The Babysitter of the CEO's Forgotten Son

Valentina stopped in front of the building that housed Aslan S.A.’s headquarters. She looked around; it was immense—easily five times the size of the building she lived in. As she stared up, mesmerized by how tall the structure was, she nearly walked straight into the glass doors. Startled, she glanced to the side, catching a glimpse of a woman laughing and pointing her out to a colleague, who also began to laugh.

Swallowing her pride, Valentina adjusted herself and entered the building, heading toward the reception desk. When she reached the front desk, the receptionist finally looked up at her, as if silently questioning what someone like her was doing there.

"I’m here for an interview with Mr. Aslan," Valentina said. The words were barely out of her mouth before she witnessed the receptionist’s expression shift from Let’s get this over with to Wait… what did you just say?

Though she found it odd, the receptionist picked up the phone and called the CEO’s secretary, her brows furrowed in disbelief. To her surprise, the secretary confirmed that the CEO was indeed expecting a woman for an interview. The receptionist spent a few moments chatting idly on the phone, completely ignoring Valentina, who was left standing awkwardly. Losing patience with the blatant disrespect, Valentina cleared her throat.

With an annoyed expression, the receptionist hung up the phone, begrudgingly picked up a visitor’s badge, and handed it to Valentina.

"Here’s your pass. The elevators are at the end of the hallway. The CEO’s office is on the 45th floor," she said indifferently before turning her attention back to her tasks as if Valentina no longer existed.

Following the instructions of the stuck-up and snooty receptionist, who remained glued to the phone, Valentina walked to the elevators. Slightly flustered, she pressed the button, and the elevator arrived within seconds.

“I have to get this job,” she thought to herself as the elevator ascended. Valentina had never been so high up in a building before—this was a first for her. “God, help me,” she murmured, watching the ground grow farther away through the panoramic elevator’s glass walls.

The elevator stopped, opening directly into the CEO’s reception area. Unsure of what to do, Valentina took a moment to observe her surroundings. Everything was stunning—modern furniture, sleek walls—so pristine it felt like stepping into a movie set. Summoning all her courage, she stepped out of the elevator and hesitantly approached the secretary’s desk.

“Is she really the CEO’s secretary? She looks more like a model dressed in designer clothes!” Valentina thought as she approached, noticing how elegant and beautiful the woman was.

"Good morning," Valentina greeted.

"Good morning, Miss Valentina. Welcome. The CEO will see you shortly," the secretary said politely.

Valentina blinked in surprise at the secretary’s warmth, such a contrast to the snooty receptionist downstairs. She sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, waiting for the CEO. As she waited, she continued to take in her surroundings. The decor was minimalistic, with clean lines and a distinctly masculine touch.

The secretary made a call, drumming her fingers lightly on the desk with her left hand as she waited for someone to answer. Valentina, unsure of where to direct her attention, resumed studying the decor.

"Mr. Aslan, Miss Valentina is here to see you," the secretary said once the call connected. She remained silent for a moment, listening to the CEO’s response. "Yes, sir. I’ll inform her."

The secretary hung up the phone and turned to Valentina, who was watching her with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"You may enter the first door on the left. Good luck," the secretary said, offering a small smile.

Valentina stood up on shaky legs. She had never done a job interview before, and the nerves were eating her alive. Still, she had to hold herself together for her own sake.

"Thank you," Valentina murmured as she took hesitant steps toward the door.

As she entered the office, the CEO was waiting for her. She could feel his critical gaze on her, like a predator sizing up its prey. Her heart raced in anticipation.

"Take a seat," Aslan said in a serious tone, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk.

Nervously, with her hands glued to her sides because she didn’t know where else to put them, Valentina sat down, looking directly at the CEO, who, fortunately, wasn’t looking back at her at that moment.

Aslan opened a drawer, already impatient, and pulled out a folder containing Valentina’s résumé. He placed it on the desk and opened it with an air of indifference, barely acknowledging her presence. Scanning the résumé with quick efficiency, he stopped when he reached her age. He glanced between the paper and Valentina several times, trying to reconcile the young woman before him with the information on the page.

"Valentina... according to your résumé, you’re trained in first aid," Aslan began, silently cursing himself for hesitating at the start. He was used to interviewing nannies—his son was a handful who scared most of them away—but he hadn’t expected to be caught off guard by the striking woman in his office.

"Yes, I’m trained in first aid, and I’m currently studying early childhood education. I also love children," Valentina said, puffing her chest out with pride. She wasn’t about to miss an opportunity to show she wasn’t just any candidate. She had noticed the CEO’s judgmental looks. Valentina might be young, but she wasn’t naive.

“What’s a young woman with her whole life ahead of her doing applying to look after messy kids?” Aslan thought as he critically assessed her attire. Valentina wore a simple white long-sleeved shirt, dark blue jeans, and white Converse sneakers. She wasn’t wearing any jewelry, which made him silently question why.

"Yes, I can see that from your résumé," Aslan lied. He hadn’t really analyzed her résumé but wasn’t about to admit it. Skimming the paper once more, his brow furrowed as he searched for any red flags that might disqualify her. Finding none, he continued. "Everything seems to be in order with your résumé, but I’d like to know—what are your boundaries? What won’t you do?"

"I don’t cook or clean," Valentina replied firmly. She knew she had to set boundaries upfront; otherwise, she’d end up doing things outside her job description.

"Anything else?" he asked to confirm.

"No, that’s all," she said with a timid smile.

"We’ll get back to you by Friday to let you know if you’ve been selected," Aslan said, concluding the interview.

Valentina stood up, adrenaline still coursing through her from the tense and draining experience. Thankfully, she thought she had done well despite her potential boss’s intimidating demeanor. She walked out of the office, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

“God, I hope I get this job,” she thought as the elevator carried her back down to the ground floor. She would have a week to prepare herself for either rejection or, hopefully, the answer she was praying for—that she had been hired. It wasn’t her dream job, but it would pay her rent and keep her from being evicted.

Back in his office, Aslan sat at his desk, still holding Valentina’s résumé. He didn’t like the feelings she had stirred in him the moment she walked in. With a frustrated sigh, he crumpled the résumé slightly and shoved it back into the drawer. He let out a growl of annoyance and called for his secretary. His sharp tone surprised even her.

"Yes, sir," Anne said as she entered the office, taken aback by his demeanor.

"Bring me something for a headache," Aslan growled, turning his back to her.

Aslan heard the irritating sound of his phone ringing, which only made his headache worse.

"I bet my secretary went to get the medicine, but what the hell is taking her so long?" he thought angrily. Picking up the phone, he realized it was his friend Tomás—the chatterbox who didn’t work and didn’t let him work either.

“Speak up, pest!” Aslan said curtly, pressing his aching temples.

“What’s up with you today? Did some wild animal bite you?” Tomás’s voice was annoyingly cheerful over the phone. “Get ready to go out. We’re hitting up a nearby café. I’m starving!”

Tomás hung up before Aslan could say he wasn’t going anywhere with him. The abruptness left Aslan both annoyed and suspicious.

There was a knock at the door, and without a shred of patience, he told the person to come in.

“Here’s the medicine you asked for, sir,” Anne said as she entered, clearly stating her purpose. Aslan, frowning and with a perpetually sour expression caused by his worse