Maya’s Pov

“Both of you cut it out ” I warned the two kids who were having an intense stare down .

I breath relieved when they stopped it obediently but Isabelle wasn’t one to let go without grievances. 

“What’s this bimbo doing here? ” She asked disdainfully and I shot her a look of disapproval. 

“Watch your language, young lady ” I warned. 

She stared at me for quite a time trying to hold my gaze before she huffed and stomped back to the couch  with a discontented and aggrieved face.

“I’m sorry, Maya . Annabelle would be a good kid from now on ” She apologized timidly leaving me astonished.

As a spoiled brat, I expected her to storm away like Izzy did but instead she did a three sixty degrees surprise on me. 

I smiled, A-ha! This is how kids are supposed to be, not arrogant and cold like Isabelle who was now glaring at the both of us. 

“Is OK, you’re too cute to be angry at anyway ”

I said warmly , playfully pinching her soft and adorable cheeks and she chuckled. 

“Thanks Aunt Maya ” She said pecked me on the cheek and ran away probably due to shyness. 

Aunt? 

I laughed nervously and scratched my neck awkwardly. Wasn’t calling me Aunt too extreme? I wasn’t even an official family friend yet

Just a nanny.

Moreover, did Annabelle eat something wrong? She wasn’t this loving the last time we met.

I subconsciously touched the cheek she pecked on and smiled, it felt warm but….. 

I turned to meet Emily and she shivered as my gaze met hers and looked away as if hiding something from me.

Why did she come here with Eden’s daughter and request a sleepover when they have a perfect mansion at home. Why decide to hang around in this crappy stuffed house of mine?

“Why are you both here? ” I asked, my arms akimbo as I stared right into her eyes. 

let’s see how she’ll walk out of this. 

Emily pouted her lips and took on the look of a cute stray puppy lacking care and love “I missed my only friend, can’t I come sleepover with my friend along with my niece? ” 

I facepalmed at her words, couldn’t she see her words were partial? Was Annabelle the only niece she has?

I instinctively turned to see Isabelle who was on the verge of breaking down but she hid it perfectly.

Sometimes it was indeed hard to remember this little imp was still a kid, she too wants love and care even though she doesn’t show it.

“I don’t buy that, now if you’re going to sleep here tonight you’ve got to spill the whole beans ” I said sternly as she swallowed nervously before she gave in

“Fine, I’ll say the truth ” She surrendered at last as a smile crept to my lips.

“The truth is… ” She trailed as my eyebrows arched, urging her to continue cause my ears were itching to hear the juicy gossip – I mean truth . 

“We have no place to go to ”

“….”

I stared at perplexed 

“You don’t believe me?” She cried out “Then you can go ask your darling Nik, I don’t know what he said to my father but he’s been roaring ever since and looking for who to vent his frustration on. So I ran away hoping to find solace in Eden’s place but the reversal was the case of the worst scenario, I don’t know what got him so happy but he won’t let my ear off, he kept rambling and rambling until I couldn’t take it anymore so I came here!”

By the time Emily was through, she was huffing and puffing.I could only try to imagine the scenario and empathize with her.

In her own perspective, she probably didn’t go to Nik’s place since he’s in same state as her father though I could tell I’m the one responsible for his outrage , well , Eden’s too . He’s probably delirious with joy because he got to Nik through me.

I stared at her thoughtfully but her aggrieved look didn’t give me room for doubts so I agreed readily. 

“Fine, let’s go stuff ourselves with movies and popcorn ” I gave in and she shot up from her couch rejoicing and wiggling her butt to her own tune and left for God knows where forgetting a certain niece 

“Hey” I said approaching the fuming Isabelle whose glare was enough to vaporize anyone on spot but I was already used to it so I wasn’t intimidated at all.  

“Are you just going to sit there for the rest of the night in self misery ”

Her gaze flickered as she shot me a contemptuous look

“Who said so? Infact, I’m gonna be participating in that ridiculous binge watching ” She suddenly said and I shivered feeling an evil intent from her

“But you guys should prepare to be welcomed into my world of spoilers ” She added, a sly smirk on her face as she stood with a jerk like an author suffering from writer’s block whom just found a new source of inspiration and spiritedly headed for my room.

Probably going to ransack my wardrobe for a nightwear.

I smiled and shook my head, indeed Isabelle is chloreic and in that state incredibly easy to ruse

Thanks to her outburst, she didn’t realize I just tricked her into coming to watch the movie with us. I knew if I didn’t ask, the girl was stubborn enough to sit this one out for the rest of the night. 

So that was pretty much how the night went, we watched a lot of movies with a lot of Isabelle’s spoilers in between.

It was as if the girl was psychic, she could predict the outcome of a whole episode without battling an eyelids.

Though when questioned how she could perform such feat when she hasn’t even watched any of them, she would reply with this smug smirk

“You can predict it only if you’re as smart as me ”

Then we’ll groan irritably and resumed our watching while the cycle continues over and over again until we burnt out our energies and slept off. 

I was awoken by a splitting headache and rubbed my temple as it throb painfully.

Everyone was still asleep in diverse askew position that’ll definitely take a huge toll on their body when they awake. 

I stared at the clock noticing I hardly had a three hours sleep, it was already eight o’clock in the morning but thankfully it was a Saturday so I didn’t have to worry on how to get the kids to school. 

Emily stirred when I tried to leave for the bathroom 

“Morning already? “She yawned dissapointed. She stood and stretched her body, groaning with the effort.

“Yeah, so much for a night late “I groaned scooping Annabelle in my arms as I walked to my bedroom and placed her gently on my bed.

She stirred a bit , her eyes fluttering open but she slowly closed them and went back to sleep. 

I released a contented sigh and headed to the sitting room intending to do the same to Isabelle and was surprised to see her awake already.

But what was more shocking was that she looked vigorous and glowed with intense energy as if she had slept for fifteen hours straight 

whoah, I envy her gene. 

She muttered a greeting I couldn’t even comprehend but I had more pressing issues at hand.

Cooking.

I took a great time washing up in the bathroom cause it gave me a great venue to concentrate and plan my next move.

I didn’t want them to know I hardly cook and depended on takeouts. Not that I didn’t know how to cook but it was a huge job to me, a tormenting one at that. 

As if on cue, my doorbell rang as soon as I finished dressing up .

I suddenly became alarmed, I had a contractual delivery man that gets my breakfast every morning. Probably because I had a lot on my mind, I had totally forgotten about that. 

I rushed to the door before anyone else hoping to remeid the situation when I got the shock of my life. 

“Eden? ”

“Hi” He smiled raising two shopping bags that were filled with foodstuffs.

I raised a brow, what’s going on here?  

“I bought fresh ingredients to cook breakfast ” He explained smiling sheepishly exposing his white attractive teeth but it didn’t last long cause a figure turned up beside him. 

Oh God, not him too. 

“Hungry? ” Was all Nik said with a grim expression as he raised four paper bags ignoring the existence of a certain cousin.

“This is ridiculous “I muttered staring at the two powerful figures still awaiting my decision. 

“Isn’t it bad behavior for a hostess to leave a guest standing outside ” Nik complained making my eyelid twitch at his insinuative words. 

A guest ? Was Eden now totally invisible in his eyes ? isn’t he a guest too? But before I could reply, Eden beat me to it.

“Isn’t it a hostess duty to kick out a ridiculous, rude and offensive guest ” He said enunciating each word boldly and audibly. 

I stared at the two contrasting beings and was at odds on what to do.

One is rude, arrogant, roguish, domineering, possessive, tyrannical yet straight forward while the other’s kind, civil, romantic, disciplined yet abhorrent, manipulative and shrewd. 

“So have you made a decision? “.They both asked at the same time while I stared at them perplexed, 

 This guys are mental.