Chapter 1 Prologue

• “I’m coming to you, baby. Please don’t give up and let’s get through this together. I love you.” He husked.
• His hands squeezed the steering, increasing the speed limit of the Maybach with a cellphone trapped between his ear and shoulder.
• He heard her groan in agony. This time the doctor spoke,
• “She’s finding it harder to push by each second without your presence, and we’re running out of time, Mr. Walton.”
• He breathed,
• “Do everything possible to save my wife, please doctor, I’m almost there.” Tears shimmered in his eyes as she howled in pain again while he hung up.
• His vision blurred as he overtook a truck, not knowing it was a U-turn junction and, like in a trance, he collided with the truck’s giant tires.
• The last thing he remembered was dizziness while his car somersaulted.
• “Master Walton?” His eyes flew open, migraine shooting up his skull, he sighted Kent’s vague image leaning over him. “Kent? Where am I?” He sprang up in alarm.
• “My Master is awake, Doctor!” Kent exclaimed and turned to him.
• “You were in an accident, Master, don’t you remember?” A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes as he jumped to his feet, grabbing his jacket.
• “Where are you going to, Master? You’re still a patient.” He shot a murderous glare at Kent.
• “Get me my damn clothes, Kent. My wife is still in the hospital, she needs me!”
• Kent trembled with a lowered gaze which made him suspicious.
• “Are you deaf?”
• “Missus is d…e…ead.”
• He gripped Kent’s collar in impatience. “Speak!”
• “Missus is DEAD,” he confessed. He slowly released him, staggering backward with a dead expression.
• The world seemed to twirl around him, firing stray bullets into his whole body as he saw just one colour.
• Red, the sign of death.
• His world was painted with a deep red color since his soul died along with hers, and he became a walking corpse throughout her funeral.
• He neither spoke to anyone nor gave anyone a chance to speak to him, leaving all the funeral arrangements to his valet, Kent.
• But he occasionally gave small smiles to the only light she left behind, which was their newborn baby.
• The sole reason why he was still breathing. Kent sorted out his son’s welfare by introducing a young, fragile girl to him.
• He doubted if she even had the bones for the job but hoped for Kent’s assurance and interviewed her.
• She mumbled every answer to his queries and couldn’t hold a stare at him that frustration ticked his being.
• “If you need this job, you need to speak up, so I won’t blindly hire a dumb person."
• “Elena!” She suddenly corrected in a high-pitched voice that startled him, but didn’t show much in his expression.
• “That’s it! That’s how you should speak, but not so loud next time Se… Uhm Elena. And I trust you’re experienced with babies in fact, Kent told me your agency claims you’re a professional.”
• “Yes Sir, I love babies.” She confirmed with a broad smile.
• “Just call me Mr. Walton and you can start tomorrow,” he said.
• “I’ll start today if you permit me, can I?” She seemed enthusiastic about starting such a tedious job, which baffled him, as most nannies preferred toddlers to newly born infants.
• One week into the job, he was blown away by her expertise and her preciseness when it came to his son’s health and happiness. She took on the role of a parent instead of a nanny that it relieved him so much except for one fateful morning.
• She broke his wife’s portrait hung on the wall while cleaning.
• “Who told you to touch that! He exploded and she instantly broke down in tears.
• “I can get a new frame arranged today, Master.” Kent chimed in through the doorway.
• “Selena loved that frame Kent. Will you take responsibility for her mistake?” He fired back and turned to leave, but Kent's crisp voice halted him.
• “But Missus' name was Isabel. Who’s Selena, Master?”
• He pivoted to meet Kent’s dumbstruck look, which made him challenge his memory.
• “You don’t remember, Master?” “I’ll go get your pills then.” Kent added when he noticed his bewildered look, which he was trying to hide.
• Shame flushed through his body and he yearned to stab his guts.
• How could he have forgotten his wife’s name? He only lived for her memories, yet he didn’t even remember her name?
• “Get out! Both of you!” He snarled.
• They both scurried off for a second, and he slowly crouched to pick up her photo from the broken glasses.
• “Fuck, I can’t even remember your name. I’m so sorry.” He cursed, as a lump rose in his throat. Unexpectedly, a voice shrieked from behind.
• “Mr. Walton, Justin isn’t breathing!” Jolted, he scrambled to his feet, seeing her puffy eyes and shivering body.
• “What happened?”
• He stammered, approaching her with a pounding chest.
• “I think he’s..... she paused to wail, and he violently shook her shoulders.
• “What!”
• “I think he’s dead.” She announced.
• Unable to utter a word, he dashed into his son’s room, a knife piercing through his heart at the sight of Justin’s limp body in a crib.
• “No, no, no please, no, don’t leave Daddy.” He pleaded, taking his son into his arms as a tear dropped from his eyes. Soon, the ambulance blared outside, Kent and Elena hurried in, and they all went to the hospital.
• “Thanks to the admission of CPR to your son by his nanny, unless he wouldn’t have made it alive.” The Doctor revealed.
• Elena saved his life. Justin was his life. There couldn’t be a better mother figure than her. In his eyes, she was perfect.