Sara sipped her tea at the small pavilion nestled beside the indoor pool. The sun filtered in through the garden's tall windows, painting dappled light across the marble floor. It was just past noon—time to start working. Eager to meet her young client, she let the warmth of the tea calm her nerves.
The maid, who'd been shadowing her since she entered the mansion, poured another cup with practiced grace. Clearly, she was assigned to keep an eye on her. Yet, the woman's kindness made the surveillance feel more like gentle company than intrusion.
"Would you like some more tea, miss?" the maid asked politely.
"No, I'm alright. I was just wondering… when will Little Miss be arriving?" Sara asked, glancing at the pool.
"She's already at the mansion," the maid replied softly, her voice so delicate it made Sara smile. "She's with Master Vladimir at the moment, but she'll be joining you shortly."
Sara nodded, sipping the rest of her tea quietly, the porcelain cup warm in her hands.
"Oh—here she comes," the maid said, gesturing toward the stone pathway leading from the house.
Sara turned to look, eyes narrowing slightly as a small figure approached. For a second, it felt like she was dreaming. Her heart skipped. The way that little girl moved—the bounce, the sparkle in her eyes—it was unmistakable.
"Blue?" Sara breathed, the teacup slipping from her fingers and clinking onto the table.
"Ag!" Blue cried out with joy, her arms flinging wide as she ran toward her.
Without thinking, Sara stood and caught her in a hug, lifting her off the ground and spinning once, laughter catching in her throat. "What are you doing here? How…?"
"I asked my grandpa if you could teach me swimming," Blue whispered in her ear, still wrapped in her embrace. "You were good at it, right?"
"So it really is you…" Sara whispered, pulling back slightly to look at her properly. "I'm going to be teaching you how to swim?"
"Yeah! And now I can hug you as much as I want!" Blue grinned.
Sara froze for a moment, the air catching in her lungs. That simple sentence hit her like a wave—Now I can hug you as much as I want.
he girl wasn't excited for the lessons. She was happy because she could hug someone freely.How affection-starved must she be, Sara thought, to crave something so simple with such intensity?
Sara gently stroked Blue's cheek and lowered her onto the chair she'd been sitting on. "You don't have to ask for hugs from other people when you have a family, you know that, right?" she said, tilting her head with a soft smile.
Blue looked at her with twinkling eyes. "But you're not other people. You're Ag! My Agent Gummyworm!"
Sara laughed, her chest warming at the silly nickname. That ridiculous name from the night at the pool had stuck with Blue. "Yeah sure i am not other people but you can always hug your parents and i am sure they will be more then happy to hug you back. And that is because they love you." Blue looked back at her with disbelief, a void in her eyes making Sara a little fearful as to what went behind her eyes, Not wanting to delve deeper she changed the topic.
"Okay, Lets see does Blue want to play in the pool for now?" she asked,
"Yeah!" Blue cheered, lifting her arms so Sara would carry her. The child in her was on full display now—carefree, innocent, alive."Let's gooo go go then!" Sara scooped her up, tossed her playfully into the air, caught her mid-giggle, and headed toward the pool, beaming.
From the second-floor window, a pair of watchful eyes followed the cheerful scene. Vladimir leaned against the frame, a cigar resting between his lips. Smoke curled lazily into the room as he watched the two figures walk toward the pool.
For once, his usually stern gaze softened. There was warmth in it—a rare and almost unfamiliar flicker.
Jay entered the room hurriedly, stopping short when he noticed Vladimir by the window. Curious, he stepped closer and glanced outside, just in time to see Sara holding Blue, both smiling like the world couldn't touch them.
"Jay," Vladimir said, voice steady.
"Yeah?" Jay responded.
"What do you think?"
"About what?" he asked, confused.
Vladimir turned away from the window, shaking his head lightly as he stubbed out the cigar. "Nothing. Why are you here?"
"It's about Master Augustine," Jay said, his discomfort instantly showing in the shift of his expression. "He's on his way here."
Vladimir raised a brow. "Why?"
"I'm not sure, but Flinn mentioned something about him bringing a gift for Blue."
A smirk curled at the corner of Vladimir's lips. "Hmm… is he trying to compete?" He chuckled under his breath. "Let him come. I want to see him fail. Again."
He settled into his chair, arms resting over the sides as he tilted his head back in thought. His mind wandered back to Blue—how she had smiled earlier, the way her face lit up when she was with Sara. A real smile. Not the rehearsed, guarded expressions she wore around him, the kind molded by parents who were never truly present.
She had taken on their colors—painted in pretense and expectation. A little businesswoman in a child's body. But with Sara… she had been just a little girl. Open. Honest. Joyful.
It was a mystery. And Vladimir didn't like mysteries.But this one… he wanted to watch unfold.
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"Careful," Sara said softly, reaching both hands toward Blue, who clutched her fingers tightly. "Let's sit here first." She lowered herself to the edge of the pool, guiding Blue beside her. Their legs slipped into the cool water with a gentle splash.
"Like this—do you feel it?" Sara asked.
Blue let out a small giggle, shivering slightly. "It's cold! And kinda hard to move my legs. Why is it like that?"
"That's because water is thicker than air," Sara explained, trying to keep it simple. "So it pushes back a little. That's why you need strong muscles to swim."
Blue looked down at her legs, kicking gently. "Do I need to eat a lot of food to grow swim muscles?"
Sara smiled. "Exactly. Lots of good food—and the most important lesson of all—" her tone grew slightly serious, "never go near water alone. Even strong swimmers can get in trouble."
Blue's gaze lifted to hers, a bit more solemn. "But you won't let me drown, right?"
Sara reached out and brushed a damp strand of hair from her forehead. "Of course not. I would never let anything happen to you. But if I'm not around, you have to promise you'll be careful. That's lesson number one, alright?"
Blue nodded, her eyes wide with trust. "Okay. Promise."
"Alright," Sara said, brightening the mood. "Now onto lesson two—Starfish Float. Think you're ready?"
"Yes!" Blue bounced excitedly.
Sara gently helped her into the water, arms securely around her as Blue adjusted to the pool. Then, slowly, she lifted her so that Blue's body floated just above the surface.
"Stretch your arms and legs—like a big sleepy starfish," she guided, softly adjusting Blue's limbs.
They had barely begun when the sound of hurried footsteps echoed across the tiled floor. Sara turned, her hold still firm around Blue, to find the maid approaching with a pinched expression.
"Miss Sara," she said with a slight bow, "I'm very sorry to interrupt, but Miss Blue's father has arrived at the mansion. He's requesting to see her immediately."
The shift in Blue's body was instant. Sara could feel her stiffen in her arms. Her limbs, moments ago floating freely, now tensed and pulled inward.
Sara looked at her, then back at the maid. She gave a short nod. "Alright. I'll wait here until she comes back."
She lifted Blue into her arms again, hugging her gently. "I'll be right here, okay?"
Blue clung to her, small hands gripping tightly, though she didn't say a word.
The maid offered two white robes, and Sara wrapped one around Blue before tying her own over her swimsuit. "I'll lead you to the guest room," the maid said. "Your change of clothes is already inside."
Sara followed quietly, pulling off her swim cap. Her fingers ran through her damp hair, freeing the strands as she walked beside Blue. Oddly, Blue no longer walked with the light, skipping steps of a five-year-old. Her posture was different—straight, composed. A child wearing the mask of an adult, and Sara noticed.
"Right this way, Miss Sara," the maid said gently, stopping outside a grand doorway. "The first room past this door. Please go ahead—I'll take Miss Blue to get changed."
Sara nodded and turned toward the door. She reached for the handle, stepping forward—only to have the door swing open abruptly from the other side. The force of it threw her back, and for a moment, her heart jumped as her balance tipped.
She nearly lost her footing—but then a hand shot out, gripping her arm to steady her.
"Ah—!" she gasped, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.
Relief flooded her for a brief second—until her gaze lifted.
And then her heart dropped into her throat.
Standing before her, hand still on her arm, was Augustine.
His eyes—dark, sharp, and unforgiving—met hers in a still instant that crackled with recognition.
There was no mistaking it.He knew exactly who she was.
For one electric heartbeat, their eyes locked—his dark and stormy, hers wide with startled recognition.
Then, without a word, his hand withdrew from her arm as though burned. And just like that, her balance gave out.Sara's body hit the marble floor with a sharp thud, the air snatching itself from her lungs.
She winced, pain flaring across her hip—but what made her stomach twist wasn't the fall.It was the way he looked at her.Like something vile had just touched him.
"Flinn," Augustine said sharply, flicking his fingers in the air.
His gaze never left Sara as Flinn stepped forward, wordlessly handing him a silk handkerchief. With chilling composure, Augustine wiped his palm—slowly, methodically—as if he were scrubbing off something rotten.
Sara tried to sit up, but the heat of humiliation already burned her cheeks.
"What is this filth doing in here?" Augustine's voice cracked across the hallway.