Rio set Laura down and walked over to the kitchen counter where a small file lay.
“This file has all the details you might need. Laura is currently being home-schooled, and I have hired a professional teacher to come over every day. There is also a paper listing all the allergies she has and her preferred food items. There is also a schedule inside, which I insist that you follow. Your job is to feed her, bath her, dress her, help her with her homework, and ensure that she stays very happy and healthy. You are not allowed to take her out without my permission and when you do, you will be accompanied by my guards at all times. I hope everything is clear and that you have no questions?”
She shook her head to indicate she understood, her eyes still wide with amazement as she tried to take everything in.
“There is a house help that cleans the place and a chef that stays on ground, prepares the food,” Rio said, walking over to his cabinet and pulling out a Rolex. He slipped the watch onto his wrist, before grabbing his briefcase and his phone.
“You can call him anytime Laura or you need to eat anything,” he said, taking one last glance in the mirror to ensure that his suit was immaculate before closing the door of his bedroom behind him.
“This is my bedroom and that is my study. Needless to say, both of these are off-limits at all costs. That room is Laura’s bedroom, and the one next to it is her playroom. The place where you are standing is the living room, and there are two bathrooms down this hallway. You can call any of the staff if you need anything. There are numbers written on the diary next to the phone.” Rio narrated the information without stopping as he walked around his mansion. He rang his driver to let him know that he was coming down and then walked toward the door.
“I am trusting you, Pearl, with the light of my life,” Rio said, gazing straight into her blue ones. “I will not tolerate any type of negligence. One mistake, I will destroy you.”
With that, he turned around and walked away, leaving a flustered looking Pearl standing there.
Chapter 5
Pearl shivered the way Rio warned her. But, she had to be strong as she had to maintain this job at any cost.
She took a deep breath and smiled at Laura. “Hey, Laura.” Laura didn’t even look at Pearl.
“I am Pearl James.” Pearl tried to talk to her, but Laura again ignored her and started throwing all the things on the floor.
Now Pearl knew it was going to be really tougher than she had thought.
*
“Laura, please, listen to me-” Pearl said, trying to convince her to take a bath.
“No!” Laura shrieked. “I don’t want to! And if you make me, I will tell Uncle Rio that you are a bad aunty!”
“Laura, you have to do it. Your Uncle Rio was the one who ordered me to-” Pearl tried to reason with her but was rudely cut off by Laura’s screams.
“No! No! No!” the little girl shouted. “I want to have chocolate ice cream! I want it now!”
Pearl sighed as she rubbed her tired eyes. Laura had been really difficult right from the start of the day. She had refused to do everything Pearl asked her to and had been throwing constant tantrums. Pearl was starting to get a headache from all the screaming and shouting that had been going on.
“You had chocolate ice cream for lunch,” Pearl said, trying to keep her voice calm and low. “You can’t have anymore, sweety. You will end up with an upset stomach.”
“I wanna!” Laura shouted. “I wanna, I wanna, I wanna!”
Pearl sighed as she glanced up at the clock. It was almost 8 and her shift would soon be over. The twelve hours had seemed more like 12 months because of the constant screaming. She didn’t even know that time could pass by slowly. She relented and handed the ice cream over to the child, who grabbed the cup and ran all the way to the living room to eat. Pearl heard the loud blaring of the TV as she put on her favorite cartoons. Even though Laura was just five, she already knew how to work all the gadgets around the house.
The maid had already left downstairs along with the chef, and Pearl was left alone to clean the mess. Laura had scattered her toys everywhere, and Pearl had been trying to clean up the mess for an hour now. The tyrannical child kept spilling the mess, again and again, making life difficult for Pearl.
She looked around the huge penthouse and sighed to herself. She still couldn’t believe how huge and luxurious it was. It was on the highest floor of the executive building and had a wonderful view of the city. All the gadgets in the area were the latest technology, and the apartment was furnished and designed by the best interior designers. The Penthouse screamed money and Pearl, once again, wondered how anybody could possibly be so rich.
Lost in her musings, she didn’t even realize the doorbell was ringing. By the time her brain registered it, the jingle of keys was audible, and the door had already swung open. She realized that Rio had already returned and had been waiting for her to open the door before unlocking it himself. She ran as fast as she could, hoping to make a good impression by greeting him professionally.
She was almost at the door and she could see him walking inside when her foot hit one of the toys scattered on the floor and she tripped. A soft scream escaped from her lips as she fell straight into the arms of her sexy boss.
It took her a second to realize that Rio had caught her, and his strong, muscular arms were holding her up. She swallowed as she gazed into his bright, beautiful eyes. Her hands desperately clung to his shirt, and she could feel his muscular chest under her hands.
Her breath hitched as she realized how close she was to him. He was gazing at her in the same intense manner he had before. Time seemed to trickle by as he continued to gaze into her eyes, still holding her in his arms. She was acutely aware of his body pressed against hers, and she swallowed as her heart started to race. She had never felt so intensely before and it scared her.
Laura’s shouts brought both of them back to reality and Rio instantly helped her stand up before letting her go. He shot one last look at her before making his way to the living room, where Laura was jumping on the couch.
“Uncle Rio!” she squealed, jumping to the floor and running to hug him. “You are back!”
“Of course, I am,” Rio replied, hugging her tightly. He kissed her ice cream covered cheek before setting her down. “Why don’t you go clean your hands? You are covered in ice cream all over.”
“But Uncle Rio, I don’t want to!” She whined.
Pearl watched in surprise as Rio kissed both her hands and said, “You are my darling little girl, aren’t you? Won’t you do as I say?”
The little monster pouted for a minute before shouting “Okay!” and then running towards the bathroom. Pearl couldn’t believe this was the same baby that had given her such a difficult time all day long. Rio turned to look at her; his arm crossed across his chest as he looked at her intently. Pearl swallowed and looked away, her eyes trailing over his sculpted body which was draped in a well-fitting suit.
“I left you a responsibility,” he said, finally, his voice deep and stern. “Didn’t you read the file I gave you?”
“I did, sir-” Pearl stammered, but Rio cut her off.
“Then, you would know that she is not allowed ice cream at dinner time. You would also know that her bath time is in the afternoon and that she is supposed to be in bed by now!” Rio snapped and Pearl looked down, feeling a wave of embarrassment. “I come home, and Laura is a complete mess. She hasn’t been bathed, she is covered in ice cream, and the floor is completely covered in toys.”