My Billionaire Boss Is the Father of My Six Babies
Chapter 4
“You fired her on the spot?” Nicole Webb asked, her eyes going wide with disbelief.
Karina, the head maid, scrambled back. “I’m so sorry! I’ll leave right away! Please, Mr. Rogers, show mercy!”
“Take her away!” Lee Romero ordered without missing a beat.
The butler moved quickly—he wasn’t about to let a scandal this distasteful stain Mr. Rogers’s reputation or his daughter’s.
The staff watching exchanged uneasy glances, then cut Nicole resentful looks.
“This is all her fault!”
“Karina got fired because of that woman!”
“She’s nothing but bad luck for the rest of us!”
“She lost her salary and her references. No one wants to be next!”
“Exactly! It’s awful—and it’s all Nicole’s fault!”
Nicole was thrown by the hostile stares. She hadn’t meant any harm. She just hadn’t warned Karina that her designer clothes were knockoffs. Losing a well-paid job over a counterfeit would’ve been a shame. But... Karina wouldn’t even get that chance now.
Uneasy, Nicole crossed gracefully to the little girl.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” She crouched to the little girl’s eye level. “I appreciate your help.”
The little girl stared up at her, cheeks turning pink.
...They were standing so close!
The woman with the wild hair was smiling right at her.
Ah... her little heart was fluttering with excitement!
Covering her face, the girl ran off shyly, her lace dress billowing out like a flower in bloom.
Nicole blinked, surprised to feel her own cheeks warm.
Was she... shy?
God, she was adorable! Nicole wanted to scoop her up and ruffle her hair.
Serving a child this charming made Nicole determined to ace her training.
Mathew Rogers watched it all, his eyes narrowing as they moved from his daughter to Nicole’s heavily made-up face.
What kind of spell did this woman have?
How had she won over his precious daughter so completely?
Nicole shifted under his scrutiny.
“Do you have any other instructions, sir?”
“You’re difficult to figure out.”
“What?” Nicole blinked, caught off guard.
“I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
...If you think I’m ugly, then don’t stare at me!
Nobody asked you to look!
Nicole clenched her teeth against the urge to punch his stupid, ridiculously handsome face.
What good was a pretty face when he was this shallow? Judging people by their looks, never showing anyone an ounce of respect—
Back in the kitchen, Nicole threw herself into work, fast and thorough.
Her sincerity only seemed to irritate the other servants.
“What a fake. So annoying!”
“She got Karina thrown out, and now she’s acting like she did nothing wrong!”
“She’s so fast, she’s making the rest of us look lazy...”
“Let’s teach her a lesson.”
One of them—Lily—pretended to collapse in front of Nicole.
“Careful! What happened?”
Nicole rushed to catch her.
“Sorry to be a bother. I just got so dizzy... I couldn’t stand,” Lily said weakly, clutching her head.
“Do you need a break?” Nicole asked.
“But then my work won’t get done.” Lily looked torn. “I still have to clean the first room on the third floor. Could you help me, Nicole?”
“Okay. Just a quick tidy-up?”
“Yes—you’re so kind! Thank you!” Lily clasped her hands together gratefully.
Nicole grabbed the bucket and cloth and headed out.
Lily watched her go, then crossed her arms with a smug smile.
The other servants crowded around.
“Seriously? You sent her to clean the third floor?”
“That’s Mr. Rogers’s room! It’s strictly off-limits!”
“She’s done for!”
“Can’t wait to see Nicole get booted out... Ha ha ha. Lily, you’re brilliant. With Karina gone, you’re definitely the next head maid!”
Lily basked in the praise, practically glowing with triumph.
Meanwhile, Nicole climbed to the third floor with her cleaning supplies.
The door was slightly ajar.
She knocked out of courtesy.
Then she pushed it open and stopped short at the room’s stark, minimalist decor.
Everything was black and white—understated, but expensive as hell.
“Rich people really live differently... every last thing in here is an antique!” Her eyes sparkled as she looked around.
“The room’s actually pretty clean. It barely needs tidying.”
But since she was already there...
Nicole filled the bucket in the bathroom and started wiping down the cabinets.
Then an oil painting caught her eye.
“Isn’t that...?” She opened the cabinet in surprise. “It really is ‘The Back of Carnia’!”
The woman in the painting had her face turned slightly away, delicate lashes lowered.
Loose golden braids fell over her shoulders. Below her waist, only a white blanket covered her, leaving the smooth, pale curve of her back bare—enough to spark endless imagination.
Most importantly...
Nicole had painted this when she was fourteen. Her English signature was right at the bottom.
She’d sketched it for fun from her reflection in the mirror, head tilted as she drew.
After her family went bankrupt, everything had been auctioned off by the bank.
Nicole had never imagined her careless little painting would be treasured like this.
Carefully placed inside a cabinet.
A wave of nostalgia hit her. An indescribable warmth spread through her chest, and she reached out to touch the painted image of herself...
She didn’t notice Mathew standing in the doorway.
He pushed the door open.
His icy expression turned savage, his voice cutting sharp. “What are you doing in here?”
“Mr. Rogers!”
Nicole yanked her hand back and stood up straight. “I’m here to clean!”
Mathew strode toward her, seized her wrist, pushed her aside, and shut the cabinet. Then he glared at her like she was something foul.
“No one enters this room without my permission! Sneaking around—were you planning to steal something?”
“What? No!”
Nicole ignored the ache in her wrist, scrambling upright. She turned out her pockets and spread her hands. “I didn’t take anything, I swear! See?”
As for the room being off-limits—well, she’d just found that out.
“Why did you open the cabinet?”
Mathew stepped closer, his presence suffocating.
His cold eyes narrowed, piercing straight through her.
“I... I thought the painting was beautiful and wanted a closer look...” Nicole stammered, retreating step by step.
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