Chapter 15

Annie's POV

The morning sun painted the mansion's kitchen in shades of gold as I prepared breakfast alone, the usual staff having the day off. The familiar scent of coffee filled the air, but my hands trembled slightly as I measured out the grounds. This morning felt different.

Keep it professional, I reminded myself for the hundredth time. Lucy needed stability, not complications. But even as I arranged her breakfast with meticulous care, my mind wandered to the warmth of Howard's embrace, the tenderness in his eyes when he'd whispered my name...

No.Focus.

Lucy bounded into the kitchen, her golden hair catching the sunlight."Morning, Mom!" The word still made my heart skip, even as guilt gnawed at me. What right did I have to let her call me that when I was jeopardizing her stability with my inappropriate feelings for her uncle? He was way out of my league. Sarah was right. I was just nobody.

"Morning!" Howard appeared moments later, impeccable as always in his perfectly tailored suit. Our eyes met briefly before I looked away,busying myself with Lucy's lunch. The weight of his gaze lingered, carrying all the unspoken words between us.

"Morning,Daddy!" Lucy's innocent words struck me hard. I nearly dropped the coffee pot,my hands suddenly unsteady. The domesticity of the scene - Lucy's happy greeting, Howard's warm presence, the golden morning light streaming through the windows -it all felt simultaneously perfect and terrifying. I was desperately trying to ignore how natural this felt. How right. But beneath that warmth lurked the cold reality of my position here. I was Lucy's caretaker. Howard's employee. Nothing more.

Or was I?

The memory of his kiss burned through my carefully constructed defenses.The way he'd held me, touched me, whispered my name...

"Annie?" Howard's voice jolted me from my thoughts. "Is everything alright?"

I turned, forcing a smile. "Jus tired." The lie felt heavy on my tongue.

Lucy watched our interaction with those observant eyes of hers, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Did she know? Could she sense the change between us? The thought sent panic fluttering through my chest. She'd already lost so much-what if this ruined everything? What if she resented me for complicating her relationship with her uncle?

I wanted to ask her directly: Would you be okay with this? With us? But the words stuck in my throat. Better to maintain professional distance than risk shattering this fragile peace we'd built.

"Your pancakes are getting cold," I said instead, sliding the plate toward Lucy. She accepted it with a knowing look that made my cheeks burn. The drive to school felt endless. I sat in the back with Lucy, watching the mansions of Long Island roll past as she hummed contentedly. Sarah's words from the park echoed in my mind: "Some of us understand the finer things in life... and some of us are clearly out of our depth." My reflection in the window looked small and plain beside Howard's commanding presence in the driver's seat. "Mom,can we get ice cream after school?" Lucy's innocent question pulled me from my spiral of self-doubt.

"We'll see, sweetheart." I managed a smile, grateful for the distraction.

The school gates loomed ahead, but as we approached, my heart stopped.Philip stood there.

Howard's hands tightened imperceptibly on the steering wheel.

"Hurry up. Go greeting with your teachers," he murmured to Lucy as we parked.

Lucy quickly got into the school.

Philip's smirk widened as Howard and I was here together. "Well, well.Moving on faster than I expected, Annie."

"We're divorced, Philip. My life is none of your concern." The words came out steady,though my pulse raced.

His eyes swept over Howard's elegant appearance with a calculating gaze. "That's quite an upgrade. Everything he's wearing probably costs more than your annual salary." His voice dripped with false concern.

"Where are you driving at?" I asked,afraid of the answer. "Tell me, Annie,do you really think you can fit into his world? A divorced woman from Boston, playing at being Upper East Side? You're just his latest charitable project." The words struck deeper than I wanted to admit. Everything Sarah had said at the park suddenly felt painfully true. What was I thinking,imagining I could belong in Howard's world? "Again, that's not your business. And where's Sarah by the way. I thought she would love to sent Brian to school. "I said,trying to remain calm.

"Sarah's pregnant." Philip continued, clearly enjoying my discomfort,but a bit unprepared by my question, "She needs rests."

A bitter laugh escaped before I could stop it. "Congratulations. Of course she's pregnant so soon. Or a bit too soon?"

Philip's smug expression faltered. "What are you talking about?"

I thought of Sarah's texts with Robert about their romantic weekend in Paris, her calculated plan to trap Philip with another man's child. The irony was almost painful - Philip Baker, master manipulator,completely blind to being manipulated himself.

But before I could respond, Howard stepped forward. His hand found mine, fingers intertwining with deliberate purpose. "Annie isn't a project or a charity case," he said, his controlled voice carrying an edge of steel. "She's my girlfriend."

The world seemed to stop. I stared at our joined hands, then up at Howard's face. His usual mask of careful restraint had fallen away,replaced by something fierce and certain.

Philip opened his mouth, then closed it. Without another word, he turned and walked away.