Maya’s POV

I was startled awake by a huge bang on my door. I groaned, dragging myself off the bed to answer whoever was trying to drag my door down. 

“what the f*ck! ” I swore when the door missed my face with barely a few inches had it not being my quick reflexes

Amanda stared at me with flushed cheeks and apprehension “s-she’s go-gone ” She stuttered pointing at a door. 

I raised a brow at her attitude “whoah slow down, who’s gone? “

Amanda took a deep breath, this time her words making sense “The lady of the house is gone” She announced and once my brain figured out everything, I froze and felt a terrible chill travel down my spine.

Oh no

I ran like crazy down the stairs leading to Izzy’s room and yanked the door open where I was treated to an empty bed. Her bed was laid neatly as if nobody slept in it at all and I felt my heart crumble into pieces. What have she gotten herself into this time? 

“what about the security cameras? “I asked once I noticed Amanda beside me. 

“No clues,  she avoided all of the cameras perfectly “

Great! How did I forget I had such a great genius under my care?

Something made sense at once and I turned to ask Amanda ” Yesterday,  did Izzy ask you any unusual question or was she behaving strangly?I know you’ve not being around her enough to study her behavior  but was she behaving weird? Like out of this world? “

Amanda nodded negativity but stopped midway entering thinking mode. After a while  of intense concentration she exclaimed “Yes! You are quite right”

“What do you remember?”

“Yesterday I thought it quite strange when she kept bugging me  about showing her around the house. I mean normally, one would  be stressed out from such long journey and demand sleep but unlike her, she kept pestering me about the house, how the cameras work and how difficult it was to get in and out the house….. Now I think about it, I’m  quite naive,  how could I not figure out her plan? “

I rubbed my hands on my temple where a vein was throbbing  painfully “Don’t beat yourself too hard It’s not your fault , it’s not like you knew she was going to try such thing “

Neither could I believe I just lost a kid not even an adult , on the second day of my job as a nanny. Could this get any worst? 

Almost immediately, as if I jinxed my luck , my phone rang at once and I looked at the caller I. D and froze

Nik! 

My heart beat so hard that I thought it would jump out of my chest pretty soon while my palms began to shake and sweat .I nervously picked up the phone and prayed to God to Help me survive this. 

“H-hello”

“Hello” A deep husky voice hollered and I almost died from fright. I clutched my chest as if trying to steady the heart that have being pumping non stop

“Hey,whats up? “I called trying to sound normal but God knows  I’m trying to grab the concept of normal at the moment  .

“Fine, everything’s fine” he answered, a bit absentminded if I may say

“Why did you call?” I asked hoping nothing  but for  this conversation to be over cause I’m about having a panic attack

“How is Isabelle? ” Nik asked out of nowhere and I choked  on my saliva entering a coughing fit at once

“Hey,  you OK? “The  voice from the other end asked concerned but my muffled answer saved the day

“Choked on my drink”

“oh”

“Izzy’s fine,  why do you suddenly ask about her? “

“Don’t I have the right to ask about my daughter? “

Maya: ^…^

“Don’t I? “

“oh… N-n… Yes.. You do but it’s just strange  you asked out of nowhere “came my pathetic  excuse 

“Well,  I just saw a kid who looked almost like her being hurled into a police car and I suddenly thought about her,  you know, to check up on her. You do know how self destructive Isabelle can …..”

“what?! ” I shrieked when my brain connected the dots. It surely wasn’t  a coincidence that Izzy goes missing and then a girl her age who looks like her gets hurled into a police car. If anything, it sounded a whole lot like her. In conclusion, I’m deadmeat

“Hey,  you OK? “

“ye-yeah… Great…. Well…. Never being so good ” I said giving out a fake and nervous chuckle “I’m absolutely  good, why do you  ask ?”

“In case you haven’t noticed, you’ve been babbling for a while which is something you do when you’re nervous or scared .so what’s wrong? “

I began to perspire, he’s getting suspicious .If he finds out I’m dead

“No, I’m  just under the  weather …you know… Change  of environment and all “

I muttered while my mind scolded me about how flabby my lies were becoming .Nik was smart, so one wrong comment and move, I’m over and then my name would enter the world genius record of being the first multi-million paid nanny to be fired after two days of service. How cool

“Fine, If you’re OK then hand the phone over to Isabelle. I need to speak to her” 

I almost spat blood at his request, Amanda must have figured out the situation cause she was about questioning who was on the phone but I signalled her to speak no more and she obeyed ,thankfully .

“I’m afraid she’s down as well,  she’ve being sleeping since yesterday like a log of wood and won’t  stir even after I tried waking  her up. She’s so stressed out “I said yawning loudly putting  my acting skills into action. There was no way Nik was going to doubt me after such a display. 

“Fine then,  tell her to be up in two hours cause I’ll be back to speak with her”

He said and hung up but I discovered a hint of mock in his tone making me shiver. Could he have discovered that Izzy was missing? I mean he owes this mansion, there was practically a high possibility someone must have given the news away. Well whatever the case was, I need to find Izzy before he does. 

“I’ll be back pretty soon, just update me on her status regularly and ” I turned to face her looking her straight in the eye “This news stays between us, do not let it out”

I warned and grabbed my jacket heading out at once not even muttering “I’ll  be back with izzy” How could I when I wasn’t even sure I was going to find her before the two hours deadline was over. 

Thankfully , Nik awarded me with a car upon my arrival to go about my errands but when I entered the garage to get it, I froze in my tracks 

  No way, a Bugatti Chiron !!! 

I assembled around it trying to confirm my eyes weren’t deceiving me but it was real. Last night, when Nik introduced the car to me, I didn’t give it much attention  and just waved  it off as a normal sports cars since Nik wouldn’t spend so much on a car for me. I mean why  would  he cause I’m  nothing to him than his daughter’s nanny but now…. God damn me !He gave me a freaking  Bugatti! 

The Bugatti Chiron  is priced high and touted as the world’s most powerful, fastest, and most luxurious  super sports  car by the manufacturer. It is able to  reach 200 km/h in less than 6.5 seconds  and hit 300km/h in about 3.6 seconds plus it has a top speed of 420 km/h which is extremely fast. It’s  worth $2.7 million,  hear that? Was Nik trying to get me killed? What if I get kidnapped cause of driving such an expensive car? 

Knowing I had no choice, I entered and drove off in my new world’s most expensive car and I’m  not lieing, it felt good.

I’m  a huge lover of cars but I was never treated to such luxury as a child , I only enjoyed a bit after I left home and became independent.

Independence  sure comes with a lot of freedom cause I began extreme sports, bungee jumping, surfing, skydiving, you name it and most of all, street racing. It was my own way of releasing my frustrations and stress. 

Knowing Izzy was already sent to the police station for questioning, I raced through the roads of California stopping and asking  about Isabelle in every police station I could find with no success. I almost gave up hope when at last I found a chestnut haired girl casting her heated amber eyes on an officer who was already dying from frustration. 

“Who the hell are your  parents?! “The officer bellowed but Izzy’s comment sent my mouth dropping open. 

“I have the right to remain silent so keep wasting your breath” Izzy retorted looking around nonchalantly. If anything, she looked bored as if waiting for a drama to unfold. 

“fine, I hope you enjoy here” The officer gave up at once leaving her to her fate

“Thank you officer, my father would be so honoured ” Izzy dropped and the officer almost spat blood. It was obvious he couldn’t believe what was coming  out of the mouth of a ten year old. 

“No, he wouldn’t be honoured, he would  be freaking mad ” I stepped in and saw Izzy’s gaze widen and then she frowned 

“I wasn’t expecting you”

“yeah I know, your dad but your plan failed so stop sulking ” I retorted and saw her release a huff folding her arms stubbornly. 

“And you are? “The officer quizzed and I realized I haven’t introduced myself.

“I’m Maya , her guardian ” I said extending my hand for a handshake while beside me, Izzy snorted at the mention of ‘ guardian ‘.

“I’m  Rob” The officer introduced ignoring  my handshake so I carefully tucked my hands into the pocket of my jacket .

“She was caught shoplifting “

 Again. 

I motioned to the officer and we moved a few distance away from Izzy who just snorted and looked away

“Izzy is kind of a special child, she has this personal vendetta against her father so she’s quite self  destructive. She thinks  by bringing shame and disgrace to her father that she accomplishes her mission without knowing she harms herself in the process”

“Hmm” Was the only response Rob gave me as he seem to be deep in thought .

“I’ll  settle whatever damage she’ve caused and hope….. “

“She won’t have a criminal record as far as you settle the stores and the fines” Rob said and walked out cooly while I kept muttering  

“Thank you, Thank you,  Thank you ” 

Out of the corner of my eyes,  I saw Izzy try to sneak out but I was quick to catch her this time

“Going somewhere , young lady? ” 

Izzy froze and turned around slowly raising her hands in surrender. 

“Good for you cause you have a lot of apologies to render ” I said and dragged her around  to apologize to Rob for her arrogance and to the store owner for shoplifting after I settled the fines and finally to the whole police force for disturbing their peace. 

As I forced her to the car, I saw her gritt  her teeth. Atleast, thanks for the disgrace she won’t go shoplifting ever again whenever she remembers this.

Yes , you might ask how I got her to apologize to everyone since she wasn’t quite afraid of her father.

Well I threatened to tell Anabelle what she’s being up-to if she doesn’t apologize to everyone . For a fact, I know  Isabelle has a huge ego when it comes to Anabelle,  she wouldn’t want her weakness to be revealed to her enemy . So, that did the Magic

“Nice car” Izzy complimented  as soon as she stepped in but I knew she had something up her sleeve. It wasn’t like Izzy to be nice

“Thank you but I’ll  have you know if you’re cooking up anything evil don’t  bother,  it won’t work with me here”

“I was just trying to be nice”Izzy murmured looking away and silence reigned for a while as I drove home.

The two hours deadline  was long over, I was thirty minutes late but I hoped sincerely he was caught up in a meeting or something. Anything whatever that will give me an advantage over him. 

“Have you slept with my Dad? ” Izzy asked out of nowhere and I choked. 

“What?! ” I asked bewildered “Why would I do that? Your dad has a girlfriend for heaven’s sake”

” You’re pretty and my Dad sleeps with any one pretty, girlfriend  or not “

“Where did you hear that? “

“I’m not stupid ” She retorted and looked away and just when I was about to believe her answer, she said 

“My mom told me “

If I wasn’t so concentrated on my driving,  I would have slammed my car somewhere from shock . I was stunned, why would a late mother tell her young child such a thing?

I turned to face Izzy whose emotion was a mess,  she suddenly  looked like a normal ten year old with no clue how to face the world 

” Baby girl” I coaxed ” Your father is single and an adult, he has the  right to handle his sex life however he wants and bear the consequences ” I added suddenly

“But that doesn’t mean I’ve slept with him and don’t intend to, I’m  married to my job and my job alone . Moreover I don’t fancy the idea of sleeping with my boss, trust me it gets awkward afterward”

Suddenly Izzy smirked ” Don’t worry, I know you don’t have the guts”

I scoffed horrified, this girl sure knows  how to destroy one’s morale. After that shocking revelation we drove in silence, each of us left to our thoughts.

By the time I reached home Amanda was outside waiting for me with  a solemn expression  and I knew he was back. 

  I’m toasted.