Layla and You

Arriving at the apartment, Layla immediately ran to her room, with Agatha following along with a chuckle. Meanwhile, Jayden went to the kitchen to have a drink. His meeting with Jonathan had indeed drained his emotions. "Aunt! I'll shower first!" Layla shouted as she closed the bathroom door. "Alright! Make sure it's clean! No need to rush!" "Okay!" Layla cheerfully responded. Agatha chuckled while opening Layla's closet, which was not far from the bathroom. "What outfit do you want me to prepare for you?" "Anything as long as you choose it, Aunt!" Layla yelled. "Okay, ready, Princess!" Agatha replied in a matching volume, making Layla burst into laughter inside. After preparing Layla's clothes on the bed, Agatha waited for the girl to finish showering while tidying up the room and taking the dirty clothes to the laundry room. Unlike the busy Agatha, Jayden was sitting silently at the dining table. A half-filled glass of water was still in his hand. He suddenly remembered Jonathan's words. "Does Father think Agatha is my girlfriend?" His inner thoughts began to grumble. Jayden took a sip of his water, then sighed. "He didn't even give his approval. Does he even know anything about Agatha?" Jayden chuckled cynically, then finished his drink until it was empty. "At least he can sincerely love Layla even though there's no relationship between them." Agatha didn't expect to find Jayden in the kitchen when she arrived. After cleaning up and breaking a slight sweat, Agatha intended to get a drink. Unexpectedly, she ended up sitting at a dining table with Jayden, sipping a glass of water slowly. "Thank you." As the initially silent atmosphere became awkward, Agatha was visibly nervous. Jayden's sudden words actually made Agatha's heart beat faster. She cleared her throat after taking another sip. "Uh, yes? For what?" Jayden smiled faintly, gazing at the empty glass in front of him. "Because you're going to stay here and take care of Layla. Yet you've only just met us." Agatha nodded, berating herself for briefly thinking of something inappropriate. "Oh, it's nothing. I should be the one thankful. My efforts are nothing compared to everything you've given me." Agatha smiled faintly, still remembering her unfortunate fate that night. "If you hadn't offered me a job then, I wouldn't know if I could sleep soundly and eat until full now." Unbeknownst to Agatha, Jayden had been observing and watching her. "If I hadn't met you back then, I wouldn't know how long I could see Layla become a cheerful girl. My busy work made Layla lonely at times, sometimes making it hard for me to focus at the office." Agatha fell silent, astonished by his long expression. She was reluctant to lift her gaze and could only stare at the water-filled glass in front of her. She spun it a few times to conceal her nervousness. Jayden smiled faintly and didn't want to break eye contact. "But thanks to you, now I'm calm and no longer worried. I'm grateful for your presence here. Thank you once again." "Mom, dad. It seems like I'm starting to like this man more," Agatha said spontaneously in her mind. She couldn't find words due to her embarrassment. "He makes me soar with his words," she added, still pondering with a smile that she restrained. Her jaw tensed as she held back from shouting out loud. So, Agatha just nodded and smiled tightly. "You're welcome. And sorry, because I just found out that besides being the CEO of this apartment, you also own a company." "What does that have to do with the apology?" "Actually, nothing. It's just that I feel guilty for not knowing something as cool as that." Agatha honestly felt awkward, wondering why she could apologize with that reason. Jayden reflexively held back a laugh upon hearing an apology that slipped a compliment. Agatha said it with great honesty. And that clearly made Jayden feel amused by Agatha's innocence. "Have you ever been a caregiver before?" Jayden changed the subject, feeling uneasy if he continued staring at Agatha. "No, why?" Finally, after some time, Agatha could lift her face as the topic had changed. "I'm amazed because you seem so used to it. You're not even bothered by Layla's spoiled tantrums." Agatha smiled shyly. Being face-to-face with someone you like is never free from nervousness. Normally, she tends to respond curtly or mostly she just responds indifferently when praised by other men. "I've never been a babysitter, but at least I know how to love them. I believe that affection is the most important thing that children should receive." Agatha tried to be wise. She hoped this effort would make her more trustworthy in taking care of Layla. Agatha smiled faintly, her memories of living in boarding slowly turning. "Although I've never been a babysitter, I've occasionally been asked by neighbors around the boarding house to look after their children while they were away for a few hours." "Oh, really? Would you be willing to do something like that?" Jayden's eyes implied admiration. He had never met a woman willing to do such a thing. Agatha nodded. "Besides feeling sorry for their children seeming neglected because their mothers want 'me time' with their friends, I'm also willing to do it because there's compensation." As if forgetting that Jayden was in front of her, Agatha chuckled softly after realizing she had been stiffly smiling. "Since I live in a boarding house and have to support myself, I'll do anything as long as I can earn money." "I can't seem to stop admiring you, Agatha," Jayden praised with his awareness intact. He was careful with his words. "Huh?" Agatha immediately gaped with her eyes slightly widened. "I thought you would pity me and call me materialistic? Don't I look like a woman who's obsessed with money?" Jayden couldn't hold back his laughter. This was the first time he could laugh in front of a stranger, especially a woman. "You're overthinking. The money you earn is also for your needs, right? I actually think you're an amazing woman." Agatha hoped her racing heart wouldn't make her cheeks blush. "I didn't expect you to praise me. Do you usually give compliments like that?" "To whom?" Jayden furrowed his brow, even though he understood what Agatha meant. Agatha shrugged, suddenly confused because she thought that was indeed the case. "To anyone? Like to women?" "I thought you realized that I have a cold demeanor?" Jayden raised an eyebrow. Agatha was stunned for a moment before swallowing slowly, then shifting her gaze. It was unbelievable that she hadn't realized earlier that Jayden caught her observing his movements. Agatha really wanted to sink into the ground out of embarrassment. "Yes, but what I just saw earlier didn't seem like you when you're outside." Jayden stifled a smile. Apparently, Agatha also had a funny side. But even more surprising, he didn't expect a girl like Agatha to make him feel something different after so long. Smiling and laughing in front of a woman other than Layla. "That's another side of me that I only show to certain people," Jayden revealed later. Agatha frowned in confusion. But she wasn't ready to look at Jayden yet as she was still neutralizing her feelings. She just remained silent, waiting for Jayden's next words. "More precisely, only with Layla." Jayden's lips widened into a big smile as Agatha still refused to look at him. "... And certainly with you too."