Shonee's POV
Finding a secluded balcony, I stepped outside into the cool night air and took deep breaths to calm the storm of emotions swirling within me.
"Oh God." I laid a hand on my chest. "I hope he bought my act otherwise..."
All hell would break loose.
Michael has been nothing but friendly ever since the day I met him, and I felt really bad for lying to him. But he was also Vincent's personal assistant and there was no way he could find out about us. Michael's assumptions about Vincent and me were the last thing I needed right now.
The night sky was alive with bright stars and a glowing crescent shaped moon. If I didn't know any better, I'd say mother nature was using this celebration to show off her beautiful, luminous artworks. I braced myself against the balustrade, admiring the night sky.
"Penny for your thoughts."
Recognizing the voice, I immediately whipped around to find Vincent approaching, hands tucked into his pockets. "Hi."
"Hey."
His arms soon went around my frame, pulling me close to him, then he laid a soft kiss on my forehead, which instantly had me pushing out of his embrace.
"What's wrong?" His eyebrows dipped low.
"Hello, we're at a public place. What if someone sees us?"
"They won't. Everyone's so busy fangirling over Avril and her dad that they haven't even noticed that I've been gone for the past fifteen minutes." He caressed my cheek, and I took another step back. His actions reminded me of Michael's on the dance floor.
"Shonee?"
"Look, you need to tone it down on the jealous boyfriend act, ok?" I spoke up. "If you keep doing that...I don't think we're going to remain a secret for long."
Vincent's mood changed from relaxed to serious. "What do you mean?"
"I mean Michael. When we were dancing earlier, he mentioned something about me being your woman. I don't think he knows, but that doesn't mean he doesn't suspect us."
Anger soon clouded every inch of Vincent's face. "I'm going to fire that imbe-"
"Whoa, no, no, no." Quickly, I grabbed him before he could move back into the party setting. "You can't do anything brash like that; you're only going to create a scene. And you don't want that, do you?"
For a moment, Vincent seemed like he wanted to carry on with his plan, but he must have given it enough thought because he heaved out a breath and brushed a hand over his face. "Well, what do you suppose we do?"
"Keep everything low-key." I responded. "He won't suspect anything if we don't give him a reason to."
Just then, Julius' voice came barreling out of the speakers. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the family toasts. Can the bride and groom make it up to the front stage?"
Sharing one last look, Vincent moved back into the party, ready to assume the groom duties he'd been loathing since the beginning.
Since I had been gone too long, I decided to maneuver my way back to my entourage. As Mirasol's nanny, I had abandoned her with Gerta for too long, and I wasn't exactly creating the best impression.
Weaving through the numerous well-dressed guests, my eyes soon caught sight of Gerta's gown and I walked in her direction. She stood with an old couple who seemed to be intrigued by what Mirasol was telling them.
"Hope I'm not interrupting." I announced my presence, and Gerta turned to me with a bright smile.
"Shonee, where have you been? I lost track of you when you and Michael hit the dance floor."
"Uuuh, yeah, I had to make a quick dash to the bathroom to touch up on my make-up. The dance floor was sort of a mini-workout," I forced out a laugh.
"Oh, so you're the famous Shonee." The elderly woman, who appeared to be in her sixties, looked regal in a long-sleeved dark red gown. The jewelry dangling from her neck and ears glittered like stars, and her hairstyle was pretty chic for a lady her age. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she and the old man standing beside her were billionaires.
"I see my reputation precedes me." A grin found its way onto my face.
"Of course." The old man, dressed in a tux with a red tie, nodded with a smile. "We've heard so much about you."
"All good things, I hope."
"Oh, you bet. We've heard so many good things about you, Ronald, and I almost thought you weren't real. And look, here you are." The old woman let out a pleasant chuckle as she extended a hand. "Vincentia Beckham, and this here is my husband, Professor Ronald Beckham. We're Vincent's parents."
"Wow, it's such an honour to meet you both." Now that she'd mentioned it, I could see traces of Vincent's features in both of them. He'd inherited those intense eyes from his mother and that sturdy jaw from his father. I shook hands with them. "This is a wonderful surprise. I didn't think I was going to meet both of you here."
"Well, ever since we retired and Vincent took over as the company's new CEO, we've been travelling the world, doing the things we couldn't do when we were still working," Mrs. Beckham admitted, and her husband nodded in agreement.
"But when Vincent told us he was going to get married, it only made sense to put our trips on hold so we could attend the wedding." The elderly man continued. "Plus, we missed our little granddaughter here." He gave Mirasol a few tickles, which had her giggling gleefully.
Mrs. Beckham's eyes shifted to me with enough gratitude. "Thank you for everything you've done, dear," she said in a low tone so only I could hear. "Mirasol has changed so much since the last time we saw her."
Being modest, I just let out a simple shrug. "Oh, it was nothing. Mirasol is just naturally a sweet girl."
"Yes, but I know it wasn't easy getting her out of her shell." A solemn look touched the old woman's features. "Nancy's death really took a toll on her, so much so that she even closed herself on us, her loving grandparents. I remember begging Vincent to find her a therapist. He hired five different ones, and none of them could break past her walls. I was honestly afraid that there was no hope for her until Vincent sent us pictures and videos of her performance at the NYU arts gallery. That was when he told us about you and everything you've done for Mirasol. You're a positive influence on her, and I couldn't be more grateful."
I smiled warmly, feeling a mix of relief and pride in that moment. "It's been my pleasure, Mrs. Beckham. Mirasol is an incredible young girl, and it's heartening to see her blossom through her artistic talents. I'm just glad I could be there to support her," I replied graciously.
Mrs. Beckham's eyes softened, and she gently squeezed my hand. "You've done more for her than you may realize. Vincent spoke highly of you, but meeting you in person, I can see why Mirasol has flourished under your care."
The sincerity in her words touched me, and I felt a renewed sense of responsibility toward Mirasol. It was a reminder that my role in her life extended beyond just being her nanny; I was helping her heal and grow.
The sound of metal hitting glass echoed throughout the venue, and we all turned towards the stage where Vincent, Avril, Mr. Richard Payne, and Julius stood, each with a champagne glass.
"May I please have your attention," Mr. Payne said into the microphone. "I propose a toast to our favorite couple, Vincent and Avril. May your journey together be filled with love, joy, and countless beautiful memories."
The room erupted in cheers and applause as the engaged couple stepped forward, their smiles radiant. Vincent glanced in my direction, and our eyes briefly locked. 
I couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions—the joy of celebrating this momentous occasion and the underlying tension of keeping our relationship hidden.