"

“JUST WHAT ON EARTH the hillbilly woman doing in my house?!" the man approached without taking his eyes off her.

"You? The bastard from the bus terminal owns this house?" Elle said before restraining herself from talking. She immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

The man folded his arm as his walks became slower. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "Exactly what are you doing here?"

"She's my new nanny, Kuya Matt!" Mikey tugged his brother's t-shirt.

"Mikey, come here! Don't get closer to him!" she said to Mikey. She almost forgot that he was his brother in that house! Elle covered her mouth with her hand once more.

Mikey looked at Elle, to the man called 'Kuya Matt' and to her. The little boy was confused about what's going on.

The man slowly approached her, and Elle averted her gaze, scratched her head, and pretended to itches.

"So, the hillbilly girl who ran into me and yesterday is working here at my very own house?" The man circled her as he walks, looking at her from head to toe.

Elle bit her lower lip. She felt ashamed thinking that he was one of the three masters.

"Hey, Miss. Did you know what happened to my date yesterday because of what you have done to my clothes?"

 "Your date,… laughs at you?" she even managed to say.

The man narrowed his eyes even more and brought his face closer to hers. All of a sudden, Elle cannot move. She could smell his fragrant scent; his warm breath caressed her now reddened cheek.

"Worst happened, she left me!"

Elle closed her eyes and grimaced. "Just because you have a coffee stain in your clothes, she left you like that? What kind of woman she is?" she managed to look at him. "Besides, it's not really my fault. You're the one who's running."

"Are you arguing with me, woman? Don't you know who I am? What If I fired you? Don't you think that I have no power to do that?"

Elle gasped as her eyes widened at the thought that she would be evicted from that mansion. If that happens, she would not be able to see Mikey again! "Sir! Please don't do that! I beg you!" she clasped her two hands.

"Now you're begging me after you have intentionally thrown a burger to me?" his one brow arched. Elle closed her eyes and opened again. Their face was so near each other that she cannot help but take a further look in the man's face. His mad brows were thick and dark. His sharp, black eyes were looking at her, which seems to pierce her very soul. He has a pointed, crooked nose that same as a Greek god. And his lips were full. In short, he was a handsome man that can make any woman swoon, except he was as arrogant as hell!

"Okay, fine, it's my fault. I am really sorry," Elle pleaded.

"Your sorry will not take Atasha back, but I let you just this time," he pointed a finger at her.

"Well, thank you," she grimaced again. If only she didn't really need that job, she would not beg this man!

"Are you two knew each other? It seems that you are fighting," said Mikey.

Elle approached Mikey at went to his back. She laid her hands on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Mikey. We are not fighting; it's just a form of greetings, right, Sir?"

"Hmp! I don't know to you, woman," He said and looked at Mikey. "Anyway, little boy. I'm just making sure that you will be okay with your new nanny," he looked at his wristwatch. "I'd better take a shower now."

"Wait, where are you going? Aren't we going to play?" said Mikey.

Matthew sighs and approached Mikey. "Next time, we will play. Okay?" he ruffled his little brother's hair, and his expression changed upon looking at her. "Hey you, hillbilly woman, take care of my little brother. Don't fight with him, got that?" he said, then left in a hurry.

Elle took a deep breath and muttered some words, can't believe that the arrogant man she bumped yesterday with was the oldest son of her employer! Of all the people on earth, why him?!

"Hey, Mikey. What's with that face?" she touched his chin and lifted it upon seeing the disappointment in her brother's face.

"My Daddy is always busy in his work, and my Kuya is always busy in whatever business he has," he pouted.

Elle felt pity for him, "Don't worry, from now on, I will be your playmate!" she said with a wide smile.

"Are you sure? You will not get mad at me as my former nannies did? They said that I am so naughty."

"No," she immediately answered as she felt a little bit angry at whomever his former nannies. After all, Mikey is still a child, so it's normal for them to be playful!

"Good morning," said a man in a baritone but gentle voice.

Elle and Mikey both look to the owner of the voice.

"Daddy!" Mikey said, then ran towards whom he called Daddy.

Daddy? Is it Mikey's adoptive father? The man looked at Mikey, then to her. Elle straighten her body and fixed her hair, suddenly felt embarrassed.

"Ah, you're the new nanny of Mikey that Manang Esther was referring to?"

"Yes, Sir. My name is Elle. It's nice to meet you," she smiled.

The man smiled, and Elle's heart leaped and thumped. In her estimate, the man was already in his middle-age, He's tall, and his body was a little bit muscular, and despite wearing only a black t-shirt and cotton shirt, he's overflowing with elegance. He strode towards her without taking his eyes off her, and every step of him seems to take Elle's breath away. Ramp models have no match for his stunning walk!

"Nice to meet you, too, Elle. By the way, I am Romano, Matthew, and Mikey's father," he outstretched his hand, and Elle didn't hesitate a second to accept it. Oh, his hand was warm and soft!

"Yes, Sir!" is the only answer she managed to say.

Romano's eyes slightly narrowed, a little smile formed on his face made Elle blushed even more.

"S-sir, do I have dirt on my face?" she felt embarrassed because he was staring at her! She slightly bowed her head without taking her eyes off him.

"No, it's just I thought that I had met you before," he said. He took his hands off Elle and looked at Mikey, who's just beside him.

"So, son. Are you feeling comfortable with your new nanny?"

"Yes, Daddy! Even I just met her a while ago, and she's one million times better than my old nannies!" Mikey widened his arms and leaped. Elle and Romano laughed.

"By the way, have you two already taken your breakfast?" Romano looked at her.

"Ahm, yes, Sir," she nodded.

"Ah, I see. But care to eat again? It would be nice if the two of you join me. It's been a long time since Mikey, and I eat together."

"Oh! I'd love to, Daddy! Finally, after a century, you are able to take breakfast with me now!"

"A century, really?" he chuckled and looked at her again. "So, let's go?"

Elle ate breakfast again together with Mikey and Romano on the twelve-seater dining table. He thought that only he and his sons were allowed to sit there, but he asked her to join with them. The two maids looked at them suspiciously, as if jealous because she was with Romano and Mikey.

Their breakfast was oats with strawberries and bananas on it. Romano eats while seriously reading a newspaper, Mikey happily eats while talking with Elle, and she, who was not used to eat that kind of breakfast, forced herself to swallow the food.

"So, when are we going to play basketball, Ate Elle?" Mikey asked her in such a gentle voice.

"Play basketball? You should read books first, and even it is vacation, you need to study in advance," Romano looked at Mikey.

"If I study first, would you come with us and play, Daddy?" Mikey looked at his father, hopefully.

Romano folded the newspaper and sighs. "Mikey, I am free just this morning. This afternoon I am going to work again,"

"I see," Mikey's shoulder dropped in disappointment.

"Maybe next time, son. I'm sorry if I can't play with you," he looked at her. "I have a lot of things to do."

"It's okay, Sir. After we study, I'll play basketball with him," Elle took a spoonful of oats and forced herself to swallow again.

"Elle?" Romano called gently.

"Yes, Sir?"

He pointed at the side of his lips, and Elle suddenly realized that she had leftover oats at the corner of her mouth. She immediately wiped it with her hands, feeling embarrassed about how messy she was.

Romano chuckled then handed her a table napkin. "Here, use this."

"T-thank you," she bowed her head a little and felt the heat rose at her cheeks. At the corner of the ding room door, the two maids peeked at them. When she caught them staring, they immediately hide. Elle wondered if Romano also treated other maids like that because they might give them malice!

After breakfast, Romano prepared for his work. Based on what Nanay Esther told her, the man works as a Cardiologist, Internist, and Senior Chemist in a known pharmaceutical, which's why he was always busy. But the silver lining on that was Elle has a lot of time to bond with her brother.

"I THOUGHT it would be difficult for me to get along with people here, but Sir Romano is so kind," Elle sat at the edge of her bed. She was talking with Eros on the other side of the phone. The man asked her how she was doing.

"If by chance, have you already met Sir Matthew, his eldest son?"

Elle rolled her eyes upon hearing the arrogant's name. "Yeah! And you know what? He was the one I told you before that bumped me yesterday!"

"Ah! The one that welcomed you to the bittersweet world of Metro-Manila? Really? What a coincidence!"

"You said it!"

"Did he recognize you? What was his reaction upon seeing you?"

"Of course, he fumed! But not that much! I felt a little bit embarrassed because he is my employer's son, but it will not change the fact that I don't like him! His attitude was way too far from his father. Sir Romano is so… kind," she giggled in the last words she says.

"Ah, are you giggling? You have a crush on Sir Romano, don't you?" Eros asked suspiciously, and Elle imagined the reaction of her friend. 

"I am just admiring him," she defended herself and laid down at the bed.

"He's already fifty years old! Too old for you, it would have been nice if it was Matthew; he's only twenty-nine years old,"

"That crazy fool?" she got up immediately. Yes, she admitted that Matthew is handsome. In fact, he looks like his father, but oozing with arrogance! "Huh! Over my dead body!"

Eros laughed at her statement. "Anyway, I'm glad that you already met your little brother, so what's your plan now?"

"I do not know yet," she sighed. "But the important thing is I am with Mikey now. I will think about my next steps one of these days,"

"I hope you will succeed in your plans."

"Thanks, Eros." She looked at the wall clock. It's already eleven-thirty in the evening. She will be sleeping late because Mikey just slept. "By the way, I'm going to sleep now because I need to wake up early tomorrow."

"Waking up early is a piece of cake for you! But okay, then, call you next time?"

"Bye, Eros," she said.

After bidding Eros goodbye, like his sleeping routine, she prayed and laid herself on the bed. She didn't need to set the alarm clock because her body clock knows when she needed to wake up.