Chapter 1 - The Misplaced ShadowClaire stood on the marble threshold, her fingers tightening around the handle of her canvas tote. Her gray eyes narrowed slightly, shedding any trace of submissive employee panic. She had spent two years watching over a stroke-afflicted father; she had survived hospital boards and insurance bureaucracy. A defensive billionaire snarling in a tailored suit didn't intimidate her.
“Mr. Whitmore,” Claire said, her voice entirely even. “My contract was reviewed and signed by your sister three days ago. Unless you’re planning to tell me that Rachel’s judgment is completely worthless, I suggest you explain what my face did wrong before I drop my suitcase on your floor.”
Ethan stared at her. The bluntness of it caught him entirely off guard.
Before he could answer, light footsteps echoed down the staircase. Lily and Noah appeared on the landing, pausing when they saw the strange woman standing in the foyer with her luggage and a potted rosemary plant.
Lily looked down at Ethan, then at Claire.
“Is she the new nanny?” Lily asked quietly.
Ethan looked at his daughter, then back at Claire. The bitter ghost of Vanessa rose up in his throat, choking him, but looking at his children’s anxious faces, he realized how cruel he was being to a total stranger.
He swallowed the sharp refusal.
May you like
“Yes,” Ethan muttered, running a hand through his dark hair. “She’s... she’s the new nanny. Welcome to the house, Miss Bennett.”
“Just Claire,” she replied softly, offering a brief, professional nod. “And for the record, Mr. Whitmore, I’m not a ghost. I suggest you remember that before you try to fire me again.”
