"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up," Evelyn sneered, crossing her arm.
Lana froze, in surprise. "What are you talking about?" she asked cautiously.
You're always coming home late," Evelyn accused, stepping closer. "You're supposed to be taking care of the kids, yet here you are, strolling in as if you have no responsibilities. It's pathetic."
"That's not true," Lana protested, trying to keep her voice low. "I had an issue with my car, so I had to take public transport to get back. I called a tow truck-
"Excuses," Evelyn cut her off sharply. "You're just desperate to keep this job because you have nowhere else to go. Don't think I haven't noticed how you cling to Nikolai's charity like a leech."
Lana took a step back, her eyes wide. "I am doing my job, Evelyn," she said firmly. "And the children are more important to me than you would ever imagine. Don't accuse me of something so irresponsible.
Evelyn laughed shortly. "Oh, please, stop playing saintly nanny. I see the way you look at Nikolai. You think you're subtle, but you're not. That's pathetic, really."
Lana's face burned with embarrassment. "That's completely not true," she argued.
Evelyn's eyes slitted and, within a split second, she had slapped Lana in the face. The sound was loud around the room as two women froze in dumb shock.
Lana's hand flew to her cheek, her eyes widened. "Did you just—"
Before she could utter another word, Nikolai's voice boomed from the doorway, "What the hell is going on here?"
They both turned to see Nikolai standing in the doorway. He had just arrived home, briefcase still in hand, and the sight before him was enough to stop him in his tracks.
"She started it," Evelyn said quickly, pointing at Lana. "She's always late, always neglecting her duties-
Enough!" Nikolai's voice came through the air. He whirled to Lana, his eyes only fractionally softening as he looked at her. "Are you all right?"
Lana nodded uncertainty, her fingers loosening against her cheek. "I'm fine," she said quietly.
"Good," he said,turning back to Evelyn. "I don't care what argument you think you're having, but you do not lay a hand on my staff. Do you understand me?"
Evelyn looked surprised. "I was just-"
"I don't want to hear it," Nikolai said, He turned to Lana again. "What happened to your car?"
Lana hesitated, looking at Evelyn. She didn't want to make it more than it already was. "Just a flat tyre," she said dismissively. "It's taken care of."
Nikolai frowned, obviously not convinced. "Did you report it?"
"No," Lana replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's not a big deal.
"It is as if someone tampered with it," Nikolai concluded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. "Give me yours. I'll have your car inspected first thing tomorrow."
Lana handed him her keys unwillingly, looking up at him in gratitude. She didn't want to appear as though she wasn't capable of handling her own problems.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Nikolai nodded, his eyes looking back at Evelyn. "We'll talk later," he snapped, already spinning on his heel to leave.
As he vanished down the hall, Evelyn spun her glare back to Lana. "This isn't over," she spat.
Lana said nothing. She was too tired, too overwhelmed to say anything more. Instead, she turned and made her way to her room, her mind racing. ---
NOW we're talking.
Once inside her room, Lana closed the door behind her and leaned against it, her legs threatening to give way.
Why did she despise her that much? Lana had tried by all means to keep off her way, focus on her job and the kids. But come what may, Evelyn always found a reason to attack her.
Lana sank on her bed and dropped her head into her hands. Her mind wandered to Nikolai, how he had defended her tonight. His actions were unexpected, and they made her feel things she was not ready to acknowledge.
“He's just trying to protect his employee, " she explained to herself. That's all.”
Her phone buzzed on the bedside table, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a text from Mabel:
"Everything okay? You looked stressed earlier."
Lana smiled faintly at her friend's concern and quickly typed a reply.
“Just one of those days. Thanks for checking in."
\---
Meanwhile, Nikolai stood in his office, staring out the window with a glass of whiskey clutched in his hand. His mind replayed the events of the evening, and a scowl settled deeper into him.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He had a million things to deal with at work, and the last thing he needed was drama at home. But something about Lana's quiet resilience made him feel responsible for her.
He set the glass down and made a mental note.
“Who would dare damage her care” he asked himself.
\---
Later that night, lying in bed, Lana just could not get her mind to shut up.
But as her thoughts began to overwhelm her, a small knock came at her door.
"Lana?" Max's soft voice came through.
She sat up, surprised. "Come in," she called.
The door creaked open, and Max and Lily stepped inside, both clutching their favourite stuffed animals.
"We couldn't sleep," Lily said, her voice small.
Lana's heart softened. "Come here," she said, patting the bed.
They climbed and snuggled close to her. Wrapping her arms around them.
"We love you, Lana," Max murmured, his voice muffled against her shoulder.
Tears threatened to fall from her eyes and she kissed the top of his head. "I love you too," she whispered. She extended the kiss to Lily who was already falling asleep.
She was wrapped in the warmth of their affection, she didn't understand why but what she shared with the children was way beyond nanny and children relationship.
“You want me to read you a story”, max nodded with excitement.