The Billionaire’s Accidental Daddy Duty (The Billionaire Dads Club #1)

Chapter 1

YOU KNOW WHO I AM?

Isla

I followed the tall blonde woman down the hallway.

To say I was out of place in this high rise in the middle of Manhattan, with its shiny floors, tall windows, and fancy furniture was an understatement.

But Casey, the goddess with legs for days and a British accent didn’t need to know that.

She didn’t seem to care where I came from or how much I fit in.

As the chief of staff for Noble Consulting, all she wanted was a programmer who could help out with her current assignment at Windsor Financial Holdings.

I was fresh out of college, but I could code with the best of them. I just needed a break, a shot.

“Right through here, Ms. Isla.” She paused for a split second while her gaze cut to the clipboard clutched to her arm as if double checking my name. “I’ll come get you when we’re ready. Please help yourself to some coffee.”

“Great. Thank you.” I smiled, trying not to show too many teeth, something I was told was considered a professional gesture.

As soon as she left and I was alone, I collapsed into the nearest chair and released a breath. “Relax, Isla. This is just a job interview like any other. You got this.”

Except it was more than that. A job with the “fixer” was more than an opportunity in the IT field. It was a career maker. Declan Winston Noble could come in cold into any cyber hack emergency, identify the problem, and set things right.

I thought about all the pictures of him I had been able to find on the internet.

Apart from being a God when it came to computers, he was also impossibly gorgeous, sexy, and, of course, a player—because all hot men with sexy British accents had to be.

The British tabloids named him London’s most eligible bachelor two years in a row.

I shook my head to clear my mind of all the filthy fantasies I’d had about the Fixer since I started doing research for this interview.

There was a tiny chance I had developed a bit of a crush on my future boss.

Well, future boss’s boss’s boss’s boss’s boss.

Okay maybe I was exaggerating when I said I’d be working under Declan Winston Noble, more like in the general vicinity of his corner office.

Still, having his name on my resume would open a lot of doors for me.

I glanced up, hoping the universe would deliver on this one.

“Nicolas, stop. He’s not cold. He’s fine.” A familiar voice boomed just outside the break room.

Oh, shit. I shot to my feet, checking every corner for a quick exit.

On one side, I had the tall windows facing the city and a bunch of super tall buildings.

On the other, I had my half-sister Louisa and her new husband Nicolas, who also happened to be the owner of Windsor Financial Holdings.

The thing was, Louisa hated my guts. And for the longest time, I thought she had reason to do so.

Years had passed. Our parents had moved on, why couldn’t we?

The last time I asked her that very question, her eyes watered.

She opened her mouth, but the words didn’t come out.

After a few seconds that felt more like several hours, she turned on her heel and walked off.

Was she part of the reason why I became obsessed with this new job opening when I saw the listing? Of course not.

Okay, maybe just a tiny bit.

If she got to know the real me, I was sure she would come to love me, or hate me a little less.

I glanced up and reminded the universe of this other thing I wanted badly—it never hurt to ask.

I had a long list of things I wanted, but this job with the fixer and some quality time with my half-sister were my top two.

Today wasn’t the day to make contact, though.

Not before I landed the job. I scurried toward the back of the break room and busied myself with the dirty trays.

Louisa and Nicolas made a beeline to the fancy espresso machine while they continued to assess whether their new baby boy Lorenzo was properly swaddled or not.

In my opinion, I didn’t think a six-month-old baby should be swaddled, but what did I know?

I didn’t have kids of my own. Not that I didn’t want to—having babies was one of those things that wasn’t for me.

I stole a glance over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of Louisa. She was glowing, happy with her hot-as-sin husband and sweet boy. I ached to walk over there, congratulate her and hold my new nephew in my arms, but we weren’t that kind of family.

When Nicolas finished making two coffees, they both strolled out of the break room. My chest tightened as I watched them leave. Of course, it was a good thing they hadn’t seen me. So why did that hurt?

“Ms. Vendetti, we’re ready for you.” A guy came out of nowhere and tapped me on the shoulder.

“What?” I practically spun around. “Right. Thank you. Let me get my computer bag.” I hurried to collect my things.

“This way.” He gestured toward the exit before he walked in front of me to lead the way.

I followed him down the hallway toward the corner office where Casey was conducting the one-on-one interviews.

Earlier, I had completed a programming test in a conference room with ten other applicants.

I wasn’t the only one hoping for a big break.

A quick peek at the conference room next to Casey’s office made my heart sink.

They had another round of ten applicants in there with their laptops in front of them.

I could only assume they were also taking a programming test. You got this.

I repeated the mantra a few times while my escort knocked on Casey’s door and then pushed it open.

Well, fuck.

Standing behind Casey’s desk, looking as pissed as he should be to see me here, was Nicolas. I quickly scanned the room and sighed in relief when I didn’t find Louisa. Did he even know who I was? I didn’t know how much my half-sister had told him about her dad’s family.

“I’m going to cut to the chase because I need you out of here before Louisa sees you.” Nicolas leaned a hand on the desk.

So, he had seen me in the break room after all. No doubt, he chose not to say anything because he didn’t want to upset his wife. The intimidating glare he shot my way made me shuffle closer to the door. “You know who I am?”

“Yes. Do you know who I am?” His deep voice rumbled in my chest, and not in a good way.

“Yes,” I mumbled.

“So you know this is my company. And Louisa is my wife. What the hell are you doing here?”

My pulse skyrocketed and left a weird buzz in my ears. Suddenly, I couldn’t speak or hear. I opened my mouth, but words didn’t come out. Nicolas made a grunting sound and strode around the desk. Lucky for me, Casey walked into the office before he could ask any more questions.

“Mr. Windsor, you’re sitting in on the interview?”

“No, I’m here to escort Isla out.”

“Please.” My voice didn’t sound like my own. “I need this job. I promise I will stay out of your way. And Louisa’s.”

“You know Mrs. Windsor?” Casey furrowed her brows and glanced down at her clipboard again.

“Yes, she’s my sister.” I cleared my throat and then corrected myself. “Half-sister.”

“Wait, what?” Nicolas’s gaze shifted from Casey to me. “As in actually blood related? Not step-sisters?”

I nodded. Growing up, I knew Dad had another family.

As I got older, I began to put together the details of what having another family meant.

Dad had left his first wife, Louisa’s mom, to be with my mom.

Thing was, Louisa and I were the same age.

In a way, I knew the truth, but for Mom’s sake, I chose not to ask too many questions.

Especially since Louisa’s mom lived in the same neighborhood as us.

Louisa and I went to the same school, though we never had any classes together.

But last summer after graduation, I finally found the courage to ask Dad.

Were Louisa and I sisters? He said yes. That was it.

No explanation. No details. No apologies.

Since that day, I had tried to reach out to Louisa, but she wasn’t ready.

Based on Nicolas’s reaction, Louisa hadn’t told him we were half-sisters.

Did she really not know? She had to at least suspect. The same way I had all these years.

“Yes, actually blood related.” My words were like some magic spell because the minute I said them, Nicolas relaxed his stance and his features softened.

I stood there and met his gaze. He shook his head at me as if he were considering something. “Are you here for Declan’s team?”

“Programmer.”

“She passed her test with flying colors,” Casey added in her British accent. “Her coding was rather elegant.”

I wanted to hug the woman.

“No, she can’t be a programmer.”

“And why not?” I didn’t care if my tone implied he was being a sexist pig.

“I don’t mean it that way.” He waved his hand in dismissal. “I meant the programmer position is a permanent one. If Louisa finds out, I need Declan to be able to fire you on the spot.”

“Excuse me.” Casey stepped in. Her dark stare rivaled the look Nicolas had given me when I first walked in.

What she said. I stood taller and inched toward her. She was clearly on my team.

Nicolas rubbed the stubble on his cheek. “Answer me this. And be honest. Because your next words will decide if you stay or go. Why are you here?”

“A job on Mr. Noble’s team is a great opportunity.

I could work anywhere after this.” I inhaled and forced myself to meet Nicolas’s gaze, which had gone a little darker since I started talking.

“And also, I figured, if I’m here and Louisa comes in every now and then, I don’t know, she might…

We might… You know.” I couldn’t even say the word.

“Become friends.” He smiled.

I could swear the gesture made the room a little brighter.

“Exactly.”