Elias's heart raced as the twins froze, clutching the soup container in the dining room. The creak of footsteps grew louder, and Dante whispered, "Nanny, go stall whoever's coming!"
"No way," Elias hissed, his hands sweaty. "I don't even know who it is."
Dario's eyes widened. "If we don't move, we're all busted. Go!"
Elias shook his head, his stomach twisting. "What if it's your dad?"
"It is definitely Dad," Dante said, smirking. "Those heavy steps? Only him."
Elias's face paled. Stall Viktor? After the rules and that neck mark drama?
"You two are insane," he muttered, but the twins' glares pushed him forward. He slipped out of the living room, leaving Gerta... Clara's precious bag was behind with the twins, and she stepped into the dim hallway.
Viktor loomed ahead, his black shirt tight across his broad chest, his grey eyes narrowing. "Why aren't you with my kids?" he asked, his voice low and sharp.
Elias's throat tightened, his hands trembling. "I... I was getting water for them," he lied, his voice shaky.
Viktor nodded, brushing past, but Elias panicked... the twins weren't done. Without thinking, he grabbed Viktor's arm. Viktor yanked it away, his face twisting with disgust.
"Don't touch me," he snapped.
Elias stepped back, his cheeks burning. "Sorry, sir," he said, his voice small. "I didn't mean..."
Viktor cut him off, pinning him against the wall with a hard stare.
"New rule," he said, his voice cold. "No physical contact. Ever. Try it again, and you're out of this house."
Elias turned his face away, his heart pounding as Viktor's cedar scent filled his lungs. "Yes, sir," he mumbled, nodding.
Viktor released him and barged into the living room. Elias held his breath, expecting chaos, but the room was empty... no twins, no Gerta. He exhaled, relief washing over him. The kids had bolted. But Viktor's reaction to the touch stung. Elias was just the nanny, nothing more. He focused on the twins and Lila, not his boss's stupid rules.
He hurried to the twins' room, finding them sprawled on their beds, laughing. "We did it!" Dante said, grinning. "Gerta's toast!"
"Thanks for stalling Dad," Dario added, high-fiving him. "You're not totally useless."
Elias sighed, rubbing his face. "What if you get caught?"
Dario shrugged. "We'll deny it. Easy."
"Yeah," Dante said, smirking. "All we have to do is wait for her to lose it."
Before Elias could respond, a piercing scream echoed downstairs. The twins' eyes lit up, and they bolted for the door. "Come on!" Dario said, dragging Elias along.
They rushed to the dining room, where Clara stood clutching her bag, soup dripping onto the floor. Her face was red, her voice shrill.
"You little brats!" she shouted, pointing at the twins. "You ruined Gerta! Do you know how much this costs?"
Dante faked a shocked look, his eyes wide. "Us? We didn't do anything!"
"Yeah," Dario said, his voice wobbly as he hugged Elias's leg. "She's scary, Nanny. We don't like her."
Elias bit his lip, trying not to smile as Dante's fake sobs grew louder.
"She's framing us, Dad!" he cried, turning to Viktor, who stood by the table, his face unreadable.
Clara spun to Viktor, her hands on her hips. "Your kids are monsters! You need to punish them!"
Viktor sighed, his jaw tight. "Clara, they're kids. Calm down." He turned to the twins, his voice firm. "But even if you don't want her, nothing changes. Clara and I are getting engaged in two weeks."
Clara smirked, looking proud, but the twins' innocent act vanished. Dante's face twisted. "We hate you, Dad!" he shouted.
"Yeah!" Dario yelled, his eyes wet. "You're the worst!" They stormed upstairs, slamming their door.
Viktor's eyes darkened, and he turned to Elias. "Go after them," he said, his voice low.
Elias nodded, his heart racing as he ran upstairs. The twins' door was locked, but Gerald had given him a spare key when he arrived. He unlocked it and stepped inside, finding Dante and Dario buried under their duvets, only their messy hair peeking out. Elias pulled a chair between their beds and sat, saying nothing.
Dante peeked out, his voice muffled. "Why aren't you yelling at us?"
"Yeah," Dario said, pulling his duvet down. "Say something, nanny."
Elias smiled softly, his hands clasped. "I don't have anything to say. However, you guys do... to your dad."
Dante frowned. "He's marrying that witch! He doesn't care about us."
"He does," Elias said, his voice gentle. "He'd do anything for you. You're all he's got. Saying you hate him... that hurts him."
"What about you, Nanny?" Dario's eyes softened. "You got a dad?"
Elias's chest tightened, his smile fading. He shook his head. "No. My parents died. It's just me and my sister now."
Dario slid off his bed and hugged Elias, his small arms tight. Elias froze, tears welling up. He hadn't expected that. Dante joined in, mumbling, "Sorry, Nanny."
Elias blinked back tears, hugging them back. "It's okay," he said, his voice thick. "But you two have to apologise to your dad. He loves you both even more than your new stepmother to be."
The twins pulled back, nodding. "Fine," Dante said, wiping his eyes. "We'll say sorry."
Elias grinned, giving them a high-five. "Good. Now change into normal clothes. Go spend time with him."
They swapped their suits for hoodies, and once they were done, Elias changed into a comfy sweater, his mind heavy.
He checked his pill bottle and saw it was empty. His last dose was gone, and he needed more to keep his omega scent hidden. He thought of leaving the estate to buy some but Viktor's rules meant he had to ask permission to leave. He groaned, running a hand through his hair.
'Why did everything have to be so hard?'
.
That evening, Elias found Gerald in the hall, wiping down a vase. "Hey, Gerald," he said, his voice tired. "Where's the master?"
"In his office," Gerald said, pointing down the hall. "He's in a mood, so be careful."
Elias nodded, his stomach twisting. He knocked on the office door, and Viktor's voice called, "Come in."
Elias stepped inside, freezing as he saw Viktor behind his desk, bare-chested, his tattooed arms gleaming under the lamp. His cedar scent hit Elias like a wave, making his head spin and his body tingle. He clenched his fists, trying to focus. "Sir," he said, his voice shaky, "I need to get some medicine."
"Medicine?" Viktor leaned back, his eyes narrowing. "Are you sick?"
Elias shook his head, his words stumbling.
"No sir. It's just... just... normal pills. For my health. I was born, uh, kind of frail, so I need them."
Viktor nodded, opening a drawer and tossing a bundle of cash onto the desk. "Take it."
Elias stared, his hands clenched into a fist. "I didn't come here to ask for money, sir."
Viktor frowned. "Then why are you here?"
"To ask for permission," Elias said, his voice tight. "Your rules. I can't leave without it."
Viktor's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Right." He waved a hand, his tone softer. "Go, then."
Elias turned to leave, his fists still clenched. He was halfway to the door when Viktor called,
"You sure you don't need the money?"
Elias didn't turn, his voice sharp. "I don't need your money, sir."
Viktor smirked, watching him go, but his smile faded as he replayed Elias's angry look.
"Stubborn kid," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "Next time, I'll make you beg for it, Elias Kane."