OMG! Substitute Mummy Is A Little Too Sweet!

Bruce Yates calmly slid the contract papers across his desk towards Stacy. "Sign these to become a substitute mother to my daughter. In return, I will increase your salary without requiring you to come to the office as a staff and also give you anything you request as long as you agree to my proposal," He proposed expressionlessly.

Stacy, with astonishment in her amber eyes, hesitated as she clutched the office documents she was about to deliver to him close to her chest. Stuttering, she asked with surprise in her voice, "B-but...why? It's all so..."

"Sudden?" Bruce Yates completed, raising his perfectly styled eyebrows at Stacy who had a shocked look on her gorgeous face.

Bruce Yates could have easily gotten someone better. But he knew there was no one more promising than Stacy Hills.

Why her? Cause he wants the best mother for his six-year-old daughter and he was sure Stacy Hills was competent to be a substitute mother to her.

"Do you agree to this contract or not?" He pressed and Stacy's eyes stretched wide open, her heartbeat racing painfully against her ribcage.

Should she accept or reject the proposal? She didn't know.

But it's funny that what seemed more important to her was Bruce Yates looking intensely at her with his stormy grey eyes and cold expression.

She found it charming that she didn't realize she had been staring at him for far too long "Oh God, please just open up the ground so can escape into it. God those eyes! He should stop before I lose my balance," Stacy shut her eyes, clutching the files closer to her chest, and feeling her knees feeble a little.

If it were allowed then Stacy would love to be lost in the storm of his eyes. But why and what was stopping her from doing so? Bruce Yates stared deeply at Stacy.

She looked to be having an inner conversation rather than replying to his questions.

He squinted his eyes on her, his mind fighting its own battle. "If you don't want the contract or if you feel you are not ready for it then I won't force you, Stacy Hills," A small smile tugged at the side of Bruce Yates's thin lips as he looked at the young, shy, and beautiful the lady before him.

Stacy felt butterflies fluttering all around her tummy by the little smile Bruce Yates gave her.

Bruce sighed raggedly. Then as he was massaging his temples, he turned his gaze back to her. "You're not going to say anything?" He asked huskily.

Stacy shook her head. "N-no. I have nothing to say, Sir."

"Hmm," He sighed thoughtfully. "Fair enough. Take some time and think about this proposal. You have from now till two days to agree to it. I'm not forcing you though. It's fine if you can't do it. I'll find someone else. Maybe a nanny will be fine," He gave her a full smile.

"Sure. I'll let you know my decision by today or tomorrow," Stacy muttered and bit her lower lip nervously.

She wasn't sure if she could do it especially when it meant she would have to live under the same roof with the same man she had been having a secret crush on for months.

"Keep the files here, then you can take your leave." He pointed at the side of his desk. Stacy quickly kept the files she had with her where Bruce Yates had pointed and hurried off.

"Wait!" Stacy almost ran past the door and felt her whole body freeze at his command. Closing her eyes tightly, Stacy dragged her feet slowly, turning to face him.

"Ahh!" she yelped, her body suddenly pressed against the wall, trapped between Bruce Yates's towering and massive body build.

She felt his finger pressed on her lips, silencing her from any further screams.

Stacy gulped silently, her throat constricting as her cheeks heated up.

The air conditioner in the office was cold but Stacy felt her whole body heat up by his proximity.

Her dark lashes fluttered, looking up at him with her innocent amber eyes.

"Do I look like a beast?" Bruce asked calmly, his hands pressed on the wall at both sides of Stacy's head as he peered coldly down at her.

Stacy gulped slightly, anxiety running shooting through her blood, wondering why he asked that.

"A monster?" She shook her head at him.

"Do I look like I'm gonna bite you?"

Stacy shook her head vigorously, her amber eyes still wide open, feeling the heat between their bodies slowly intensifying.

In a deep, husky voice tinged with a hint of frustration, he calmly questioned her, "Then tell me why you keep running away from me when you see me passing by. You think I don't see you doing so but I always do. I do see you 'cause I have eyes everywhere, Stacy Hills," Bruce Yates whispered, peering intently at her with his stormy grey eyes.

"You do?" Stacy tilted her head to the side, very surprised that Bruce Yates was aware of the way she always tried to avoid crossing paths with him.

"You hide from me every single time like I'm gonna eat you if you come near me. Why is that so, Stacy?" He demanded, her name effortlessly rolling down his tongue.

"Did he just call me by my name?" Stacy's lips formed a startled O. It sounded so good, like a sweet melody to her ears.

Bruce's grey eyes shut and opened in an instant, letting out a gruff sigh, and turned away from her, taking large strides back to his desk.

The heat Stacy had previously felt between them was suddenly washed away immediately after he left her and she felt cold all over with goosebumps forming in her skin. She didn't know what she said or did wrong to have made him look drastically different from before.

He usually had an unreadable demeanor around him but now, Stacy could read that he was mad about something and she didn't know if the reason had to do with her or...

Stacy sighed after standing there like a statue for close to a minute with her head bowed and her fingers fiddling with the hem of her high-waist office skirt.

She found her tongue and managed to gather the courage, raising her gaze at Bruce who was solely focused on working on his PC, "Can I take my leave now, Sir?" Stacy whispered.

"Yes, you can," he stated dismissively, not sparing her a glance...

Stacy hearing his dismissal didn't wait for a second before hurrying out of the office like a headless chicken that was let go by her beheader.

After Stacy departed, Bruce's gaze lingered at the door through which she had disappeared, lost in thought for a prolonged moment.

Eventually, he tore his gaze away and resumed his work on his PC, his mind still preoccupied with everything that had to do with Stacy.

Returning to her department with hurried steps her head hung low timidly. All the scenes and words from her boss replayed in her mind. Her heart was pounding heavily against her ribs.

`You're such a scared kitten, Stacy! Why didn't you accept his proposal immediately? You know how much you admire him but yet you acted like a fool without a tongue!'

She was mad at herself for not accepting his proposal even when she knew how much admiration she had for him. Now, she wondered where she would get the courage to tell him that she agreed to his proposal.

Stacy got to her desk and sat before her PC with her dark silky hair falling over her reddened face with her chest heaving heavily like she had run a milestone.

"Stacy, you need to calm down" she chanted in her mind with her eyes close. "You need to be calm before someone notices. You don't want to make a fool of yourself, do you?" Stacy thought inwardly, trying to maintain a regular composure.

"Stacy? Are you okay? Your phone has been ringing. Are you not going to pick up the call?" A familiar voice next to her asked in concern.

"Shit!" Stacy cussed, knowing that her colleague had figured out her discomposure.

Hearing the concerned words of her colleague, Stacy used her fingers to brush her silky hair backward away from her face and tucked some of it behind her ear. Her face was still slightly pink, her nervousness a little noticeable.

As Stacy's phone continued to ring, she glanced at the screen and noticed her father's name flashing on the caller ID.

"Thank you, Samantha. I'll take this call now," Stacy said with a small smile, to which Samantha nodded in understanding.

"No problem, dear," Samantha replied with a polite smile before returning to her tasks.

Frowning slightly at the unexpected call from her father, Stacy picked up the phone, wondering about the urgency behind his sudden contact. It was out of character for him to call during her work hours, prompting her to question his motives. Despite her skepticism, she answered the call.

"Hello, Dad, you called..."

"Mr. Hawk insists on your presence at his mansion tonight! Don't bother coming home cause I've locked the doors. Head straight to his residence and comply with his instructions no matter what he tells you to do, do you understand?!" her father's voice boomed through the phone, causing Stacy to wince and hold the phone away from her ear to protect her eardrum from exploding.

Her colleagues who sat nearby heard the loud voice from the speaker and could not help but steal a glance at Stacy.

With their eyes all set on her, Stacy shifted on her chair with discomfort. She gave them a tight smile, signaling that all was good before they were able to withdraw their gazes from her and Stacy heaved a deep sigh of relief.

"Stacy?" He hollered out her name to be sure she heard him right.

"Uh-yeah, I heard you but I have a lot of work to do. I'm not sure I'll make it over to his place,"

"Even at night? You know you are a horrible liar so don't bother lying to me, Stacy. I'm not stupid," He warned. "Just go to his house and heed to all his demands!"

Stacy didn't respond to him and instead remained quiet for a few seconds.

"Hello? Are you still there? Stacy answer me this instant!"

He was yelling at the other end of the line but Stacy ended the call with no warnings and turned off her phone to avoid further disturbance from him.

"I'm not meeting any Hawk or Eagle. He should get a woman from some high-class club if he is looking for a woman to have a night with," Stacy muttered as she rolled her eyes, using her fingers to brush away the hair strands that fell over her face.

Unknown to her, the CCTV cameras in her department were focused on her.

A few hours later, the staff were on break and Stacy used the chance to quickly finish up her extra work instead of going on break.

"Aren't you going to have something to eat yet?" Samantha asked.

"No, I'm not. I need to finish up with these files first before having anything to eat," Stacy said, fully focused on her PC.

Samantha rolled her eyes and shut Stacy's PC right before her.

"What are you doing? I don't want Mr. Yates to get mad at me for not finishing up with these files. Go, I'll join you soon,"

Samantha paid no attention to Stacy's words and grabbed her arm.

"You're following me no matter what you say. Do you know how many times your stomach grumbled beside me? Have something to eat first then you can return to your work," Samantha said, pulling Stacy towards the elevator.

Stacy let out a sigh in defeat. "Alright," Stacy pouted.

On getting to the roadside outside the tall company building made of solid glass Samantha cussed.

"Dammit! I forgot to take my purse along with me. Hold up here for a little while, I won't take long," Samantha said to Stacy and hurried back to the elevator to grab her purse from her desk.

While waiting for Samantha, Stacy noticed a stray Pomeranian puppy with fluffy white fur hiding under a chair at the roadside.

Captivated by the adorable sight, Stacy couldn't resist pouting at the little puppy's cute eyes and crouching down, making gentle sounds to attract its attention.

"Come here, come here," she coaxed, beckoning with her hands.

Initially hesitant, the puppy warily emerged from its hiding spot and cautiously approached the unfamiliar but inviting stranger.

As Stacy cradled the puppy in her arms, she lovingly stroked its soft white fur, prompting the puppy to shower her face with affectionate licks, eliciting giggles from Stacy.

"You're such a precious and lovely little one. I can't imagine who would leave such a gem like you out here," Stacy mused, her heart melting at the sight of the adorable puppy in her arms.

"Daisy! Where did you run off to?" A little voice scolded and Daisy immediately leaped off Stacy's arm and ran to the little girl who was approaching them with worry.

Barking excitedly, Daisy nuzzled against the girl's legs, who scooped her up into her arms with a mix of relief and scolding.

"You're being so naughty, Daisy. You had me so worried. I thought you were lost, but here you are in the arms of this lovely lady," the girl sighed, shaking her head in amusement.

Stacy was touched by the bond between the two little ones. They made such a cute pair. The little girl had striking grey eyes and blonde hair styled in two ponytails held by a red bow. She wore a red flared skirt and a Barbie top that matched her vibrant outfit.

As Stacy gazed into the girl's eyes, a sense of familiarity struck her. "Why do her eyes remind me of Mr. Yates's?" she pondered silently.

"Thank you so much, Auntie, for finding my Daisy. I was so scared I had lost her. I'm glad you found her," the little girl expressed her gratitude with a beaming smile.

Returning the smile, Stacy replied warmly, "It was my pleasure, dear. Your puppy is adorable. I might have wanted to keep her if you hadn't shown up," she chuckled, sharing a light moment with the girl.

Curious and drawn to Stacy's amber eyes and gentle demeanor, the little girl inquired, "Auntie, what's your name?"

"Yes of course! I'm Stacy Hills," Stacy extended her hand to her with a genuine smile which the little girl shook with hers.

"What's your name, My dear? Where are your parents?" Stacy asked, wondering if she had gotten lost or something.

"I am Cherry Yates. My daddy works here in this company," Cherry pointed at the tall glass building behind Stacy.

Approaching them, a man clad in a security guard uniform bowed respectfully. "Young Miss, your father is requesting your presence in his office," he informed Cherry.

Disheartened by the failed surprise, Cherry sighed, "I wanted to surprise him by visiting here for the first time, but it seems impossible to catch him off guard."

Waving a quick goodbye to the slightly stunned Stacy, Cherry chirped, "Bye Aunt Stacy!"

Startled out of her reverie by Cherry's departure, Stacy waved back gently. "Goodbye, Cherry."

With her puppy cradled in her arms, Cherry followed the security guard into the building, disappearing from view.

"Oops! You look out of space. I guess I wasted a lot of time to return. I'm sorry," Samantha apologized.

"No problem at all," Stacy reassured her, though her thoughts lingered on the encounter with the young girl and her furry companion.

Seeing Mr. Yates's daughter at the company for the first time surprised Stacy. The contrast between the cold and stoic CEO and his lively daughter intrigued her.

Unbeknownst to Stacy, every moment had been observed by Mr. Yates through his PC, his stormy grey eyes reflecting his intrigue with a hint of a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

*****

A resonating slap ran across Stacy's face, forcefully making her head turn to the other side, leaving her whole body trembling for his mercy.

Tears rolled down Stacy's cheeks as she held onto her reddened cheeks with her dad's fingerprints marked on her face.

"Why didn't you go to Mr. Hawk's mansion as I had instructed you yesterday, Stacy?!" Stacy's father barked at her furiously, glaring daggers at her. His mouth was filled with the stench smell of alcohol.

Stacy's body kept quivering, unable to look into her father's bloodshot eyes as she stared at her feet with tears in her amber eyes.

Everything around her was a blur due to the tears and she could not hear a thing clearly cause the slap still affected her eardrum.

Her father let out an impatient hiss, completely furious at how timid and quiet his daughter was even after all the yelling and slaps she had received from him for her to speak up.

He hated everything about his daughter and he felt like killing her in an instant cause she was a nuisance replica of her late mother both in looks and personality.

Within a heartbeat, Ethan Hills curled his large fingers around Stacy's slender neck, choking her up as he pushed her till her back slammed against the cold wall behind her and Stacy let out a yelp.

"Daddy, please. You're hurting me," Stacy whimpered in a pleading tone, unable to breathe due to how hard he held her little neck in his large palms.