Page 13 of The Widower
“Hide her?” Helen chuckled.
“Oh, you know what I mean…” I said, embarrassed. “I didn’t tell you, but I already got a warning, and I’m kind of freaking out.”
“I know. Colin told me.”
Perfect.
“You’re not gonna snitch on me, are you?” I asked, trying to sound calm.
“Relax, Isabelle. I won’t say a word. You can probably let your daughter stay in one of the sitting rooms. From what I hear,Colin’s holed up in his office today—apparently, he’s buried in a new project.”
Her words were like a breath of relief. Maybe I’d actually keep my job a little longer.
Maybe.
The morning had been peaceful.No sign of Colin anywhere—and I needed it to stay that way. It sounded wrong, I knew, considering I worked in his house, but honestly, I needed a break from him. Just for today.
After lunch, I went through some of the tasks Colin had passed on to me through Helen. My daughter was sitting quietly on the couch nearby.
Everything was going smoothly—until suddenly, I saw Colin storming out of one of the rooms like a rocket. The second he spotted me, his eyes lit up like sparks, and within seconds, he was only a few feet away.
I’m screwed.
“Isabelle!” he barked.“How many times do I have to tell you that this damn—”
He stopped mid-sentence. His gaze had locked on… Hanna.
That’s it. I’m done.
Second strike in less than ten days. I could already see myself packing up and walking out of here.
But then Colin just stood there, staring at Hanna—hesitant, almost frozen—while she looked right back at him, curious. She took a few steps closer and smiled up at the man who never smiled. Oh, this was going to go great.
“Hi, mister.”
Perfect, sweetheart. Call him mister and make Mommy’s day even worse.
But to my surprise, Colin didn’t react. He just stood there, motionless, like time itself had stopped. I didn’t dare move either, completely thrown off by whatever was happening.
“Hey there, little one. What’s your name?” he asked, crouching down to her level, his voice suddenly soft.
“Hanna. What’s yours?”
“Colin.”
“Hmm. My mommy works for you, right?”
Colin turned his head toward me, and I gave him the most awkward smile imaginable before shifting my gaze back to Hanna—who mimicked him exactly, looking back at me too.
“Yes. She does,” he muttered through clenched teeth, clearly irritated—by me, obviously.
“Mommy told Grandma you’re handsome. Right, Mommy?”
Fantastic. I knew bringing her here was a terrible idea.
“Honey… come here.” I stepped closer just as Colin stood, still looking a bit dazed. “I’m so sorry. I—”
“Janet!” he called out sharply. Within seconds, one of the house staff appeared.
