Chapter 5 The New Nanny

At home, Viviane typed the formidable name and searched everything about Mr. Welsch's life online.

News sites reported the tragic car accident that had taken his wife Rachel's life. The widowed CEO, besides running his companies, also cared for a beautiful little girl. There was only one photo of him with his daughter, taken on the day of his wife's funeral. His heart softened seeing the attachment the little girl had to her father.

Viviane clicked on a site discussing Rachel's suspicious death. According to the journalist, one of the CEO's employees had been in the car with his wife; however, he survived but fled the scene.

"VIVIAN."

Her heart skipped a beat at the sound of her mother's voice coming from the kitchen. She quickly clicked the mouse, closing all the open pages.

"What is it, Mom?" She called, walking as fast as she could.

"Someone wants to speak with you."

Viviane left the room and went to the living room. Picking up the phone, she answered promptly:

"Hello!" A smile split her face in two. "Of course I can."

She gestured for her mother to grab a pen.

"What's the address?" She paused as the woman spoke on the other end. "A car will pick me up?" The smile vanished. "O-Of course I can," she stammered.

Otávia sat down and crossed her legs, observing her daughter's excitement.

Viviane placed the pen on the glass side table next to the sofa, ended the call, and quickly left the living room.

"Where are you going?" Otávia followed Viviane.

"I need to stop by the salon to get my hair cut and pack my bags."

"For all that?"

"I got a job..." She kissed her mother.

In the living room, she rummaged through the jar on the sideboard and grabbed her keys.

"I'll use your car."

Viviane had used the money she'd saved from selling her own car to fix her disheveled appearance.

After taking care of her hair and nails at the salon, she went to the mall and bought two dresses, a pair of shoes, and a teddy bear for the little girl.

As soon as she returned to her mother's apartment, she went straight to her room to pack her bags.

"What are you doing?" Otávia stopped at the door.

"I'll have to sleep at work, Mom..." she said while placing a few coats in the suitcase. "I accepted a job as a nanny."

"You're a teacher; you could find a teaching job."

"I have to do this, Mom!" Viviane hugged her mother tightly.

Getting close to Mr. Welsch would help Viviane gain the trust of her ex's boss. According to the woman on the phone, Viviane would soon have to travel to Los Angeles with the CEO's family.

She read the message on her phone screen, grabbed the suitcase handle, and dragged it down the hall to the exit.

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In the black Mustang, Viviane sat tense and thoughtful. She feared the CEO wouldn't like her work or might dismiss her because of the problem with her leg.

The car passed through a gate with golden bars and continued through the neighborhood to a luxurious house where Mr. Welsch stayed with his mother and daughter whenever he came to Brazil.

One of the staff escorted Viviane to the living room, furnished with pieces worth five times her teacher's salary. The polite woman had short black hair. Kate wore a pink silk blouse and black pants.

"Seja bem-vinda!" Katherine greeted warmly.

"Speak English, mom!" A deep, intimidating voice filled the room. "Your hair is different!" He scanned Viviane from head to toe.

Despite the cane, there was something different about the composed woman who entered his office the day before. Viviane wore a black blazer over a white blouse, paired with a pencil skirt.

"Come in!" Kate invited her. "I want you to meet Elizabeth before dinner."

Gabriel stepped aside to take a call, leaving his mother to introduce his daughter to the new nanny. Little Elizabeth was in the playroom, finishing her Lego tower.

"Dad, Dad!" The child's smile faded when she realized he wasn't her father.

"He's working," her grandmother replied brusquely.

Katherine treated the child as if she were an adult. She had raised Gabriel the same way, avoiding spoiling him.

The sulking child kicked the tower, scattering the Lego pieces across the pink carpet.

"I want my dad!" Elizabeth crossed her arms and pouted.

"If you don't behave, you'll be punished in your room!" Kate scolded her granddaughter.

Viviane remembered the teddy bear, took the colorfully wrapped box from her bag, and crouched down.

"Hi!" She approached the girl. "I brought a gift."

Katherine didn't seem to approve of the new nanny's action. She stepped forward. "We don't usually give her gifts when..."

"Please stop, Mom!" Gabriel's hoarse voice interrupted Katherine.

The girl smoothed her floral dress and hugged Viviane before taking the box.

"Open it, honey!" Gabriel commanded.

Outraged, Katherine left the playroom. Her upbringing was strict; she didn't accept Viviane's interference in her granddaughter's care.

Elizabeth hugged the teddy bear and showed it to her father.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, Dad!"

"Muito obrigada, senhora Bernardi." The child thanked her in Portuguese.

"How do you say that in English?" He winked at his daughter.

Smiling at Viviane, the child replied, "Thank you, Miss Bernardi."

"You're very smart," said Viviane, touching the girl's fair skin.

"Put your toys away!" The man ordered from the doorway. "Dinner is almost ready."

Viviane picked up some of the scattered Lego pieces and placed them back in the box.

"Miss Bernardi, stand up!" he commanded. "Elizabeth made a mess, so she has to organize everything."

Even though she felt sorry for the girl, Viviane obeyed the CEO. She admired the child and wondered if her own daughter was disciplined the same way in another country.

"Yolanda!" the hoarse voice bellowed.

"Yes, Mr. Welsch!" replied the housekeeper.

"Take the nanny to one of the guest rooms." Gabriel ordered.

"Of course, sir!"

Glancing once more at the girl, Viviane held the suitcase handle. She crossed the doorway but was stopped by a firm hand on her arm.

"Dinner will be served at seven o'clock." Gabriel advised the nanny.

"Yes, sir!"

Her whole body shivered at the masculine touch and the cold gaze of the dark-faced man. Her eyes were fixed on the man who had just turned thirty-two.

"Don't be late!" He released her hand.

At that moment, Viviane realized Gabe would never tolerate anyone questioning his authority.

Head down, she moved away from the well-built man and followed the housekeeper, who led her to the room.

The beige carpet matched the neutral décor. There was a double bed and a walk-in closet twice the size of the wardrobe she used in her mother's apartment.

Looking at the golden watch on her wrist, she noted she had forty minutes to get ready for dinner.

Viviane grabbed a black knit dress with short sleeves and slipped it on. She ran her hands through her platinum hair and then applied a light pink gloss to her lips. She sprayed a little perfume on her neck and wrists.

Seven minutes before dinner, Viviane left the room and walked down a massive corridor. She turned right and continued. The house was so large she had no idea where she was. A baritone voice came from one of the doors, filling the space.

"That bastard didn't just steal my money; he destroyed my family."

Curious, she kept listening. Perhaps Gabriel was speaking to Pietro.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold," he said arrogantly. "Don't forget to send me the information I asked for by email."

There was sudden silence. Viviane quickened her pace to try to leave but ran into the man opening a door.

"Are you spying on me?" he asked sharply.

"No, no, sir!" She replied in a trembling voice.

Gabriel was as stubborn as her ex-husband. He had the same mannerisms as Pietro, which scared her a little.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was heading to the dining room, sir."

Frightened, Viviane tried to walk without looking at the CEO.

"Come!" He grabbed her forearm and pulled her into the office.