Chapter 2

ELLA

All the air drains from my lungs.

Slowly, I turn, my brows knitting together as the realization hits. 

Did I seriously walk straight into the lion's den?  Well in his case the wolf's den. Is there really no turning point for me? 

The thought feels unreal, like a cruel joke the universe decided to play on me.

My gaze shifts to the small child in his arms the moment I turn.

She’s already reaching for me, tiny hands opening and closing, her face scrunched in distress. A question forms in my mind, but my throat tightens before I can say it aloud. Is she… his?

My stomach twists.

Jax stands there in gray joggers and a fitted black t-shirt, looking nothing like the untouchable hockey star from campus. His dark hair is messy, like he’s been running his hands through it nonstop. 

The toddler starts to cry even harder when after reaching for me I still don't make a move to pick her up.

She keeps leaning toward me, and my thoughts spiral again. Was she his daughter or his sister?

We just stare at each other.

No words.

Our expressions shift at the same time, shock mirroring shock.

He seems to finally realize who I am while on the under hand realize that she is his daughter.

I can't believe it took him a while to recognize the person he torments on a daily basis.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Jax mutters, disbelief flickering across his face.

The little girl goes quiet for a moment. She looks straight at me with her enormous brown eyes, tears sliding down her flushed cheeks. 

My chest tightens painfully. She can’t be more than three, her dark curls sticking to her damp face, pajamas clinging to her small frame even though it’s the middle of the afternoon.

Something inside me reacts instantly.

But it isn't my wolf.

Not fear either.

Maybe my motherly instinct.

She stretches her arms toward me again.

“Mama?” she whispers, her voice trembling with hope.

My lips parts in shock.

Every sensible thought screams at me to turn around, to run, to get as far away from this house and him as possible. But the moment she looks at me like that, everything else fades.

Even if her father is the same person who stood by while I was humiliated, I can’t ignore her.

“Sophie, no,” Jax says quickly, stepping back. “Don’t call her that, she is not your mom. You can’t just go around calling everyone mom”

She doesn’t listen.

Her cries grow louder, echoing through the building. She keeps reaching for me, desperation written into every movement.

“Mama,” she sobs. “Mama, carry.”

Jax looks at me then looks at me and for the first time since I’ve known him, I don’t see cruelty or arrogance. I see exhaustion. Panic. Someone completely out of their usual self.

“You need to leave,” he says, voice stern. “I’m looking for a nanny, not someone like you and definitely not a mother figure.”

Frustration flares in my chest. “Didn’t I already try to leave? You’re the one who stopped me.”

He exhales. “Yes. But Sophie doesn’t need a mother figure. She already had one.”

I nod, forcing myself to step back. This is where it ends. This is where I walk away.

Then her voice cuts through me again.

“Mama!”

I freeze.

A thought slips in unprovoked. Do I look like her mother?

Before I can process it, Sophie lets out a piercing scream and lunges toward me. Jax stumbles, barely keeping his grip on her as she sobs so hard she can’t breathe.

An older woman appears behind him, wiping her hands on an apron. Her Asian features are gentle but tired, her eyes filled with concern. 

“Mr. Steele, she’s been like this for three days. This isn’t working.”

“I can handle it,” he insists.

She shakes her head. “You clearly can’t.” 

Her gaze shifts to me. “You’re the four o’clock interview, yes?”

I nod silently.

“Please, come in,” she says, stepping aside.

Jax opens his mouth to argue, but Sophie lets out another heartbreaking cry. His shoulders sag as he tries to soothe her, pain etched into his face so clearly I have to look away.

“Fine,” he mutters. “But if this goes badly ”

“It won’t,” Mrs. Chen says calmly.

Against every warning I have, I step inside.

The house feels like another world. High ceilings. A massive chandelier. Marble floors gleaming beneath the sunlight. Everything is quiet, elegant, and expensive.

The only sound is Sophie’s soft, broken hiccups.

She’s still reaching for me, eyes locked onto mine, fingers stretching as if she’s afraid I’ll disappear.

I can’t take it anymore.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I murmur as I move closer, keeping my voice gentle. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

Jax stiffens, but he doesn’t pull away. Sophie’s crying eases slightly.

“Can I hold you?” I ask softly to her, not him. After all, he's not the one I want to hold.

She nods eagerly, leaning so far toward me that Jax has to steady her.

I open my arms.

For a long second, Jax doesn’t move. Our eyes meet over her head, mistrust and hesitation warring in his expression.

Then Sophie cries again.

And that decides it.

He passes her to me.

The instant she settles against my chest, everything shifts. Her body relaxes completely, melting into mine. She buries her face into my neck, hot tears soaking through the blouse, her tiny fists gripping my collar.

And then

Silence.

Didn't rock her. Didn't coax her.

She just stops crying.

I sway gently, one hand supporting her back, the other smoothing her curls. 

“There you go,” I whisper. “It’s okay.”

Her breathing slows. Her grip loosens. Within minutes, she’s asleep.

When I look up, both Jax and Mrs. Chen are staring at me like I’ve just done the impossible.

“She hasn’t slept in two days,” Mrs. Chen whispers. “How did you do that?”

“I don’t know,” I admit quietly. “I’ve always been good with kids.”

Jax keeps staring, shock giving way to something else. 

Hope.

“She doesn’t let anyone hold her,” he says. “Not even her nannies. Not Mrs. Chen. Sometimes not even me. She’s been like this since Melissa died.”

I don’t know who Melissa is, but the pain in his eyes tells me everything.

“We need to talk,” he says after a moment. 

“Mrs. Chen, can you give us a minute?”

“I’ll make tea,” she replies, already heading out.

Jax gestures for me to follow him.

And I do heart pounding, Sophie asleep against my chest, knowing nothing about this situation is simple anymore.

“Just tell me what’s next.”