Chapter 5

Bree took a deep breath to calm her frantic heart. Her nervousness doubled when she finally faced Sir Jax and saw the anger in his eyes. They were blazing with accusation. Bree swallowed hard. "Jax, darling, what took you so long?" Elise suddenly appeared from behind Jax, her face scowling. But when she saw Jax carrying Amy, her expression quickly changed. Her face brightened, and she gave the child an overly sweet smile. Bree couldn't tell if it was genuine or just for show. "Amy, baby! Oh, my... I was so worried about you! Where have you been? Are you alright?" Elise dramatically exclaimed as she approached and hugged the child. Bree grimaced at Elise’s exaggerated tone. Okay. Confirmed. It was all for show. Bree raised an eyebrow when Elise deliberately pressed her body against Jackson while hugging the child. It was no secret among Jackson’s employees that the two had some kind of relationship—if it could even be called that. Elise Trinidad always visited Jackson Samaniego, but she was never seen at any company events. Either their relationship was private, or there was no real relationship at all. Did she really have to press her big boobs against Sir Jax’s arm? Bree forced herself not to roll her eyes at the sudden irritation blooming inside her. She couldn’t understand why she felt that tiny spark of annoyance seeing Elise’s large chest against Jackson’s arm. Are you jealous? Insecure because you don’t have big and bouncy boobs? Bree wanted to punch that part of her brain—the part that always played the villain in her life. She wasn’t jealous! Why would she be? She didn’t even like this man; he had the worst attitude. She was just annoyed at Elise for acting overly familiar! Why do you care if Elise is acting close to Jackson? For all you know, they’ve probably done far worse inside his office! "You’re so annoying!" Bree snapped at her own thoughts. She immediately covered her mouth when she realized she had said that out loud. Elise turned sharply to Bree, glaring at her with fury. "You useless bitch! You can’t even do your job properly!? You had one simple task, and you still messed it up! What if something bad had happened to Amy? You’re a completely worthless nanny!" Elise screamed at Bree, then turned to Jax. "Jackson, you should fire her!" Bree’s mouth dropped open at Elise’s words. Her brain momentarily froze, leaving her speechless. Was she serious? Did Elise really think she was Amy’s nanny? Couldn’t she see the office attire she was wearing and the company ID hanging around her neck? Bree glanced at Sir Jax, but she immediately regretted it. She wished she hadn’t looked at him. He was staring at her intensely, his eyes burning—not with anger, but with something else Bree couldn’t quite identify. His jaw was clenched as if he was holding something back. Holding back what? Bree wondered, confused. Jax ignored Elise’s words. He continued to stare at Bree. Something stirred inside him when he saw this woman with his daughter. A distant memory from the past suddenly surfaced in his mind, overwhelming him. "Hey, Jackson, are you even listening to me?" Elise snapped her fingers in front of Jax, trying to get his attention, but he didn’t even glance at her. "What?" he asked, still looking only at Bree. "I said, fire that woman! She's not doing her job well," Elise demanded. "I can recommend the best nannies for our baby Amy." Bree forced herself not to bite her lip. Her legs were shaking from the intensity of Jackson’s gaze. For the first time in the many months she had been working at his company, she felt like she wanted to melt. Whenever he scolded her before, his stare was never like this. His gaze stirred something deep inside her—something untouched and forbidden. Bree wanted to say something to correct Elise, but she couldn’t find her voice. It was as if her tongue had turned to stone, refusing to cooperate with her brain. Her knees were weak, and her heart was racing faster than it should. She wanted to look away, but even her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own, refusing to obey her. "She’s not my nanny. She’s Daddy’s secretary, and she helped me." Amy suddenly spoke up. "Daddy, please don’t fire her. I don’t want her to lose her job. She didn’t do anything wrong," the child pleaded in a small voice. Amy wrapped her little arms around Jax’s broad shoulders, facing Bree. Bree let out a breath of relief and smiled at the child. Finally, someone had defended her. She hadn’t even been able to speak up for herself earlier. Elise blinked a few times before looking Bree up and down again. Disbelief was evident on her beautiful face. She probably couldn’t believe that Bree was one of Jackson Samaniego’s secretaries. Bree was dressed in a simple cream-colored button-down long-sleeve blouse, paired with an above-the-knee pencil skirt. Her outfit was appropriate for an office setting, but the way Elise scanned her from head to toe felt judgmental, as if she found Bree repulsive. "This woman is your secretary? Are you serious?" Elise blurted out, turning to Jackson for confirmation. Bree was about to respond when another woman suddenly appeared, breathless and looking extremely worried. Chris followed closely behind her. "Sir, I’m really sorry. I didn’t even realize Amy had wandered off," the woman said, her voice trembling. She looked like she was about to cry, already expecting to lose her job. Jackson was known for firing employees over even the smallest mistakes. The woman was probably certain that she wouldn’t have a job by tomorrow. Bree felt sorry for her. She knew what it was like to be unemployed. For someone in desperate financial need, losing a job was devastating. If only she could help the poor woman—but Bree knew she had no power to do so. If she interfered, she might end up getting fired herself. Bree expected Jackson to lash out at the woman, but he was still staring at her with that strange expression. Bree felt her face heat up. What is wrong with Sir Jax? Why is he looking at me like that? She suddenly felt as if everything around them blurred, leaving only her and Jackson in focus. Even Elise’s voice, still scolding Amy’s nanny, faded into the background. Bree could only hear her own breathing and the loud pounding of her heart. Bree was mesmerized by Jackson’s eyes. She couldn’t blink or look away. She was being pulled into the depths of his intense gaze. Her lips parted slightly as a tingling sensation spread through her entire body, reaching places she never expected. Her face grew even redder. The moment was broken when a heavy arm draped over Bree’s shoulders. Her thoughts about Jackson’s intense stare and the sensations she just felt suddenly evaporated. When she turned to see who it was, she found Chris, Jax’s cousin and one of the company’s top executives. Chris was grinning from ear to ear as he casually slung his arm around Bree’s small frame. "How are you, Bree?" he asked with a charming smile, revealing his white teeth and the adorable dimple on his left cheek. "What are you doing here?" Jackson’s voice was cold and emotionless. Chris shrugged. "Well, I saw Amy’s nanny frantically looking for her. So, as a good citizen of this country, I helped a woman in need." He turned to Bree and winked playfully. For a moment, Bree was distracted by Chris’ smile. She stared at him, noticing the resemblance between him and Jackson. Seeing his smiling face now, she wondered what Jackson would look like if he ever smiled. He’d definitely be even more handsome. Bree was sure of it. "Aren’t you supposed to be working? I expect you to be working your ass off for my company, not flirting around my building," Jackson said coldly. Bree snapped out of it, her face turning red in embarrassment. She hadn’t even realized she had been staring at Chris. Jackson glared at his cousin, irritation bubbling inside him. He had no idea why it pissed him off to see Chris with Bree. But he hated it. Jax was pulled from his train of thought when a soft, small hand caressed his face. It was Amy. She was looking at him with questioning eyes. Jax let out a deep sigh and forced a smile at his daughter. "What is it, baby?" "Daddy, please don’t fire Ate Vicky. It’s not her fault, it was my fault." If there was anyone who could influence Jackson’s decisions, it was his daughter Amy—aside from Cindy, of course, one of his most trusted friends since college. He just loved his daughter dearly. She resembled his late wife so much that it made it hard for Jax to live with her. That’s why she was temporarily staying with Jax’s parents. Besides, he was a total mess right now, and he didn’t want Amy to witness how broken he was. "Sir, I’m really sorry. I promise to do better in my job," Amy’s nanny, Vicky, spoke from the side, her voice pleading, face filled with anxiety as if she was about to cry. "Amy, baby, we can’t let an irresponsible person be your guardian. Look at what just happened! She didn’t do her job properly. You could have gotten hurt." Elise was determined that someone had to be fired today. She had been embarrassed in front of Jackson—someone had to take responsibility for that, and she didn’t care who. "That’s enough, Elise," Jax said firmly, not even sparing her a glance. "I’m going to talk to you," he declared, referring to Amy’s nanny. "Man, just let it slide. Baby Amy is safe, and nothing happened to her." "Stay out of my business, Chris," Jackson said, his tone hard, irritation lacing his voice. His annoyance only grew when he saw his cousin’s infuriating smirk. Chris couldn’t help but laugh in his mind. In his imagination, he was already dancing salsa with a wine glass in hand, celebrating his cousin’s reaction. He loved annoying the hell out of Jackson, and the best part was—Jackson couldn’t do anything about it. Chris worked in his company, so unfortunately, Jackson had to deal with him. Chris tightened his arm around Bree, making sure their bodies were as close as possible. He felt her tense up, a clear sign of discomfort. But who wouldn’t feel awkward when Jackson was looking at them like he was about to devour them alive? Chris wanted to burst out laughing but held himself back—he would surely be in deep trouble if he did. Bree felt the heat spread across her face and down her neck. Who wouldn’t blush when a handsome man was so close, draping an arm around you? She couldn’t bring herself to remove Chris’s arm for fear of offending him, so she just let it be. Jackson turned to Amy’s nanny, who stood nervously to the side. "In my office," he demanded. Still carrying Amy, he turned and strode back toward his office. But before he could get far, he glanced back at Chris and Bree. His face was unreadable, his brows furrowed. "If you’re here to flirt, get out of my building." That was all he said before turning and marching away. --- Jackson entered his office, seething with rage. If his daughter weren’t with him, he would have already thrown things around. He couldn’t control his anger, and worse, he didn’t even understand the reason behind it. He had no idea where this fury was coming from. What he felt was a mix of emotions, an overwhelming rollercoaster—something he was used to since his wife’s passing. But feeling this way because of that woman was something new. He didn’t know what it was about her, but no matter what she did, she irritated the hell out of him. He hated her, yet he couldn’t seem to get rid of her. When he decided earlier to fire her because of what happened in his kitchen yesterday, Jackson knew deep down that it wasn’t what he truly wanted. Something inside him wanted to protest against that decision. So when Cindy suggested giving her another chance, his mind immediately agreed—and that annoyed him even more. "Damn!" he cursed under his breath. Jackson sat Amy down on the cushioned couch in his office. Her nanny, Vicky, entered after him, followed by Elise, who was still glaring at the woman. He wondered why Elise was still here. After she had given him head and swallowed, he expected her to leave—she had already served her purpose. Jackson had called her to his office earlier to relieve some tension. She was at the top of his list of booty calls. He had been stressed and irritated since yesterday, and he needed a release. Elise was always an available mouth, after all. Amy’s nanny stood before him like a lamb awaiting slaughter. She was waiting for her verdict. When he had learned his daughter had gone missing earlier, he had been ready to fire her on the spot. But he had been too distracted by what had happened outside to do so. "You didn’t do your job. My daughter almost got hurt because of your negligence. Tell me, what should I do to you?" The anger he had felt earlier when he realized Amy was missing had disappeared—all because of that woman. Fuck that woman! Vicky trembled in fear. She didn’t know what to say to her strict employer. She was terrified—scared she might lose her job. "Sir, I sincerely apologize for my mistake. I promise it won’t happen again. Please don’t fire me, sir. I really need this job," she pleaded. But Jackson wasn’t listening to her. His mind kept replaying the scene from earlier—Bree standing beside Chris, his arm wrapped around her. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. "She should be punished for flirting inside my company!" "What?!" Vicky exclaimed in shock. Even Elise looked at Jackson in confusion. Her brows furrowed as she studied him. He seemed lost in his own thoughts. Amy, too, was puzzled by her father’s behavior. She studied his face closely. Jackson was completely absorbed in his own thoughts, restless and unsettled. "How dare that woman flirt in front of me? She’s not even grateful that I gave her a chance!" By now, Jackson’s voice had grown louder. Everyone in the office could hear his outburst. He looked like an idiot, ranting to himself, when he should have been scolding Amy’s nanny for her negligence. "Jackson, are you even listening?" Elise tapped his shoulder, snapping him out of his reverie. Jackson cursed under his breath when he realized he had been saying his thoughts out loud. He wanted to punch himself for acting like an idiot. That woman was clearly not good for him. Clearing his throat to cover his embarrassment, he said, "You were saying?" Elise rolled her eyes in irritation. She had never seen Jackson like this before, and it annoyed her that something—or someone—was affecting him. She wanted his attention all to herself, and she was sure that whatever was bothering him had nothing to do with Amy. "Daddy, can you not fire Yaya Vicky? I’ll be sad if you do. She’s kind. And it was my fault that I got lost." Amy tugged at Jackson’s arm. Jackson let out a deep sigh before forcing a smile at his daughter. He tapped her head and kissed her forehead. How could he say no to his little angel? "Why don’t you go home now and rest? I’ll visit you at Granny’s after work. Deal?" "But promise me first you won’t fire her? And also, the beautiful woman who helped me." Amy pouted, making Jackson chuckle. Beautiful woman? Ha! Adjusting the tiara on Amy’s head, he said, "Of course, I won’t. That’s a promise. But you have to behave, okay?" "Yay! Thank you, Daddy! You’re the best!" Amy hugged him, and he hugged her back. Jackson turned to Vicky, his expression serious and intimidating. "Take her home. Do your job properly. This is the last time I’ll consider keeping you." Vicky quickly obeyed, grabbing Amy and leaving before her employer could change his mind. But Jackson was far from done. He had to do something about that damn woman. And he already had a plan.