Shattered Vows: Call Me Auntie Now novel Chapter 11

She worried her son's behavior might upset Raymond; after all, he was here for a job interview, not to babysit.

Lydia was quick to react. She hurried over and scooped the little boy away from Raymond's side.

"Leo, let's go outside and look at the fish in the tank, okay?"

Denied a hug from Raymond, the little guy looked utterly disappointed.

He didn't throw a tantrum, but he kept turning his head, his dark, round eyes gazing back at the man with profound reluctance.

"My son really likes you."

Quinn considered it a good sign that the boy was willing to get close to him. At the very least, he didn't burst into terrified tears at the sight of him.

She motioned for him to sit by the sofa. "How should I address you?"

Raymond's brow furrowed slightly. "You can call me Ray."

Quinn nodded, cutting straight to the chase with a crisp tone.

"Ray, I'll be blunt. I'm hiring you primarily as a personal bodyguard for my son, Leo. Your job is to ensure his safety. You just need to stick close to him; you won't have to worry about anything else."

"What are your salary expectations?" Quinn added.

She asked in total earnestness. Raymond arched an eyebrow at her. "How much do you think I'm worth?"

That question caught Quinn off guard. She frowned slightly, not wanting to offend him, and pressed further, "What was your average monthly salary at your previous security detail?"

Raymond knew the going rate back East, but he wasn't familiar with Riverton's market.

After a brief pause, his lips parted. "Four thousand."

Quinn nodded, making an immediate counteroffer. "I'll give you six thousand. The base pay is six, but as long as you protect Leo and ensure he doesn't suffer a scratch, I'll throw in a hefty bonus."

This figure was already far above the industry standard.

Quinn genuinely felt he was reliable, and coupled with her son's extraordinary fondness for him, she was more than willing to offer premium compensation.

He had originally come to The Platinum Club today at someone's invitation to discuss a partnership.

However, after waiting all this time, the other party still hadn't seen him and had been relentlessly asking his assistant downstairs for updates.

As Caleb Jenkins dialed Raymond's number, he was already riding the elevator up.

To his surprise, when he reached the third floor, he saw Raymond standing in the corridor, his expression dark and unreadable.

"Boss, what are you doing out here? Mr. Xavier and the others are in room 309, they've been waiting for ages!"

Caleb assumed Raymond had simply walked into the wrong room.

Raymond didn't answer. His broad back turned as he strode directly toward the designated room.

Caleb followed for two steps before Raymond tossed his phone backward, straight into his hands.

"Use a new SIM card and register a WhatsApp account for me."