Prologue

She, Elizabeth Imogene Webber, was pitiful.

For over a year, she had worked for Jason Morgan and during that time she had adjusted to the lavish lifestyle around her. Including the constant presence of bodyguards, who had blended into the background after awhile and even turned out to be wonderful friends. She enjoyed her work and the perks that came with it. The only problem she had with her job was her boss.

The notorious Jason Morgan wasn't an unkind employer, but the man's social skills needed some adjustments. He was cold and anti-social. He spoke no more than ten words at once to her and in many cases answered her with a nod or a shake of the head. At first, he had intimidated her with his silent ways, but after spending some time around him and a little bit of prodding by Emily and Brenda, she had become comfortable in the Morgan penthouse. That didn't mean her skittishness around her boss had disappeared.

The man was stoic, which she guessed came with the territory of the life he led. She didn't pretend that she wasn't aware of what he did for a living. She had no place to judge him for his choice of profession or associates. She was just an employee that he paid to take orders-not to be heard from.

Blowing her bangs out of her eyes, Elizabeth pulled the spaghetti straps of her red cami into place as she moved about the spacious living room, gathering things here and there. Stalking barefoot across the beige rug, she dumped an arm full of trinkets into a large wicker basket. Pivoting to face the living room, Elizabeth groaned when her eyes traveled over the coffee table. She wasn't done cleaning yet; there were books scattered over the coffee table. There were two things left for her to do before she needed to go get ready: clean the coffee table and put together lunch. Her work wasn't stressful, but sometimes she felt swindled by time.

Straightening the numerous travel books and grabbing the abandoned black ceramic coffee cup, Elizabeth smiled at the tidy living room around her cleaned just in time. Striding proudly, she passed the pool table that dominated the dining room and walked straight into the kitchen. Standing over the stainless steel sink, the brunette grimaced at the pitch-black coffee that drained down the pipes. How the man could stomach coffee without milk and sugar was a mystery to her. She was a hot chocolate girl.

The daily cup of black coffee in the morning was one of the few habits-that she was aware of-that the man had. He was different than any other male she knew. He had a pool table instead of a dinning table. His leather jacket was rarely absent, even during the summer. He was normal in his own way.

Jason Morgan was a perfect gentleman that many women would-did fawn over. Her only problem with the blue-eyed enforcer was his treatment of her. His cold demeanor toward her made her self-conscious and made her feel she had done something wrong or offended him in some way. She understood that sometimes you receive the cold shoulder from those you work for, but not all the time. Sometimes she wondered why she was still here.

"Liz!" a child's voice echoed through the penthouse.

Lila Amanda Morgan was the reason.

It had been her final year at Port Charles University, when she was in desperate need of a job. Her waitressing position at Kelly's was no longer covering her expenses. Emily Quartermaine, her high school best friend, in some ways came to her rescue. Her brother, a single father, at the time was in need of a nanny and Emily had decided she was perfect for the position. Brenda Corinthos had walked in, in the middle of her argument with Emily and interjected herself because her husband's best friend was a part of the dilemma and she enjoyed aggravating the man. After two hours of nonstop bickering with the two headstrong women, she had agreed to allow Emily to speak with her brother about an interview.

A week later, she had walked into the Corinthos & Morgan Coffee warehouse nervous as hell, on the verge of emptying her stomach into a toilet at any moment. Emily was there, but that didn't help her nerves much. She had rambled through out the interview and fidgeted in her seat like a five year old. Jason Morgan didn't help her situation much either with his five-word questions and stony expression.

That all changed the moment the tear-stained three year-old stumbled into the office with a light blue stuffed bunny in her arms. The child instantly captured her heart and from that moment they were inseparable. Lil, her nickname, was unlike any other toddler she had known. The child was full of energy and always seeking to learn new things.

Lil had recently turned four and for a month Elizabeth had wondered what to get the child that had everything. In the end she went out to a local bookstore and brought as many landscape photograph books as she could find for the child, but yet it still didn't seem enough for her and then it came to her only two nights before Lil's birthday. It had brought joy into her heart to see the four year-old's face light up when she ripped off the paper to find her favorite photograph from a travel book on Italy; Venetian glassblowers at work at Murano, the Glass Island. She had fallen in love with the young child that she looked after and unknowingly the child kept her in the Morgan household.

Lil patted into the well-lit kitchen, her short golden hair tussled from her nap. A pout on her lips, the young child went straight to the woman she had come to adore as more than a nanny. Instantly, the nanny kneeled, scooping the child into her arms.

Brushing aside her hair, Elizabeth placed her cheek gently against the child's forehead since her hands were cold from washing the coffee cup. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

The child continued to pout.

"Are you not feeling well?" Elizabeth asked concerned. Lil didn't feel warm and she had eaten her breakfast without any problems.

"No," the child mumbled.

Elizabeth frowned. "Then what's wrong?"

"I can't find Mr. Floppy." She continued to pout as tears formed in her eyes.

"Aw, sweetie," Elizabeth murmured brushing away the child's soft golden hair. "He's in your playroom right on top of your play table." Mr. Floppy was the blue bunny that she had first seen Lil with. It was the color of the sky and made of velvet fabric. It had been one of the first things her father had given her and the child had kept it with her since. Lil went everywhere with it. She rarely misplaced the bunny and when she did, she became extremely sad.

Lil raised her head and looked up with a light of hope in her soft stunning blue eyes. "Are you sure?"

Elizabeth chuckled at the child's suspicion. "Yes, I'm sure."

Lil kissed her on the cheek and asked politely, "Can you put me down? I need to go get Mr. Floppy to have lunch with us."

Placing a ticklish kiss on the child's neck, Elizabeth placed her on her feet and watched her scurry away. "Come back down and we'll put lunch together," she called out to the young child.

It was spring and being cooped up in the penthouse all day drove both her and the toddler nuts, so they made it a habit of having some activity planned for the day. Today, it was a picnic at the park. Lil had been the one to suggest going to the park. The toddler adored the outdoors, always insisting on a trip somewhere whether it was the petting zoo or the docks. The days the young child's father was available to spend time with her, Elizabeth took the day off and stayed out of their way.

It wasn't just the fact that her employer didn't enjoy company her that she took the day off, but the reason was Elizabeth wanted Lil to have as much time with her father as she could. Lil spent nearly every waking second with Elizabeth. The few exceptions that she was with her father were when he was available for meals. The man rarely ate, but for his daughter's benefit from time to time enjoyed a plate of healthy food with her.

Whenever the single father and young child spent time together, Elizabeth felt as if she were intruding and chose to keep her distance. They were a family. She was the hired help.

Shaking her head free of her thoughts, Elizabeth's eyes traveled to the four-year old that had reappeared at the threshold of the kitchen. Mr. Floppy was now safely tucked in the crock of her arm. Lil stood examining her nanny, a pondering look on her face. Elizabeth knew that look. The child was about to ask a serious question.
"Liz," the child said, shifting from her spot.

"Yes, sweetie," Elizabeth murmured, turning to face the counter that the breadbox sat on.

"Can I ask you something?"

She was right. The child's curiosity had been piqued by something.

Pulling open the cover of the breadbox, Elizabeth reached inside for six slices of rye bread. A sandwich for her, Lil, and Max. Neatly placing the slices of bread on the wooden board, the young nanny moved for the fridge. Elizabeth froze at the soft words that reached her ears.

"Do you think my daddy loves me?"

Pivoting sharply, Elizabeth's eyes fell on Lil's heart broken face. Instantly the child was in her arms as Elizabeth held Lil close to her heart and tried to comfort her. "Of course he does," she murmured to the child, gently running a hand up and down the child's back.

Lil raised her head and looked up at Elizabeth with tears cascading down her youthful face. "Then why don't I have a mommy?" she asked helplessly.

Elizabeth's breath hitched at the child's silent question. She didn't know anything about Lil's mother. No one mentioned her including Lil's father. And Elizabeth had never had the courage to ask anyone even Emily. All she knew about the mother that had given birth to the angel in her arms was that her name was Samantha McCall. She had seen Lil's birth records once during a doctor's appointment and learned the mother's name. Other than that she had no idea if the woman was dead or alive. If alive, where was she?

"Lil," Elizabeth sighed, brushing away the child's wet tears. "I don't know. I think you'd have to ask your Daddy about your mommy."

The child sniffled.

"Why do you think she went away? Was it because of me?" the child said guiltily.

"Of course not," Elizabeth said sharply. Lil was an amazing child with a kind heart that only deserved to be loved.

The child wiped her nose. Her cerulean blue eyes, the same shade as her father's reflected her misery. It broke Elizabeth's heart to see the twinkle in the child's eyes gone. Swiping away her tears, Lil asked. "Will you ever leave me?"

Tears flooded Elizabeth's eyes. "Never," she said, placing a tender kiss on the child's forehead. "You'll always have me."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The child held out her pinky. "Pinky swear?"

The corners of Elizabeth's lips lifted. Hooking her own pinky with the child's, "Pinky swear," Elizabeth agreed.

The sparkle in the child's eyes returned and a soft smile began to form on her lips. Kissing Elizabeth's cheek, the child began to squirm to be put down. Sitting her down on the blue counter of the kitchen island, Elizabeth moved to the fridge once again. Retrieving the chicken fingers from the freezer, Elizabeth's eyes once again landed on Lil. The young child folded napkins, carefully placing them in the picnic basket after she was done.

Lil was Jason Morgan's life and joy. When he was with her, the true him made an appearance. Around any child, a loving fatherly side came out in the blue-eyed enforcer. He laughed and conversed with Lil. Explaining things in a simple way that her young mind could understand. He read travel books to her, telling her about the places he'd been too. He treated her and any child like an adult. All Lil needed to do was pout with big blue eyes moist and her father would move the earth if he could for her. Lil had him wrapped around her little finger. She was without a doubt Daddy's little girl.

It was the side of Jason Morgan that came out around children that made it easier for Elizabeth to bear being in his presence. And the reason that to this day her letter of resignation remained safely tucked away in her journal.