"I'm sorry, your what?"
"My baby brother," the CEO replied casually, as if it were the most ordinary request in the world. "I want you to babysit him."
Roseanne stood there with a thousand questions racing through her mind at ninety kilometers per second, unable to understand a single word coming from the woman in front of her.
From the very first moment she set foot here, she had never been asked to babysit. It wasn't in the job description either.
Besides, Genevieve Gjorgiev didn't even have a younger brother. She was the only child of the Gjorgiev family. Roseanne had been her assistant for years, there was no way she wouldn't know if one existed. Unless, of course, he was a secret meant to be hidden.
Just like in the typical rich families she read about in novels.
Finally noticing the dumbfounded look on Roseanne's face, Genevieve snorted. "You look constipated, Rose!" She burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the moment. "He's my cousin, actually," she added.
"Then what about you?" Roseanne asked carefully.
"I'm going to take a break for a while," Genevieve said casually. "While I'm on holiday, my cousin will fill in and see how things go at the company. Don't worry, he's easy to deal with and very, very cute. A bit of a brat sometimes but you can just smack his head if he acts up."
Genevieve threw out the words all at once and Roseanne still stood there struggling to process everything.
A brat?
Cute?
Teenager?
"You're going on holiday? When? Next month?" Roseanne asked, scrolling through Genevieve's packed schedule on her tablet.
"Tomorrow."
Her fingers froze. She looked up to find Genevieve smiling innocently, while her own head felt like it was about to explode.
"MS. GJORGIEV!"
The CEO acted surprised, laughing. "I'll bring you some souvenirs!"
Roseanne's jaw dropped. For God's sake, she was her assistant! A vacation this sudden? Genevieve should have told her at least two months in advance, especially with how insane her schedule was.
She knew her boss had always done whatever she pleased, but she hadn't realized it was this extreme. Genevieve was a workaholic through and through, so she rarely took holidays or even a normal day off.
"Ms. Gjorgiev, you have an important dinner tomorrow with Mr. Larson," Roseanne reminded her, doing her best to stay level-headed.
Genevieve made a face and waved her hand dismissively. "Cancel it. I'm done talking to him. You're sick of his assistant too, right? That creep always eyes you up and down. Both of them are disgusting pricks."
"But—"
"No buts! They don't respect me or my assistant, so I don't want anything to do with them anymore." Genevieve's voice was sharp.
Roseanne sighed softly, tapping a quick note on her tablet. "When will your cousin arrive?"
"In two days, if he's not busy. Next week, if he's being a brat," the CEO replied casually, as if the fate of the company wasn't dangling in the air.
Roseanne's composure wavered. She could feel her chest rise and fall heavily, fighting to keep calm. Every time Genevieve spoke so nonchalantly about something that would send anyone else into a panic, it took every ounce of restraint not to scream.
After that entire rollercoaster of a conversation, Roseanne returned to her desk in a daze, mentally replaying every word Genevieve had said.
Her boss was going on holiday starting tomorrow, for who knew how long. And in her absence, her mysterious cousin would be taking over the company. Maybe in two days or next week, only he knew.
Roseanne could only hope Genevieve hadn't exaggerated when she said this baby brother was "easy to deal with". Because right now, all she could picture was a bratty teenager in an expensive suit and the thought alone was exhausting.
Please, don't let him be a bratty teenager.
Please, God, don't let him be a bratty teenager.
· · ·
He wasn't a bratty teenager.
"He's already at the office?"
Roseanne's heart jumped into her throat. Panic clawed at her chest. Why would this baby brother show up today instead of tomorrow as planned? And so early in the morning too?
She had never been late to the office in her life but this morning had been pure chaos. Kaden threw a tantrum before preschool, leaving her scrambling to get him ready and catch the train on time.
"Yeah! Hurry, please. He's actually scarier than Ms. Gjorgiev," Abigail's voice quivered on the other end of the line.
"So he's not a bratty teenager?" Roseanne asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
"No! I don't know about bratty, but he's definitely not a teenager. He's… terrifying, Rose. Everyone's been completely silent!" Abigail sounded like she wanted to cry.
Roseanne couldn't help but smile despite the rising tension in her chest. "I'm arriving soon," she said firmly.
She could handle scary people.
After ending the call, Roseanne barely had time to catch her breath before the train pulled into the station. She pushed through the sea of commuters and weaved quickly between bodies.
The office wasn't far, so she dashed forward in her heels, muttering quick apologies whenever she accidentally bumped someone.
According to the clock, despite surviving Kaden's morning tantrum, she was still not late. Perfectly on time.
This guy is too excited to start his first day, she thought, suppressing a groan.
Arriving at the office, Roseanne spotted Abigail waving frantically at her. She returned the wave with a quick smile before hurrying to her own desk.
She gathered her tablet and everything she might need, double-checking schedules and notes. Taking a steadying breath, she squared her shoulders and walked toward the CEO's office.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The deep voice caught her off guard, Roseanne had to mentally slap herself to pull it together. And judging by that voice, he was definitely not a teenager.
She reached for the handle and pushed the door open. Her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she stepped inside.
But before she could greet him the way she usually greeted Genevieve, Roseanne froze. Her heart pounded violently in her chest and her legs trembled, barely able to hold her upright.
The man sitting in Genevieve's usual chair was intimidating. Broad-shouldered, solidly built, and radiating a menacing presence, he seemed to dominate the room. His dark hair framed sharp features, but it was his obsidian eyes that held her attention, piercing straight through her.
Their gazes met, and for a split second, she caught a flicker of surprise in his expression, enough to make her chest tighten further.
He tilted his head slowly, grinning like a predator who had finally spotted his prey.
"Roseanne Leclair?"
Her heart dropped. She wanted to run.
Forget about him being a baby brother.
This man was… her baby father.