r/AmazingStories

“As far as this building is concerned, you were never here this weekend. Grab what you can. You may need it later.”

She said it fast, eyes forward, barely above a whisper.

“I’ll have to tell them I didn’t see you. For your safety and mine.”

And then the part that lodged deep in my bones:

“Think long and hard about what you do next. He is a very powerful man. Be careful who you trust with your story.”

Excerpt from THE BILLIONAIRE’S SECRETARY by A. TRSAR

Babysitting and mom hasn’t come back…?

I (22F) am babysitting for a regular client of mine. She has 3 children ages 5, 7, and 13. She asked me if I could watch the kids until 5:30pm. I texted her at 5pm asking if I should make the kids dinner because they were hungry or if she had dinner plans but I didn’t get a reply. Texted again at 6:30pm asking if everything is okay and still no reply. It is now 7pm and I have tried calling with no response.

Obviously I’m not just going to leave these children but I did have other plans tonight that I’m going to have to cancel. I’m more just worried for her safety and if she got into a car accident or something horrible?? This isn’t like her at all and the latest she’s ever been was 30 minutes. What should I do?

Update: she ended up getting heat stroke!!! I made the kids dinner and am getting them ready for bed until the grandma can come relieve me. Thank you all for the advice!! I didn’t have any emergency contacts but was able to get ahold of her work and they let me know what happened. Once she is feeling better I will talk to her about getting some emergency contacts.

Update #2: I’m officially relieved and paid for my time plus some. She is apologizing profusely for the whole situation and I assured her that all is well and I’m just glad she’s okay

Update #3: 21 days later and the same thing happened but it wasn’t medical this time. Just a blatant disrespect of my time. This is now the last time I’m babysitting for this family.

Just a quick note. Daughter of Heaven is both fantasy and supernatural. Anyways, here's the fifth chapter.

Soul Castle

4:31 PM

As the bus reached the stop, Renee got up from her seat. She moved to the front and stepped out when the doors opened. The doors folded shut behind her as the bus drove away from the curb.

Renee made her way through the parking lot toward Soul Castle. Numerous cars occupied the spaces outside, and she noticed people sitting by the windows, chatting and dining. Judging by the crowd, the diner was having a fairly busy afternoon.

She pushed open the front door and stepped inside.

The smell of fried chicken, country-fried steak, and fresh coffee filled the air. The clatter of silverware and the hum of conversation surrounded her as servers moved between the tables, carrying plates of food and refilling drinks. Renee walked past the occupied tables, receiving a few familiar looks from the staff.

One server spotted her and smiled.

“Hey, Renee,” she greeted.

“Hey,” the girl replied with a small smile.

She headed toward the kitchen. The air grew hotter as she approached, thick with the smell of sizzling meat and fried food. Grills hissed as cooks worked behind the counter, while servers hurried in and out with plates balanced in their hands.

Renee passed the dish pit and made her way toward the office. She knocked once before opening the door.

Lucius sat behind his desk, staring at something on his computer.

“Hey, Pop-Pop,” Renee greeted.

Lucius looked up and smiled.

“Hey, pumpkin. How was school?”

“Gloomy,” Renee said.

She took off her jacket and hung it on a hook beside her backpack.

“One of the cheerleaders died.”

Lucius's smile faded.

“Well, that's awful.”

“Yeah.” Renee grabbed an apron and began tying it around her waist. “But it's weird, though. Her heart's missing.”

Lucius stopped typing.

He slowly looked at his granddaughter.

“Her heart?” he asked.

“Yeah, but if you ask me, I think demons—”

“No, no, no, no.” Lucius held up a hand. “Leave the demon hunting alone.”

“But, Pop-Pop—”

“But nothing.” Lucius pointed toward the kitchen. “Now get to work.”

Renee rolled her eyes.

“Yes, Pop-Pop,” she muttered.

She turned toward the door, clearly annoyed.

Lucius watched her leave, his expression becoming more serious.

Renee returned to the dining room. The servers were busy attending to their customers, carrying plates and refilling drinks as conversations filled the restaurant.

As she looked around, she noticed a man sitting alone at a table near the window. He looked to be in his early twenties. He was tan-skinned and handsome, with dark brown dreadlocks that fell around his shoulders.

Renee walked over, putting on her best hospitality smile.

“Hi, welcome to Soul Castle,” she greeted him. “Has anyone taken your order?”

The man looked up at her.

“No,” he answered simply.

“Oh, okay. Well, my name is Renee, and I'll be taking care of you.” She pulled out her notepad and pen. “What can I get you to drink?”

“Water with lemon is fine,” the man said.

Renee wrote it down.

“Okay. Anything else? An appetizer, or do you want to skip straight to an entrée?”

The man didn't answer immediately.

Instead, his eyes slowly traveled from Renee's face down to her shoes before returning to her eyes.

Renee noticed.

She didn't like it.

“I'll have the spinach dip,” he said, a faint smirk spreading across his face.

Renee jotted down the order.

“Okay. I'll be right back.”

She turned and walked away, but the uneasy feeling followed her.

She entered his order into the POS system before heading into the kitchen. She grabbed a cup from the rack, filled it with ice, poured in some water, and added a lemon slice from the fruit tray.

Once she finished, Renee returned to the dining room and walked back to the man's table.

“Your water,” she said, placing the glass in front of him. “Do you know what you want to—”

“Please, join me, little sister,” the man interrupted.

Renee stopped.

She stared at him.

“...Excuse me?”

“Sit with me for a moment,” the man said.

Renee gave him an awkward smile.

“Uh, I'm on the clock right now, so I can't—”

“I insist.”

Something about the way he said it made Renee pause.

She glanced around the dining room, then back at him. The man simply stared at her.

After a moment, Renee reluctantly pulled out the chair and sat across from him.

He continued watching her. There was something unnerving about his gaze, as though he were trying to see beyond her face and into her thoughts.

Renee shifted in her seat.

“Tell me something, little sister,” he said. “Have you ever experienced loss?”

Renee stared at him. The question caught her completely off guard.

“Why the hell do you wanna know?” she asked.

The man's expression remained calm.

“Because I can see it in your eyes,” he said.

Renee frowned.

“See what?”

“Pain.”

Renee's expression hardened.

She crossed her arms.

“Doubtful. Mostly because I don't know you, and you don't know me.”

“I don't have to know you to see your suffering,” the man replied. “After all, loss has a way of challenging people. It can make them stronger... or consume them.”

“Okay,” Renee said dismissively.

She stood up and turned away.

Before she could take another step, the man grabbed her arm.

Renee immediately looked down at his hand.

“Let go of me,” she said.

The man leaned closer.

“You don't have to hide it,” he said quietly. “I can help you.”

Renee's expression hardened.

She slowly pulled her arm free from his grip, forcing his hand away as if it weighed nothing.

“Who the hell are you?”

A faint smile crossed his face.

“Someone who understands what you've been through.”

Renee's eyes narrowed.

“And how exactly do you know what I've been through?”

The man's smile widened.

“Join us,” he said, ignoring her question.

A male server noticed the interaction and walked over, his expression growing concerned. “Renee?” he called. Both Renee and the man looked at him. “Everything okay?” he asked. “Yeah, Alex,” Renee said, looking back at the man. “Everything's fine.”

She turned and walked toward the kitchen. Alex followed her. “What was that about?” “Don't know. Don't care,” Renee replied. She grabbed a stack of menus from the counter and began straightening them, avoiding his gaze. Alex watched her for a moment. “You sure?” he asked. Renee sighed. “I'm fine, Alex,” she reassured.

She glanced back toward the dining room.

The man was still sitting at his table.

Still watching her.

Renee quickly looked away.

9:27 PM

A sixteen-year-old girl with sky-blue highlights in her blonde hair waited in the living room of her family's large mansion, dressed for a night out. Her parents were away, so she had the house to herself. She sat on the couch, texting her friend, who was already waiting for her at the carnival. The loss of Amelia still affected her greatly. She hoped the night out would clear her mind.

A notification appeared on her phone.

Your driver has arrived.

Katie smiled.

“Finally,” she said. She slipped her phone into her purse, grabbed her keys, and headed outside. After locking the front door behind her, she walked down the steps. A white car waited at the curb. Katie approached the vehicle. The driver leaned over and unlocked the back door. The girl opened it.

“Katie?” he asked.

“That's me,” the girl said.

The man nodded.

“Hop in,” he said.

Katie climbed into the back seat and closed the door. The driver pulled away from the curb. For the first few minutes, Katie relaxed against the seat, scrolling through her phone. The glow from the screen illuminated her face as she exchanged messages with her friend. Then something caught her attention. Katie looked out the window. The familiar streets had disappeared.

She frowned. “Wait…,” she said. She glanced toward the dashboard. The driver's phone was mounted beside the steering wheel, its navigation screen displaying a route. It wasn't taking them toward the carnival. Katie sat upright. “Hey,” she said. “I think you're going the wrong way.”

The driver didn't answer.

Katie lowered her phone.

“Hello?”

Nothing.

Only the hum of the engine filled the car.

Her stomach tightened.

“Sir?”

The driver slowly looked at her through the rearview mirror.

A grin spread across his face.

“Sorry, doll,” he said. “You ain't going to the fairgrounds.”

Katie's face went pale.

“What?”

She reached for the door handle.

It didn't move.

She tried again.

Nothing.

Her breathing quickened.

“Open the door.”

The driver said nothing.

“Open the damn door!”

Katie grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled as hard as she could.

Locked.

Panic surged through her.

“Stop the car!”

The driver chuckled.

Katie's eyes darted around the back seat.

Her phone.

Her purse.

The windows.

Nowhere to go. The car suddenly slowed and pulled onto the shoulder of a deserted stretch of road. Katie stared through the windshield. There were no houses, no pedestrians, no other cars—just darkness. The engine shut off. Silence filled the vehicle. The driver's door opened. Katie's heart hammered against her chest. “Please…” she begged.

The driver's footsteps moved around the car. Katie scrambled toward the opposite door, desperately pulling at the handle.

Still locked.

The rear passenger door suddenly opened. “Get away from me!” Katie screamed. The driver lunged into the back seat and grabbed her. Katie fought with everything she had. She kicked, scratched, and clawed at his arms, desperately trying to break free. “LET ME GO!” Katie yelled. The driver tightened his grip. “Easy now,” he said. “HELP!” the girl continued shouting.

Her scream disappeared into the empty night. Katie's strength began to fade. Her movements became slower. Her vision blurred as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She could hear the driver's breathing.

Calm.

Almost relaxed.

Katie's eyes fluttered.

“No…”

Her body went limp.

The driver held her for a moment, making sure she was unconscious.

Then he pulled out his phone.

His expression changed into a satisfied smile as he typed.

I have her. Heading to you now.

He pressed send.

A few seconds passed.

Three dots appeared on the screen.

Then a reply.

Good. Your patience will be rewarded soon.