Chapter 15

Lana’s POV

Miss Lana," he said, holding the envelope out to her. "Mr Nikolai asked me to give this to you. He's sorry now, but he will have to go out of town on business for two weeks.".

Lana's heart skipped a bit. “Oh, thank you, Samuel," she said.

She took the envelope and quickly read the note from Nikolai inside. It was basically what the butler had told her but added a little more detail to her responsibilities while he was away.

She went upstairs to her room and couldn't help but think about how much was going on, and it had happened in such a short space of time: new car, kids, but most surprisingly, her ex showing up when she needed him.

Well, before she had properly dwelled on it, the front door burst open, and instantly she heard the usual chatter of Max and Lily running down the hallways.

"Lana!" exclaimed the cheerful voice of Lily as she bounded up the stairs with Max close behind.

"Hi, you two!" Lana greeted the both of them, being instantly cheered by their presence; she knelt down to help them out of their coats, thinking of how to break the news gently.

Um… so, I have something to tell you both," she said gingerly, her eyes darting between their expectant faces. "Your dad's going to be away for a little while. He won't be back for another two weeks."

Their faces saddened in unison, and a small pull tugged at Lana's heart. She knew how much they adored Nikolai, even if his busy schedule took him away from them more often than they liked.

"But…" Max's voice was shaking a little as his gaze veered away from his sister to Lana again. "Our birthdays in a few days."

Lana raised both eyebrows in surprise. "Your birthdays?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded, her lips curling into a small pout. "Daddy's never here for our birthday. We always have the same party…some big pool party with all of the kids from school, but it's boring. And he's not even there."

Lana knelt down, stretching out an arm to wrap them. "Oh, Max, Lily… I'm so sorry. That sounds disappointing."

Lily shrugged, as if it didn't matter, "It's always the same. I just wish he'd be there, you know?

"Well, what if we changed things up a bit this year? Maybe we can plan something, not just some old pool party. How about something special?" Lana suggested.

The kids' eyes sparkled as they looked at each other, as if to see whether she was serious or not.

You mean… something fun?" Lily asked doubtfully, the first hope creeping into her tone of voice.

"Exactly," Lana said, smiling. "How about we come up with some kind of theme? And maybe add some games or a little adventure?"

Max's face broke into a wide grin. "A pirate party! Or maybe a superhero party!" He turned to Lily, excitement growing in his voice. "We could even make it a treasure hunt.

Lily squealed in agreement, nodding her head furiously. "Yes! A treasure hunt would be so much fun!"

Just then, she became aware of their butler, Samuel, standing beside the door, quiet and awaiting a moment to speak.

“Excuse me, Miss Lana," he said with a slight bow of his head. "Mr. Nikolai did say in his instructions that this year's party was to be a pool party, like the previous years. He has ordered the invitations go out, and all children from their school are invited to it.

Lana nodded in contemplation. "Thanks, Samuel. We definitely will use the pool, but maybe we can put a little twist on it to give it some originality."

Samuel's expression softened, and he nodded."I think that sounds delightful, Miss Lana. The children do deserve a day they will remember."

The plan was now set, and Lana took the kids back into the backyard to run around and give their ideas on this treasure hunt they were going to have.

They were deep in plans that none of them even noticed when a sleek black car pulled up on the driveway. Evelyn strode in, in high-heeled shoes, her heels clicking crisply on the marble floors..

Lana looked up just as Evelyn approached.

But even before Evelyn could get a word out, Samuel was beside her, holding out a folded letter.

"Ms. Evelyn, this is for you," Samuel announced with political correctness, extending the letter toward her.

Evelyn took it and frowned, unfolding the paper and skimming its contents. Her eyebrows furrowed.

“What does he mean I'm 'not welcome' here until he returns?" she hissed, her voice low. "How dare he!"

Lana did nothing but stand, unable to say whether she should intervene or simply step back. Evelyn flashed her a cold glare, her eyes narrowing slightly as if blaming Lana for this.

Because of you, isn't it?" Evelyn snapped, folding the letter angrily. "You're the one who's caused all this… this change in him!"

Lana blinked, taken aback by the accusation. "I… I'm just here to help with the kids."

Evelyn snorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Oh, please. I see exactly what's going on here. But let me tell you one thing: you can't replace me.

With that said, Evelyn whirled on her heel; the sound of her heels echoed down the hall as she stormed from the house. The door slammed shut behind her, leaving silence as she walked.

Lana took a deep breath, not knowing how to digest Evelyn's words. She turned around toward the kids unaware of all the drama going on around them, they were still caught up in the excitement of a treasure hunt.

She knelt back down to their level, forcing a smile on her face, begging herself to focus on them. "Alright, so let's finalise these plans for the treasure hunt. And don't you worry, we'll make this birthday unforgettable."

Max grinned, eyes bright with excitement. "This is gonna be the best birthday ever, right, Lily?"

Lily nodded, seized Lana's hand. "Thank you, Lana."