Millionaire Thought She Was Just a Babysitter. He Never Knew She’d Become the Love of His Life
Cracks in the Armor
Kiara hadn’t expected to hear from the Whitmores again after that night. She assumed Felix would find another babysitter with high-end references and experience working for wealthy families.
To her surprise, two days later, she got a call from the Whitmore estate. The housekeeper, Evelyn, asked if she was available to watch Oliver again. Kiara hesitated.
Felix Whitmore wasn’t exactly her favorite person, but Oliver… she had genuinely liked him. He was sweet, funny, and nothing like his father. So she said yes.
When she arrived that evening, the estate was just as intimidating as before. The grand marble floors gleamed under the soft glow of the massive chandelier.
The air smelled faintly of expensive cologne and polished wood. Evelyn greeted her warmly, leading her up to Oliver’s playroom.
“You’re back!”
Oliver beamed the moment she stepped inside.
“Looks like you’re stuck with me again,”
She teased. Oliver grinned, already dragging her toward a half-finished puzzle on the floor. They settled into an easy rhythm, talking about his favorite superheroes and what he wanted to be when he grew up.
It wasn’t until much later that night, when she was heading downstairs, that she heard Felix’s voice.
“You’re staying late?”
Kiara turned, finding him standing near the staircase with his jacket draped over his arm. His tie was gone and the top buttons of his shirt were undone.
He looked slightly less like the untouchable businessman he had been the other night.
“Oliver wanted to finish his puzzle,”
She said simply. Felix studied her for a long moment. His gaze wasn’t as indifferent this time, though it was just as intense.
“He likes you,”
Kiara tilted her head.
“Is that surprising?”
Felix exhaled, running a hand through his hair.
“He doesn’t warm up to people easily.”
Something in his voice, something almost guarded, made her pause.
“Well, he’s a great kid,”
“It’s not hard to like him.”
Felix’s expression remained unreadable, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. He nodded once, then gestured toward the kitchen.
“Have you eaten?”
“What?”
Kiara blinked.
“Dinner,”
“Evelyn always prepares extra.”
She hesitated. This was new. Felix Whitmore wasn’t exactly the type to extend invitations, especially not to the babysitter.
But her stomach betrayed her with a quiet grumble. Felix caught it. His lips twitched almost like he wanted to smile but didn’t quite know how.
“Come on,”
Kiara followed him into the kitchen, where a beautifully plated dinner was waiting on the marble counter. She hesitated again, but Felix pulled out a chair, leaving her little room to argue.
As she sat, he poured two glasses of wine.
“You don’t have to do this,”
“Oliver likes you. That means you’ll be around more.”
Kiara sipped wine, eyeing him.
“And?”
“And if you’re going to be in his life, I should probably know more about you.”
She arched a brow.
“You didn’t seem too interested the first night.”
Felix’s gaze didn’t waver.
“I was wrong.”
The air between them shifted. Kiara wasn’t sure what surprised her more: the fact that Felix Whitmore was admitting fault, or the way his voice had softened just slightly.
She picked up her fork, taking a bite of the food Evelyn had prepared. It was delicious, far better than anything she could have made herself.
Felix sat across from her, finally loosening enough to roll up his sleeves. His forearms were strong, lined with muscle that came from more than just sitting behind a desk.
“So,”
“So, what?”
“Tell me about yourself,”
“You’re obviously not a full-time babysitter.”
She hesitated before answering.
“I’m finishing my degree. Early Childhood Education.”
Felix nodded.
“Makes sense.”
“You sound surprised.”
“Not surprised,”
“Just… most people who come here are looking for something.”
Kiara frowned.
“Something?”
Felix didn’t elaborate. Instead, he watched her, waiting. She exhaled, setting down her fork.
“I’m not looking for anything, Mr. Whitmore. Just a job.”
Something flickered in his gaze again, but he said nothing. They ate in silence for a few moments, but it wasn’t uncomfortable.
If anything, there was a strange ease settling between them. Finally, Felix leaned back in his chair.
“You don’t have to call me that.”
“My name,”
“Felix is fine.”
She considered him for a long moment.
“All right, Felix.”
His eyes darkened slightly at the way she said it, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he stood, gathering their plates.
“I’ll have Evelyn call you for Oliver’s next babysitting night.”
“Looking forward to it.”
Felix met her gaze, something unreadable in his expression.
“Good night, Kiara.”
She hesitated for only a second before nodding.
“Good night, Felix.”
As she stepped out into the cool night air, something buzzed in her chest. She had no idea what it was.
But for the first time since taking the job, she wasn’t entirely sure that Felix Whitmore was as impossible as she originally thought.
Kiara hadn’t expected to become a regular fixture at the Whitmore estate, but in the weeks that followed, Felix kept calling. Or rather, Evelyn did.
Oliver insisted on having Kiara as his babysitter. Despite the intimidating luxury of the house and its even more intimidating owner, she kept saying yes.
She told herself it was just for Oliver, but that didn’t explain why Felix had started lingering after she arrived.
It didn’t explain the way her pulse picked up whenever she caught him watching her with quiet, unreadable intensity.
Or the way he had begun showing up earlier just to sit across from her at the kitchen island while she ate the dinner Evelyn prepared.
That night was no different. Kiara had just finished tucking Oliver into bed when she came downstairs and found Felix already waiting in the kitchen.
His sleeves were rolled up, a tumbler of whiskey in his hand.
“You’re late,”
She arched a brow, shaking her head.
“Since when do babysitting jobs have a curfew?”
Felix didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he gestured toward the plate set out for her.
“Eat.”
She hesitated for only a moment before sitting. This was their unspoken routine now.
He never asked if she wanted to stay for dinner; he simply made sure there was a plate for her. For some reason, she never turned it down.
As she picked up her fork, Felix leaned forward, studying her in that measured way of his.
“You’re good with him,”
“Oliver?”
Felix nodded.
“He’s been happier since you started coming around.”
Something in his voice made her pause. It wasn’t just a passing comment. There was weight behind it, something unspoken pressing against the air between them.
She set down her fork, meeting his gaze.
“Felix, what is this?”
His expression didn’t change, but his fingers tightened slightly around his glass.
“What do you mean, ‘this’?”
She gestured between them.
“You don’t need to have dinner with me every time I babysit. You don’t need to sit here and…”
“Maybe I want to.”
The words were quiet but firm, and they knocked the air from her lungs. Felix didn’t look away. He didn’t try to soften the intensity of his gaze.
It was the first time he had admitted something outright without hiding behind careful words or guarded expressions. Kiara’s pulse hammered.
She hadn’t let herself think about what was happening between them. She hadn’t allowed herself to acknowledge the way her heart raced every time he entered the room.
But now there was no ignoring it. She swallowed. Before she could finish, his phone buzzed on the counter.
He glanced at it, his jaw tightening.
“I have to take this.”
His voice was clipped, the warmth from a moment ago replaced by something colder. Kiara exhaled, pushing back from the table.
“I should go anyway.”
Felix looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he just nodded. As she grabbed her bag and walked toward the door, she could feel his gaze on her.
He looked like he was trying to decide something, and she had a sinking feeling that whatever it was, it involved her.
