To Steal My Man's Heart

In a sleek modern villa within a lavish residential complex, the sound of laughter echoed through the air as a lively birthday was being held.

"Mommy! Come on and meet my friends!"

Aiyana's smile grew as the little hand tugged her along. She was very happy; her heart was full as her little daughter was about to take her to meet her friends. Even though she didn't give birth to this little angel, Aiyana loves Poppy so much. She couldn't imagine life without her.

Tonight was her daughter, Penelope Jasmine's, fifth birthday, and Matthew had decided to celebrate in their new house.

"Hello, my dear; nice to meet you all." Aiyana beamed with a friendly smile, but Poppy's friends just looked at her with puzzled looks. She was just about to ask if there was something wrong when suddenly a boy spilled raspberry juice from a glass he was carrying onto a little girl's dress.

"Ouch! Billy! You made my new dress dirty!" Whined the little girl loudly.

"This young miss works in your house, right, Penelope? So why do you call her mama?" The boy asked with a curious and innocent tone.

Penelope's other friends stared at Aiyana and Penelope in return. "I 'member she was your nanny when I came over last time."

"No. She is my mom. I got a mommy now," said Penelope with an embrace that made Aiyana smile gently and stroke her hair.

Aiyana lowered her body to be at eye level with the children. Fortunately, she was prepared for a moment like this, considering her marriage to Mr. Matthew Dario was private. "Penelope's mum here. But you're welcome to call me anything, okay? Let me help you clean your dress so it doesn't get sticky and attract ants."

Aiyana took Poppy's and the little girl's hands and headed to the bathroom. After helping the little girl wash her dress, Aiyana led them out of the bathroom. She was suddenly approached by three beautiful and elegant women.

They stared at Aiyana and then at the little girl.

"Oh my god, Keilani! How did you get your clothes so soaked?!" The woman in the knee-length navy gown, whom Aiyana assumed to be the little girl's mother, drew Keilani away from her. She then switched her gaze to Aiyana. "Can you tell me who you are? How did you with my daughter, and how did her clothes get wet?"

"They're just playing, and her friend accidentally spilled juice."

"Oh, Jesus! You'd be so sticky and stinky. Thanks for helping my daughter, Miss...?"

"I'm Aiyana." She smiled at the woman and took Poppy's hand in hers.

"Penelope's new nanny?" Asked the elegant woman, raising one eyebrow.

Before Aiyana could answer, another woman joined in. She's Margaret, the wife of Matthew's colleague.

"Brittany, this is Mrs. Dario, Matt's new wife. Yeah, I know, it's disappointing that he didn't invite us to his wedding, but it's his day, and if he wants to keep it intimate, we can't do anything about it. Aiyana, this is Brittany. She just got back from Paris and had no idea you were Matthew's wife."

Brittany was wide-eyed in disbelief. "What?! Matt got married again. And not with Ecclesia?" Then she immediately covered her mouth when she realized what she had blurted out.

Another woman, Esther, elbowed Brittany to signal that there were still children among them.

Brittany cleared her throat and said, "I'm sorry. It was nice meeting you, Aiyana. I hope we can become friends. I'm so sorry; I didn't know you were Matt's wife."

Aiyana nodded, and after she said it was okay, the three guests made their way back to the living room party. Aiyana held Poppy there when, not long after, her mother-in-law and sister-in-law arrived and found them.

"Aiyana, why aren't you with the others and here instead?" Asked Abigail Dario, Matthew's mother.

"Hello, sweetie! Auntie's got you! Do you miss me?" Genevieve, or Eve for short, Matthew's younger sister, took Poppy from Aiyana's arms and led her back to the living room. Leaving Aiyana alone with Abigail.

Aiyana sorted out the answer: "Poppy's friend spilled her drink, so I helped clean up."

"Why you? Why not an assistant?" Abigail inquired. "You know you need to mingle more with Matt's colleagues, right? At this rate, when will you settle into your new role?"

Aiyana swallowed. She remembered that Abigail had told her to get to know more about her husband's inner circle. She just forgot because she was busy preparing for the party. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"As the mother of my granddaughter now, you shouldn't be in the back during her birthday party; otherwise, the guests might assume that Matthew still treats you as his maid instead of his wife."

Aiyana apologized once more for her carelessness, which made the guests misunderstand her husband. Abigail immediately urged her to join the party. But not to accompany Poppy, as she was now being handled by Eve, it was time for Aiyana to find her husband and his colleagues who were invited tonight.

She goes to the outdoor living room, where they are chatting, accompanied by the gentle clinking of crystal wine glasses in their grasp. Matthew smiled a lot and looked happy while he was with his colleagues. And he also looks so handsome in his gray suit, which fits his tall body perfectly. Aiyana cannot shift her gaze from him; it is like a dream that she is his wife.

There were also the three ladies: Margarette, Esther, and Brittany. Each of them is with their husband, and they're so matching as partners.

That made Aiyana to instinctively double-check her appearance. Her husband got her the Chanel dress in ivory that she wore. Even though it was nice and cost a lot of money, she wasn't sure if it would make her look good enough to stand next to Matthew as those other women did next to their husbands.

She wasn't born into their social class. Aiyana realized. There was so much to fit in.

Just as Aiyana was about to go to them, a late guest came in through the front door. Behind her, a helper was carrying many gifts for Poppy. Aiyana narrowed her eyes as she saw Matthew recognize the woman. When Aiyana realized who she was, her heart sank.

The woman is tall and has a great body. Her blonde hair is smooth as silk. Her red lips pulled into a smile at the sight of Matthew and Poppy, and without hesitation, she strolled elegantly towards Matthew and his colleague ahead of Aiyana.

That woman was none other than Ecclesia Louise, the youngest daughter of the wealthy Louise family. Matthew's former flame, who's been chasin' him 'til now, is surely a better match for him in every sense of the word.

The next morning, Aiyana got up, took a shower, and went straight to the kitchen to start making breakfast. After the party last night, she pitched in to tidy up and only caught three hours of shut-eye. Since neither Abigail and Genevieve were staying, she'd only be making breakfast for Matthew and Poppy. Six months into her marriage, Aiyana realised one thing: he was as picky as a cat when it came to food. Even more picky than his daughter, Penelope.

"What kept you from making an appearance last night? You also didn't welcome our guests, did you?"

She was scrambling eggs on the stainless steel pan when she heard the familiar, deep voice that made her turn around momentarily. She hadn't heard his steps entering the kitchen at all.

Matthew slung his black suit casually over the chair's back. He wore a crisp white shirt and a black tie. She had an embarrassingly overwhelming urge to snuggle with him the moment she caught a whiff of his masculine perfume.

However, she held back as much as she could. He was already so clean that it would make him sick if Aiyana just hugged him in her sloppy dress and apron.

"Good morning." She beamed.

Matthew poured water into a glass, waiting for her response. There's no smile on his handsome but stiff face. No 'good morning' kisses or surprise hugs from behind like in cheesy romance films or sappy novels, which is what Aiyana had always expected to have once she was married.

But what can she expect now? She's marrying Mr. Iceheart.

"I tidied up the back there. There's too much work to do, so I helped them."

They already had enough people handling any preparations, and Aiyana did not need to help at all. It's just that yesterday, as soon as she saw Ecclesia cheerfully strolling towards him with a smile on her beautiful face, Aiyana withdrew herself and stayed away.

She had no idea why; she didn't even know why she felt this emotion. Was she afraid of seeing the intimacy between the two of them? He wore his heart on his sleeves with Ecclesia while cold as ice when he was with her. Was she insecure? Aiyana wasn't sure.

Matthew only mumbled in response. Aiyana smiled wryly. She kind of expected that he would mention his ex-girlfriend and that she only came because she was invited and nothing more.

Aiyana was daydreaming again, with her attention on him. Then he raised his gaze, and their eyes met. And he frowned. His attention was caught by something behind her, and he scowled. "What is this smell?"

Aiyana turned around at lightning speed, and she gasped. Fuck. Her scrambled egg was burned! "Oh my!"

Panicking, she turned off the stove and lifted the pan abruptly, but she did it carelessly and made her hand nudge the hot part of the pan. With a metallic clatter, it tumbled down, and the egg fell apart on the countertop. Matthew rose from his chair.

"Sorry!" She gathered everything abruptly and cleaned up the stupid mess she made on such a calm morning.

For God's sake Aiyana! How could you be so careless! You're going to ruin his mood!

She was about to carry it to the sink when the firm's hand stopped her; he took the pan from her. Matthew didn't say anything as he grabbed her hand to check her reddened palm. Aiyana bit her lip.

His perfect brows frowned in displeasure. She could hear her heartbeat and was worried that Matthew might as well because of how close they were.

"It's early in the morning, and you can't seem to get anything straight." The intensity of his stare rendered her speechless. "Does what you're thinking matter more than what you're doing?"

She didn't say a word while he washed and dried her hands under running water and tapped them gently with a soft towel. Aiyana wanted to cry over her carelessness.

"I'm sorry. I was just thinking about..."

"About what?"

Aiyana cleared her throat and then shook her head. There was no way she would say that she was thinking about Ecclesia. That would only make her look even more immature in his eyes. "Nothing. I think I'm still a bit sleepy."

"You're always thinking of something insignificant to the point where it's distracting your focus. Do your best to cut back on that."

She nodded without replying.

Matthew glanced at his watch and made a tsk sound. Letting go of her hand, he downed his drink and reached for his suit. She swallowed, realising he was going to be late. He always had to leave early because their current house was farther from his office.

He valued time, and now she was also ruining his schedule with her carelessness. He had to rush to the office when he hadn't even eaten breakfast or had his morning coffee.

"I'll make a new one! Ten minutes only. Please wait, you should have at least a little breakfast."

"I'll eat at the office. I'm already late right now." He rushed out of the kitchen.

Aiyana jumped to stop him. "Wait! I'll bring you some lunch, okay?"

He stopped, turning to her. Aiyana hoped he wouldn't refuse; it was an apology because she'd burned his breakfast.

"No need; I have lunch with a client today. Just treat your hand; the ointment is in the nightstand drawer." And then he left.

She was still standing, unmoving, until she faintly heard the sound of a car engine, leaving the courtyard. Aiyana plopped into the chair, feeling so useless.

'Good job, Aiyana. What a great way to start a day; you ruined his mood' She was so pissed at herself. All of this was her fault.

Once again, she just proved how incompetent she was.

Aiyana cooked a variety of breakfast dishes that morning out of guilt, feeling a little foolish as she did so in the vain hope that Matthew would return home and see her efforts. That she could fix her mistakes and make something delicious.

She finished clearing the table and washing the pots and pans she had used to prepare the meal before going to check on Penelope, who was still sound asleep. Aiyana didn't wake her up on purpose because she knew the little girl was weary from the party the night before.

Today she is off from class. Bored and lacking many things to do, Aiyana decided to explore the gym and yoga area, seamlessly connecting to the serene outdoor space of the idyllic side garden.

The air there was so refreshing, and every time she had a small house tour, it was still hard to believe that she was leaving here now. The vastness of the house made her legs feel stiff as she went from room to room, but this house was something she could only dream of before.

In fact, her life since six months ago has been as surreal as a dream in broad daylight. She, an ordinary 22-year-old fashion design student, lives in her mother's suburban home and is married to Mr. Matthew Dario, president of the Dario Group.

It all started when her semester break came and she needed a part-time job for extra money. After working at a fast-food restaurant, she decided to look for a better-paying job.

Then she found that there was a job vacancy to become a nanny for a wealthy businessman's daughter. Aiyana was hesitant at first; she had never worked as a nanny before, but she had been babysitting her niece since she was sixteen.

The first three months went smoothly, Penelope Jasmine Dario was a very sweet child, although a bit shy and reserved in the first week. But Aiyana always has a way of winning over the hearts of children, and now they're like two peas in a pod. Then, after working part-time for three months, she worked full-time and lived in his apartment for the next three months. And not only did she take care of Penelope, but she also took care of the little girl's dad.

That's when Aiyana stumbled upon the fact that Penelope's biological mother died while bringing her into the world, and since then, the little girl has been living with her grandma.

Mrs. Abigail Dario had repeatedly brought in professional nannies but never found the right one. Aiyana was curious why Mr.Dario didn't take his only daughter to live with him, but she never dared to ask him directly.

"Mr. Dario has not yet fully recovered from the loss of his wife. He and the late Mrs.Sophia had been together even before they graduated from Yale. He loved her so much, they married joyfully, and their joy was complete when they learned they were expecting a kid. He's so depressed when she leaves him and their daughter forever." Greeta, a middle-aged woman, was Matthew's previous maid.

Aiyana accidentally bumped into her at a restaurant one day after five months of work, and that's when she learned more about Matthew from her.

"I'm so sorry for him. Mr. Dario, even though he has everything, is like someone who doesn't care about his health. He works until midnight late, then goes to the office early in the morning. Skipping breakfast and dinner." Aiyana poured her heart out about her boss's habits.

"Plus, sometimes he doesnt care when Penelope just wants to talk to him or asks for a simple hug or embrace. Aiyana becomes sad for this little family. He is destroyed when his wife dies, while his little daughter, who knows nothing, only asks for his affection.

"Is there anything I can do to make him feel better?" Because if he stays this way, it may have an impact on his daughter as well. Penelope is only a child, and she has no idea what's going on."

"I'm not sure he'll be back as before. He is a completely different person now. I haven't heard about Little Penelope for so long; I hope she's okay."

"She is a cheerful and active child. She is healthy now and will begin school in three months."

Greeta smiled to hear it. Then she stared at Aiyana more seriously.

"Before Mr. Dario's father passed away, he advised Mr. Dario to get married again, knowing that Mr.Dario is incapable of taking care of Penelope on his own. However, Mr. Dario may never be able to find a suitable wife again. But guess what? I don't think he was completely closed off to the thought of having a wife again when I learned he had hired you full-time and even permitted you to reside in his flat."

"What? M-me?"

"Yes, Miss Rose. Even if he's putting up a brave front, he needs someone to take care of him too. If he falls ill, it will be worse, whether for him or his daughter." Greeta took Aiyana's palms in hers and smiled gently. "Miss Rose, you're still young, beautiful, caring, and multitalented. It's not impossible for Mr. Dario to be interested in you."

The sound of the house bell saved Aiyana from her thoughts. She rushed to the front door, opening it. Three women in immaculate white shirts and black trousers were waiting on the patio.

"Are you Mrs. Aiyana Dario? I'm afraid to come to the wrong house." Ask the oldest woman with a smile; she is about fifty.

"Yes, I am." responded to Aiyana with a frown. She didn't know them; are they Matthew's guests? "May I know who you are?"

"We were hired by Mr. Dario to work here as a chef and a house assistant." The woman replied, "I'm Linda Jean; I'm going to be a full-time cook for you, Mrs."

Aiyana is flabbergasted. Full-time cook? household worker? Three people at once? And Matthew did not say anything about this?

The rest of the women introduce themselves as Emma and Rue, who will work here as well but part-time. Only Linda will be given a room to stay here.

"Here's the recommendation and contract letter, in case you don't trust me. Mr. Dario was recommended to hire us by his client, and after a brief interview he agreed, and we signed the contract."

Aiyana read the document, and there was her husband's signature. She asked them to come in.

Since they moved to this house, he hasn't hired any housekeepers, only drivers and gardeners. Matthew did not say he would hire one, so Aiyana assumed it was her who would cook and do the chores. smile bloomed on her lips. What an understanding husband he is.