One Night Stand, Eight Surprises: Pampered by My CEO Husband --- - Chapter 26: Chapter 26
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It started with a whisper.
Hazel tugged at Arielle’s hand while brushing her teeth that morning, her voice barely louder than the hum of the faucet. “Mommy... Miss Nelly talks on the phone a lot when she thinks we’re asleep.”
Arielle froze, toothbrush poised in midair.
“What does she say, baby?”
Hazel glanced over her shoulder. “She says your name. And Daddy’s. And ours. Sometimes she says stuff like, ‘I have more photos if you need them.’”
That night, while Damien was deep in calls with PR lawyers and damage control experts, Arielle quietly reviewed the nursery camera logs. Nothing had been flagged. But Hazel’s words clung to her skin like cold sweat.
She turned up the audio manually, rewinding several nights back. There—at 11:42 p.m.—Nelly’s voice.
“…yes, eight kids. Adorable. It’ll make great press. I have video too. You’ll pay more for that, though.”
Arielle’s chest tightened.
She didn’t remember falling to her knees, only the way the air had vanished from her lungs.
It was betrayal in its most personal form.
The confrontation happened in the staff kitchen.
“Nelly,” Arielle said, calm as frost. “Can we talk?”
Nelly turned, surprised, setting down a tray of folded baby clothes. “Of course.”
Arielle laid her phone flat on the counter. Hit play.
The nanny’s smile wilted.
“I—Arielle, it’s not what it sounds like—”
“You sold my family. My children.”
“No! I—I just thought they were beautiful, and people would want to see—”
“You thought their lives were a ticket to a paycheck.”
Nelly’s voice shook. “You don’t understand. I have debts. I didn’t think—”
“You didn’t think I’d find out.”
Damien entered the room like a thunderstorm in a tailored suit.
He didn’t yell. He didn’t need to.
“I want her gone. Now.”
“Please,” Nelly begged. “Don’t ruin me. I have nothing else.”
“You had trust. You burned it,” Arielle said.
Security escorted Nelly out within minutes.
But the damage lingered.
That night, Damien and Arielle stood in the children’s wing. The moonlight pooled through the windows like spilled secrets.
“I should’ve vetted them better,” Damien muttered.
“It’s not your fault,” Arielle whispered. “People like her... they know how to smile just right. Pretend they care.”
He stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist.
“They’re not safe here.”
She didn’t argue. “We need to move.”
His voice was firm. “I’ll make arrangements.”
For a brief second, Arielle leaned into his chest and let herself imagine safety again.
But in her gut, she knew—this storm wasn’t done.
Celeste had eyes everywhere.
And they’d just torn off another mask.
Hazel tugged at Arielle’s hand while brushing her teeth that morning, her voice barely louder than the hum of the faucet. “Mommy... Miss Nelly talks on the phone a lot when she thinks we’re asleep.”
Arielle froze, toothbrush poised in midair.
“What does she say, baby?”
Hazel glanced over her shoulder. “She says your name. And Daddy’s. And ours. Sometimes she says stuff like, ‘I have more photos if you need them.’”
That night, while Damien was deep in calls with PR lawyers and damage control experts, Arielle quietly reviewed the nursery camera logs. Nothing had been flagged. But Hazel’s words clung to her skin like cold sweat.
She turned up the audio manually, rewinding several nights back. There—at 11:42 p.m.—Nelly’s voice.
“…yes, eight kids. Adorable. It’ll make great press. I have video too. You’ll pay more for that, though.”
Arielle’s chest tightened.
She didn’t remember falling to her knees, only the way the air had vanished from her lungs.
It was betrayal in its most personal form.
The confrontation happened in the staff kitchen.
“Nelly,” Arielle said, calm as frost. “Can we talk?”
Nelly turned, surprised, setting down a tray of folded baby clothes. “Of course.”
Arielle laid her phone flat on the counter. Hit play.
The nanny’s smile wilted.
“I—Arielle, it’s not what it sounds like—”
“You sold my family. My children.”
“No! I—I just thought they were beautiful, and people would want to see—”
“You thought their lives were a ticket to a paycheck.”
Nelly’s voice shook. “You don’t understand. I have debts. I didn’t think—”
“You didn’t think I’d find out.”
Damien entered the room like a thunderstorm in a tailored suit.
He didn’t yell. He didn’t need to.
“I want her gone. Now.”
“Please,” Nelly begged. “Don’t ruin me. I have nothing else.”
“You had trust. You burned it,” Arielle said.
Security escorted Nelly out within minutes.
But the damage lingered.
That night, Damien and Arielle stood in the children’s wing. The moonlight pooled through the windows like spilled secrets.
“I should’ve vetted them better,” Damien muttered.
“It’s not your fault,” Arielle whispered. “People like her... they know how to smile just right. Pretend they care.”
He stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist.
“They’re not safe here.”
She didn’t argue. “We need to move.”
His voice was firm. “I’ll make arrangements.”
For a brief second, Arielle leaned into his chest and let herself imagine safety again.
But in her gut, she knew—this storm wasn’t done.
Celeste had eyes everywhere.
And they’d just torn off another mask.
End of One Night Stand, Eight Surprises: Pampered by My CEO Husband --- Chapter 26. Continue reading Chapter 27 or return to One Night Stand, Eight Surprises: Pampered by My CEO Husband --- book page.