingers to grasp a little bubble wand. When she pulled it out, she gently blew air with her lips, and a single bubble grew from the O-shaped space on the wand.

Sophie stared at the bubble, but there was no response. Evie urged her through a smile. “Here, try it.”

Sophie still didn”t accept the weird-looking container. I scoffed lightly at Evie.

When I grabbed the storybook, Sophie tentatively stretched out her hands. There was a growing curiosity in her eyes.

“Good girl. So, I”ll need you to blow…”

I drowned out her words as I focused on Sophie, who followed her instructions. Anticipation grew in me as she successfully blew bubbles. But it was soon erased when her only reaction was the slight raise of her brow.

Releasing a sigh, I leaned my back against the tree. Unlike every other normal kid, my daughter didn”t smile.