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Luca POV “No.” My mother sighed on the other end of the phone. “Luca—” “I said no.” I tucked the phone between my shoulder and ear while flipping pancakes on the stove. Behind me, total chaos erupted in the living room. “Leo!” I shouted. Silence. Then—a loud crash. I closed my eyes. “Max!” “I’m innocent!” Max yelled from somewhere near the couch. “You usually aren’t!” “I’m innocent this time!” A second later, Sophie’s tiny voice rang through the house. “Daddy! Leo put slime in Max’s hair!” “I did not!” “You did!” “Did too!” “Did not!” The arguing grew louder by the second. I pinched the bridge of my nose. This was my life now. Three children. One demanding Formula One career. And zero peace. “You sound busy,” Mom said, amused. “That’s because I am.” I turned off the stove before the pancakes burned. “Boys! Give your sister another cookie.” “We already ate them all!” Of course they had. I took a slow, steadying breath. “Nobody moves. I’ll be there in a second.” “You’ve been saying that for five minutes!” Leo shouted. “I know!” I returned my attention to the call. “Mom, whatever you’re about to suggest, the answer is still no.” “You haven’t even listened.” “I don’t need to.” “Riley needs a job.” I let out a sharp laugh. “Then tell her to get one. Somewhere else.” Another sigh. “She wants to help.” “No.” “Luca—” “Mom, Riley couldn’t organize her own closet, let alone take care of three children.” “That’s unfair.” “It’s true.” I remembered the last few times I’d seen my stepsister. Designer handbags swinging from her arm, sky-high heels clicking across marble floors, face always glued to her phone as she chased the perfect selfie. She had never struck me as someone willing to lift a finger unless there was a camera pointed at her. “I don’t need a spoiled princess teaching my children bad habits.” “She’s trying to change.” “Good for her. People deserve second chances.” “I’ve already given her one.” “When?” “At your wedding.” Mom laughed. “You mean when you called her an entitled brat?” “Because she was acting like one. She spilled champagne on three people while trying to take a selfie.” “You hurt her feelings.” “I told the truth.” She went quiet for a moment. “You’ve always judged her too quickly.” “No.” “I think you have.” I glanced toward the living room. The twins had somehow constructed a massive pillow fort in record time. Sophie stood triumphantly on top of it, wearing a bright red superhero cape I didn’t remember owning. “Leo!” I called. “No jumping!” He jumped anyway. The entire fort collapsed in a heap of pillows and laughter. All three kids burst into giggles. I looked up at the ceiling. Please send help. “What was that?” Mom asked. “A prayer.” She chuckled. “I still think Riley could surprise you.” “I doubt it.” “She loves children.” “I’ve never seen her around children.” “Because she’s never had the chance.” The doorbell rang—thank God. The grocery delivery had arrived. I signed for the bags quickly and carried them inside. When I returned to the living room, all three children had vanished. That was never a good sign. “Kids?” No answer. “Leo? Max?” Nothing. “Sophie?” A tiny giggle floated down from upstairs. “I can hear you,” I warned, climbing the stairs. More giggling. I pushed open Leo’s door. Empty. Max’s room, empty. Sophie’s room… There they were. The three of them had wrapped themselves in a giant blanket and were pretending to be ghosts. “Boo!” they shouted in unison. I stared at them. “Really?” They dissolved into laughter again. I couldn’t stop the reluctant smile tugging at my lips. Little monsters. Every single one of them. “Daddy smiled!” Sophie gasped. “I did not.” “You did!” “I blinked.” They laughed even harder. Mom’s voice pulled me back. “So?” “So what?” “About Riley.” My smile vanished. “No.” Another long silence stretched between us. Then she spoke quietly. “The nanny agency called me today.” I frowned. “What about them?” “They’ve officially refused to send anyone else. Your household has gone through sixteen nannies in less than six months.” I looked at the three guilty faces staring up at me from under the blanket. Sixteen. When you said it out loud, it sounded absurd. “I can’t exactly blame them,” Mom continued. “The children are… energetic.” “That’s one way to describe them.” “They’re wonderful children.” “They’re also professional troublemakers.” Leo grinned proudly. I pointed at him. “Don’t smile.” His grin only widened. I rubbed a hand over my face. Japan was days away. Practice sessions, media obligations, sponsor events, qualifying, the Grand Prix. I couldn’t cancel. I couldn’t take the kids with me. And I definitely couldn’t leave them unsupervised. Finding a replacement nanny before I flew out? Nearly impossible especially now that every agency in the city had blacklisted us. I let out a long, defeated sigh. “I hate this.” “I know.” “I really hate this.” “I know, sweetheart.” After another painful pause, I muttered, “Fine.” Mom sounded far too pleased. “Really?” “It’s temporary. The second I find a proper nanny, Riley is gone.” “I’ll let her know.” “And if she quits after one day—” Mom laughed softly. “I somehow don’t think she will.” I wasn’t nearly as confident. Riley Hart had spent her entire adult life being pampered, designer clothes, luxury vacations, social media fame. She’d never had real responsibilities. My children weren’t accessories for photos. They were loud, messy, demanding, and completely unpredictable. If she thought nannying them would be easy, she was in for the biggest reality check of her life. And somehow… I had a feeling mine wasn’t far behind.