Chapter 24

Lana's POV

Lana led Max and Lily upstairs to the Sinclair mansion's grand staircase as night fell into its quiet hum. The kids were tired after their long day outdoors and walking  wearily along beside her, their small hands tucked into hers as they walked, faces sleepy and satisfied after a day of adventure. 

As they gained the top of the stairs, she could distinguish the faint sound of laughter as a murmur drifting down the corridor. It seemed Nikolai and Evelyn had just finished dinner.

"Alright, time for you two to take your bath," Lana said with a smile, sliding the kids toward their rooms. Max and Lily each released small groans, but they obeyed, too tired to argue.

Lana helped each of them through their bath routines, dried their hair, and dressed them in soft pajamas before tucking them into their beds. Then she sat with them a bit longer than usual and listened to their quiet chattering about the great moments of their day. Max chattered excitedly about the little waterfall they found close to the lake, while Lily remembered catching coloured stones with relish.

" Lana," Max said, his voice sleepy as his eyelids drooped low, "can we go back to the lake soon? I wanna show Dad the waterfall."

Lana's heart squeezed at the innocent hopefulness in his voice, but she kept her tone light. "Of course, Max. We'll plan another trip soon.

As Max and Lily finally fell asleep, Lana stood for a moment beside their beds, watching their sleeping faces. She leaned forward and smoothed a stray curl from Lily's forehead. Then, savouring the poignancy of this tender moment, Lana turned off the light and slipped out into the hallway.

She walked back to her quarters, the hallway quiet as she passed Nikolai's suite. But she stopped dead in her tracks as the sound of a soft murmur was followed by Evelyn's laughter. Her curiosity turned quickly to regret as the voice sounds grew softer and the unmistakable sounds of rough sex reached her ears. 

He was having sex with her.

He has too, she's his girlfriend.

As Lana swiftly went past Nikolai's door, her stomach twisted. She knew this was not a feeling that was hers to own, not one that she should feel toward Nikolai's personal life. After all, she was just a nanny. 

Closing her door, Lana leaned against it, willing herself to push the thoughts away. It really shouldn't hurt like this, she reasoned. It wasn't her business, and she was certainly in no position to feel anything for her employer. But emotions, as relentless as any tide, would not be stemmed, and the soft whisper of her mind would not be still, speaking to her of gentle eyes and quiet times together, of how, when he looked for her in a crowd, it was as though no one else existed.

Lana sighed deeply and drew herself up on the bed, trying to sleep.  She burrowed tightly into the covers, shut her eyes, and prayed fervently that sleep soon. But deep in her sleep, her dreams still haunted her with Nikolai's presence. She dreamed of him staring at her,  of him stroking a hand across her face, his face near hers. She tossed and turned, fighting the subconscious demon that had taken over her heart with a craving she knew wasn't within reach.

Just as she was drifting in and out of restless sleep , she heard a light knock at her door. Blinking, Lana sat up, rubbing her eyes. The door creaked open slowly, and two sleepy faces appeared in the opening: Max and Lily, small and uncertain in the dim light.

Miss Lana?" Lily whispered, clutching a stuffed rabbit close to her chest. "Can we sleep with you tonight?"

Without waiting for a reply, the two children padded over to her bed, clambering in beside her and snuggling close. Lana opened her arms, wrapping them around the children as they curled against her, their warmth and presence a soothing balm against the loneliness she'd felt moments before.

"Of course, you can," Lana whispered, moving her hand over their small heads. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Max shook his head. "No… I just… I wanted to be with you. Can we stay?" 

Lana smiled, and her heart swelled as she pulled them closer. "You're welcome here anytime."

They lay in silence awhile-the quiet of the room filled only with the soft, rhythmic breathing of Max and Lily. Lana could feel her own heartbeat begin to settle, the ache in her chest easing as she drew comfort from their presence. These children had become her world, filling her life with love and laughter in ways she hadn't expected. She knew she was something more than just their nanny-she was family to them, and they to her.

"Miss Lana," Lily mumbled sleepily, her voice muffled into the pillow. "You won't ever leave us, right?"

Lana's breath caught, and she swallowed hard, fighting off the sudden wave of emotion that surged within her. "Never, sweetheart," she whispered back, her voice thick with sincerity. "I'll always be here for you.

Max shifted closer still, giving her a small squeeze. "We love you, Miss Lana."

Tears pricked at the corners of Lana's eyes, but her voice didn't waver as she pressed a soft kiss to each of their heads. "I love you too, both of you. More than you'll ever know."

They stood there, wrapped in a warmness that over spilled words, overspilled the hurt that had dogged Lana earlier that night. Pressing Max and Lily close, she knew that in so many ways, she had found what she'd been searching for all her life: a purpose, a place to belong, a type of love that extended above all others. Whatever might be the case with Nikolai-what would happen to her quiet, unsaid feelings-she knew the thing that would stay continuous and sufficient was her relationship with Max and Lily. She really loved them genuinely like her own.