Shadows of Desire A Night With Him

"How was school today? I'm sure today is one of your best days" Irene said as she welcomed Damien.

"Arrrgh" He groaned, falling flat on the couch.

**

Irene laughed after Damien finished narrating his first day at Ivy Royals.

"I'm just so tired and starved right now" He said, pulling his socks.

"Lunch is ready, Nola and i made pasta"

" I can't wait to devour it, so annoying I'll have to freshen up first" Damien groaned.

"And to think you were so excited to resume the school" Irene laughed.

" I was and still am, the school is great,the teachers are intellectual,the activities are mind blowing. In short, the school is a world on it's own but the students...arrrgh!" Damien got on his feet and picked his shoes and socks.

"I'm glad you put them in their place though"

"I had to and the girls...are hot" Damien whispered and ran towards the stairs before Irene could scold him.

"crazy ass!" Irene laughed as she also got up to go dish out Damien's lunch.

Ivory is back from school already, now taking her nap.

Damien thought of Marlene as he climbed the stairs, he wondered why he didn't mention her to Irene.

___🍜

"I've paid for the apartment" Irene said to Damien as he ate his lunch.

"Really?" His face lit up.

"Yes and we can move in anytime we want, i want the house fully set up before mum is discharged, i already hired someone to do it,i gave her some money for new furnitures too, once she's done, we'll just move in our luggages" Irene smiled.

"Thanks so much Irene for catering for us since the death of our parents, you've been a mother and a father to me and you're the strongest lady I've ever seen, I'm so grateful sister and i love you so much" Damien hugged Irene over the table.

She had tears in her eyes as she hugged him back.

"Com'on, i know you're a cry baby but i don't like seeing you cry" Damien said as he wiped her tears.

She smiled and poured more juice for him while he continued eating.

"We're gonna go check on mum after I'm done right?" Damien asked.

"No, i came back from the hospital just few minutes before you arrive from school. We're gonna go check on her tomorrow"

"Ohh" Damien sulked.

"She needs to rest, if we keep going everytime ,she won't have the time to and didn't you told me you have lots of homework to do?"

"Yeah"

"You should get to it after eating" Irene said.

"Okay" Damien said.

"Are you done with your orders?" Damien asked.

"Not at all" Irene sighed.

"Why?" Damien asked, knowing how fast Irene could be with her orders.

"I don't know but i get tired easily this days..." Irene said.

"I guess you need rest, you've been through lot of stress lately" Damien said pitifully.

"Yeah, I'm definitely gonna rest after this set of order" Irene said.

"You should please" Nola said, walking out of the kitchen.

Irene smiled.

"How was school Damien?" She asked.

"Well...great" he pressed his lips together.

"Mm..seems,it didn't go well" Nola said resting her arms on the dining chair.

"It did, the students are just so rude and proud. I guess it's normal considering their status. Asides from that, i so much love the school, everything about it elates me so much. We'll be swim racing tomorrow" Damien grinned.

"I'm glad you like the school, it's actually one of the best..if not the best in San Francisco" Nola said.

"Yeah" Damien nodded as he ate.

"You must be enjoying your pasta" Nola smiled.

"So much" Damien said.

"I think I'll make use of a nap myself" Irene yawned.

She gulped some out of Damien's juice and got on her feet.

"Help me check on Ivory from time to time,she said you'd help her with her homework"

"Ohh... okay" Damien said.

"You don't have to follow me,I'm just going to bed" Damien heard Irene saying to her bodyguards.

"We have to follow Mr Harold instructions ma'am" They replied her.

"Tom, tell them they don't have to follow me" Irene said, obviously frustrated.

"Im so sorry Irene but they have to follow Mr Harold instructions" Tom said.

"Arrrgh!" Irene groaned.

🌃🌃

"I'm glad Damien likes his new school" Harold said.

He was sitting with Irene in the library, they were both staring at the fireplace with novels on their legs.

Irene had come to join him after she put Ivory to bed.

He initially wanted them to go to her workshop but she seems tired and doesn't have the strength to sew or cut clothes tonight.

"He really likes it and won't stop talking about it" Irene smiled.

"Thank you so much" She added.

"Damien's look is actually an advantage for him in that school, normally..those students do not interact with people whom they feel isn't up to their standard but Damien got two friends already,on the first day" Harold said.

"And they are girls" Irene rolled her eyes.

"They asked him to be their friend" Harold said.

"I really wish Harold would have a male friend,a close male friend" Irene said worriedly.

"He doesn't?" Harold asked.

"Yeah, he had told me they don't always want to be friends with him just because of his looks,they always feel threatened and inferior to him in looks"

"Wow" Harold sighed.

"He's gonna have male friends in Ivy Royals for sure" He added.

"I don't think so, he said the guys in his class started casting him bad looks already"

"Really?" Harold laughed.

"Yeah"

"And to think he's in Allysia's class where the males are also good looking like Allysia do say. I'm surprised they're feeling threatened by Damien's look"

"Allysia's class?" Irene asked.

"Yeah, Nola's daughter."

"Woah! She attends Ivy Royals?"

"Whenever she's here for summer" Harold smiled.

"And she's in Damien's class?"

"Yeah"

"Ohh... I wish she's here already" Irene smiled.

"She'll be coming home soon" Harold said.

"When is your mum gonna get discharged?" He asked.

"Doc Fern hasn't told us yet"

"Okay and how's the apartment going?"

"I already paid for it and i hired someone for the set up, i bought some new furnitures too so right now...it's in progress and i hope she finishes it before Mum get discharged, i know she will,she's fast and diligent at what she does" Irene said.

"That's nice" Harold said, impressed with Irene going out of her way to make her mum and brother comfortable.

She obviously cares for her family enough.

"We were so lucky with the price of the apartment cause it seems big for the price, it has three bedrooms,a dining room,a kitchen and a spacious living room plus the street is so secure"

"Wow, i should check it out soon" Harold smiled.

"Yeah" Irene smiled.

"And the apartment isn't gonna stop me from paying you back, i will as soon as the money's complete"

"As you wish..." Harold said, knowing he isn't gonna accept the payback.

Irene seems serious about it and he wondered why.

He's helping her like he would any other person.

Or could she be thinking he helped her cause he has feelings for her?

"Irene, i don't want you to think i helped you cause i have feelings for you..." Harold was saying.

"No! I never thought of the situation as that, i know you're a philanthropist...you help people regardless of what you feel for them"

"Then why are you insisting on paying back?"

"Cause i want to, i have to" Irene said and Harold sighed.

There was silence for a while before Irene finally spoke up.

"I'm in love with you Harold" She said after gathering all the strength in her.

"Uh?" Harold asked, hoping he had not heard wrong.

"Yes, i have feelings for you too, you're not the only one who feels that way,i feel that way too. I've always denied the feelings i have for you but when i finally admitted it,i realised I've liked you for long,from the night at the hotel..." Irene paused.

Harold was speechless but his smile could light up the world.

Irene smiled too as she continued.

"I wouldn't want you to think i admitted loving you because you helped with my mum's bills...no, i loved you from the start"

"Is that why you always steal glances at me ?" Harold asked with a grin and Irene nodded.

He pulled her into a hug and she melted in his arms.

Their embrace tonight feels special, it feels like their hearts connected and they felt it deep down in their souls.

"You do steal glances at me too" Irene said after they slowly pulled away from their embrace.

Harold held the urge to kiss her, he doesn't want to rush things.

"Yes i do, we both caught each other" Harold laughed.

"You don't know how happy i am right now" Harold said, holding Irene's hands.

"Ohh" She sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I poured out my feelings cause you deserve to know that i care for you too. It doesn't mean i want us to be together" Irene dropped the bombshell.

"Wh..wh.. what?" Harold asked and Irene pulling her hands from his made it worst.

"I'm here to be your daughter's nanny not to catch feelings, moreover we're just like two different worlds" Irene said sadly.

"Ire..." Harold was saying.

"No, enough of the "love is not based on one's status,it's based on oneself " you're my employer, i shouldn't have anything intimate to do with you. I can't stand being labeled as a gold digger, i respect you a lot and i won't want to tarnish your image also."

" *Billionaire Harold Marshall has started going out with his daughter's nanny* " that headline will make you lose the respect people have for you and i don't want that,I'm sure you don't want that too"

"I..."

"Good night Harold" Irene cut him short and got to her feet.

"I hope you have a good night rest" She said before walking out of the library with her eyes laced with tears.