CHAPTER 4
“Some hearts open when we least expect them to…”
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
Yesterday marked a full week since I started working there.
I hadn’t had any problems since the whole “late arrival” incident—mostly because I hadn’t seen Colin much. And on the rare occasions we crossed paths, he didn’t say a single word to me.
I still said good morning whenever I saw him, but he just ignored me every time. Not my fault I was raised to be polite, even to people who clearly don’t deserve it.
That morning, I woke up earlier than usual. My mom was on the phone, talking to one of the women she worked for. I could tell something was wrong the moment I saw her face—there was a hint of worry in her expression.
“What happened, Mom?”
“There’s been a change of plans. I can’t take Hanna with me to work today.”
Panic hit me instantly. Taking Hanna with me was completely out of the question—one more warning from Colin and I was done for.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“I’ll figure something out.” I smiled, trying to hide the knot forming in my chest.
I ran through my mental list of options, and guess what? There weren’t any.
Lauren, my best friend, was working, and aside from her and my mom, there was literally no one I trusted to watch Hanna. I’m not exactly the type who hands her kid over to just anyone.
Perfect. Just perfect.
“It’s fine, Isabelle,” I muttered under my breath, taking a deep breath to calm myself.
I walked into my daughter’s room and found her still sound asleep, her face peaceful and soft.
“I wish I had that kind of peace,” I whispered, standing there for a few seconds just watching her.
It’s amazing—and a little terrifying—how fast kids grow up. One minute they’re babies, and the next they’re five years old.
Since her preschool was on break, we’d been juggling things as best we could. I didn’t complain; it was just part of being a mom. But today… today was going to be tricky.
I gently woke Hanna, who was still half asleep.
“I’ve got some news: you’re coming to work with me today, sweetheart.” I kissed her forehead.
“Is where you work cool?” she mumbled, eyes still closed.
“Very.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
Once we finished getting ready and I’d helped her with breakfast, we headed off to Colin’s mansion.
My first move when I got to the mansion was to find Helen. Maybe she could save me—or not.
“Do you think I could, uh… hide my daughter somewhere in the house?” I asked quietly.
“Hide her?” Helen chuckled.
“Oh, you know what I mean…” I said, embarrassed. “I didn’t tell you, but I already got a warning, and I’m kind of freaking out.”
“I know. Colin told me.”
Perfect.
“You’re not gonna snitch on me, are you?” I asked, trying to sound calm.
“Relax, Isabelle. I won’t say a word. You can probably let your daughter stay in one of the sitting rooms. From what I hear, Colin’s holed up in his office today—apparently, he’s buried in a new project.”
Her words were like a breath of relief. Maybe I’d actually keep my job a little longer.
Maybe.
The morning had been peaceful. No sign of Colin anywhere—and I needed it to stay that way. It sounded wrong, I knew, considering I worked in his house, but honestly, I needed a break from him. Just for today.
After lunch, I went through some of the tasks Colin had passed on to me through Helen. My daughter was sitting quietly on the couch nearby.
Everything was going smoothly—until suddenly, I saw Colin storming out of one of the rooms like a rocket. The second he spotted me, his eyes lit up like sparks, and within seconds, he was only a few feet away.
I’m screwed.
“Isabelle!” he barked. “How many times do I have to tell you that this damn—”
He stopped mid-sentence. His gaze had locked on… Hanna.
That’s it. I’m done.
Second strike in less than ten days. I could already see myself packing up and walking out of here.
But then Colin just stood there, staring at Hanna—hesitant, almost frozen—while she looked right back at him, curious. She took a few steps closer and smiled up at the man who never smiled. Oh, this was going to go great.
“Hi, mister.”
Perfect, sweetheart. Call him mister and make Mommy’s day even worse.
But to my surprise, Colin didn’t react. He just stood there, motionless, like time itself had stopped. I didn’t dare move either, completely thrown off by whatever was happening.
“Hey there, little one. What’s your name?” he asked, crouching down to her level, his voice suddenly soft.
“Hanna. What’s yours?”
“Colin.”
“Hmm. My mommy works for you, right?”
Colin turned his head toward me, and I gave him the most awkward smile imaginable before shifting my gaze back to Hanna—who mimicked him exactly, looking back at me too.
“Yes. She does,” he muttered through clenched teeth, clearly irritated—by me, obviously.
“Mommy told Grandma you’re handsome. Right, Mommy?”
Fantastic. I knew bringing her here was a terrible idea.
“Honey… come here.” I stepped closer just as Colin stood, still looking a bit dazed. “I’m so sorry. I—”
“Janet!” he called out sharply. Within seconds, one of the house staff appeared.
“What do you need, sir?”
“Take the little lady to the kitchen,” he said, kneeling down again—and then, for the first time ever, he smiled.
Yes. He smiled. I swear I’m not exaggerating.
“Hanna, sweetheart, could you go with her for a minute? I need to talk to your mom. If you do, Janet will give you some chocolate. How does that sound?”
“Hmm. Can I have two?”
Colin closed his eyes for a second, reopening them with another faint smile.
“As many as you want.”
“Okay. Thanks, mister.”
Please, stop calling him mister, Hanna…
I stood there in shock as the scene unfolded. Colin doesn’t smile. Ever. The man is colder than ice. But with Hanna, he looked almost… human.
After they disappeared into the kitchen, I mentally braced myself. I was definitely getting fired.
“Colin, I—”
“No! I’ll talk!” he snapped, cutting me off—like always.
I nodded.
“Why do you insist on breaking rules?” His voice was clipped, full of irritation.
“I had to bring Hanna with me.”
“Did you read item seven on the list?”
“Yes.”
“And you still disobeyed?”
I dropped my head, searching for words. What could I even say? I had to be honest—if I was going to lose my job, I’d at least go down being truthful.
I lifted my head to meet his eyes.
“I’m a single mom, and Hanna’s father left us years ago. It’s just me, my daughter, and my mother. She works odd cleaning jobs, and she couldn’t take Hanna today. I’m sorry. I’ll understand if you fire me.”
It was the longest thing I’d ever said in front of Colin—and judging by his expression, it caught him completely off guard. He looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t. He just stared at me for several long seconds.
“Isabelle,” he said finally, his voice back to that calm, deep tone. I braced for the worst. “What are you going to do the next time your mother can’t take her?”
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted honestly.
“What am I supposed to do with you, huh?” he said, this time softer—almost thoughtful.
“Whatever you want.”
Yeah, it sounded bad. I know.
Like I was putting myself entirely at his mercy—which wasn’t true. But the truth is, for all his good looks, Colin Adams had the same amount of arrogance to match.
And me? I was even crazier… for feeling that flicker of attraction toward him in the middle of all this.
“Oh, Isabelle…” he sighed. “I’ll be writing a few rules for your daughter for when you have to bring her along.”
“Colin, that’s really not nec—”
“It’s that or you’re out.” He stopped, giving me a second to think. “So, what’s it gonna be?”
I thought about it, though the idea of my daughter having rules didn’t sit right with me. If his so-called “ten commandments” were already harsh on me, imagine what they’d be like for a sweet kid who always tries to see the good in everything?
“Fine.”
“Good.”
Colin disappeared for several minutes. When he finally came back into the room, he pinned a note—apparently meant for Hanna—to another table. Then he stepped closer to me.
“Show it to Hanna before she leaves,” he said, walking away. But his quick, long strides told me everything—he didn’t want to stick around to see my reaction after reading whatever he’d written.
He had to know I’d be upset about it, so of course, he bolted.
I walked over to the table and froze when I saw the paper.
A pink sheet. With a teddy bear on it. Seriously? Am I hallucinating?
Rules for Hanna
1 “When you get hungry, just find Helen—she’ll give you whatever you want, whenever you want it.”
2 “There’s a little playground in the backyard, and whenever the day feels dull, you can go out there. My son, Joshua, spends a lot of time there—you two can play together.”
3 “Your mom has a lot of chores around the house, so you probably won’t see her much during the day. If you need anything, just talk to Helen—she’ll call your mom if there’s ever a problem.”
4 “There are a few areas in the house where people aren’t allowed to go, so please stay out of those, okay? I promise you’ll get chocolate every single day!”
I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The note had actually turned out kind of sweet—sappy, even, if I’m being honest. Nothing like mine, which had been a complete roast from start to finish.
I’d explained to my daughter what she could and couldn’t do around the house, and then I “introduced” her to the note. She smiled a few seconds later when one particular word caught her attention.
“I get chocolate every day I come here?”
“That’s what you focused on?” I asked, but Hanna didn’t even acknowledge the tone in my voice.
“Uh-huh.”
I shook my head, laughing softly. My daughter only remembers what’s convenient for her—I should’ve seen that coming. I glanced at the clock and realized the afternoon had flown by.
In a few minutes, we’d be heading out, and honestly, I felt relieved that I still had my job.
As we walked down one of the hallways, I spotted Colin moving from one room to another. Of course, I had zero intention of talking to him—but the tiny chatterbox next to me had other plans.
“Bye, Uncle Colin!” she called out, waving.
Once again, Colin froze like he’d been hit with a wave of memories. Even so, he walked toward us, crouched down to her level, and gave her a wide smile. And if that smile was fake, he was doing an impressive job of hiding it.
What universe am I living in?
“Good night, Hanna. Take good care of your mom,” he said, glancing at me from head to toe, clearly irritated.
Of course Colin had to slip in some kind of jab—especially since I’d been messing up left and right lately. Best to keep quiet, improve over time, and not get myself fired in the meantime.
“Okay,” Hanna said.
Colin walked off without even saying good night to me. Still an expert at ignoring me…