Chapter 1

Valentina stopped in front of the building that housed the headquarters of Aslan S.A., looked around, it was huge, it could well fit five buildings more than she lived in. As she looked up, amazed at how tall the building she was about to enter was, she almost hit the glass doors. Startled, she looked over to see a girl laughing and pointing at a colleague who also started laughing at her.

She swallows her pride, straightens up and enters the building, heading for the reception desk. As soon as she was in front of the reception desk, the receptionist finally looked at her as if to question what a young woman was doing there.

- I've come for an interview with Mr. Aslan. -- As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Valentina saw the woman's expression go from hmm spit it out, I want to be rid of you to What did you say?

The receptionist strangely calls the CEO's secretary with a frown, who to her disbelief confirms that the CEO was expecting a woman for the interview, and they spend a few minutes chatting as if Valentina wasn't there. Impatient with the lack of respect, Valentina stifled a snort. The receptionist hangs up the phone, annoyed, takes out a release badge and hands it to Valentina, saying:

- Here's your release. The elevators are at the end of the corridor. The CEO's office is on floor 45.

With indifference, he returned to his tasks as if Valentina were no longer in front of him.

She followed the instructions of the snobbish receptionist who was still on the phone, even though she was a little flustered, and called the elevator, which didn't take a minute.

"I have to get this job!" She thought to herself as the elevator ascended the floors. Valentina had never been so high up in a building in her life, this would be her first time. "God help me!" She thought as she watched through the glass windows of the panoramic elevator as it got further and further away from the ground

The elevator stopped and opened directly at the CEO's reception desk. Valentina, still unsure of how to act, observed everything around her, the furniture, the walls, everything was beautiful and wonderful, it even seemed as if she had stepped into a movie, everything in that room was so perfect. Gathering up all her courage, she stepped out of the elevator and wobbled her way to the secretary's office.

"Is she really the secretary of the all-powerful CEO? She looks more like a model in designer clothes!" He asked himself as he got closer and realized how elegant and beautiful the woman was.

- Good morning.

- Good morning, Miss Valentina. Welcome. The CEO will be right with you," he says politely. Valentina blinked in astonishment at such politeness, which was very different from the receptionist's queasiness. She sat down in the armchair in front of the secretary's desk, waiting for the company's CEO to arrive. While she waited, she went back to observing the floor she was on: everything was very asymmetrical and minimalist, with little decoration; there really was a masculine touch there.

The secretary phoned somewhere while she wasn't being answered, delicately fingering the fingers of her left hand on the table, showing that she was anxious. Without knowing what to do, Valentina turned her attention to the decoration.

- Mr. Aslan, Miss Valentina is waiting for you. - Anne said as soon as the call was answered, remaining silent for a minute as she listened to the CEO's callback. - Yes, sir. I'll let her know.

The receptionist hung up the phone and looked at Valentina, who was staring at her with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

- You can go into the first room on the left, I hope you get the job. - The secretary said with a small smile on her lips.

Valentina got up from the armchair on shaky legs, she had never had a job interview in her life. Nervousness was eating her up from the inside out, but she had to hold on for her own good.

- Thank you! - Valentina murmured as she took faltering steps in the direction indicated by the secretary.

As soon as Valentina entered the room, which had its door open, the CEO was waiting for her, she could feel his critical gaze on her, she felt as if she were prey about to be slaughtered, her heart racing in anticipation.

- You can sit down. - Aslan said with a serious tone and pointed to a chair opposite his desk. Valentina, a little nervous and with her sweaty hands glued to her body because she didn't know where to put them, sat down in the chair looking directly at the CEO who, thank heaven, wasn't looking at her at that moment.

Aslan opened his drawer, already impatient, and took out the folder containing the CV of the candidate for his son's nanny. He placed it on the table, opening it as if he didn't care about Valentina standing in front of him. He ran his eyes over the CV, reading it dynamically, stopped at the age of the woman in front of him, looked at the paper and at Valentina again and again, trying to understand why the woman in front of him appeared to be younger than what was written on the paper.

- Valentina... from what I've seen on your CV, you have a degree in first aid - Aslan begins, cursing himself for hesitating at first. He was used to interviewing nannies, his son was a little pest who couldn't stop any nanny, so he'd get used to interviews, but he was taken by surprise when that beauty walked into his office. Anne had informed him that a nanny candidate was coming in the next day. Aslan hadn't even bothered to ask how old Valentina was, he'd just taken the CV and shoved it in the drawer.

- Yes, I have a degree in first aid, I'm studying pedagogy and I love children. - Valentina said as she puffed out her chest, proud of her achievements. She wouldn't miss the opportunity to show that she wasn't just anyone in the bread queue. She had noticed the CEO's judgmental stares. Valentina may have been young, but she was no fool.

"What does a young woman who has her life ahead of her want to look after?" Aslan thought as he critically analyzed the candidate's outfit. Valentina was wearing a white knitted shirt with sleeves, earlier he could see that she was wearing dark blue jeans and white ALL STAR shoes, she wasn't wearing any jewelry, which made him wonder why.

- Yes, I could tell by looking at her CV. - Aslan was lying, he hadn't looked at Valentina's CV, but he couldn't let the ball drop at this point. He ran his eyes over the CV once again, concentrating, frowning, looking for any obstacles that might go against what he was looking for in a nanny, but he didn't find any. - As far as I can see, everything is fine with your CV, but I'd like to know from you what you don't do at all?

- I don't cook and I don't tidy up. - Valentina said, imposing limits; she knew very well that she would have to set limits right from the start, otherwise she would soon be doing what was not in her bones. Aslan simply nodded in agreement.

- Is there anything else you don't do? - He asked to make sure it was just that.

- No, that's all. - Valentina replied with a shy smile.

- We'll let you know by Friday if you've passed. - Aslan said, finishing the job interview.

Valentina got up from her chair, trembling from the adrenaline released into her body during the interview, which had been quick and stressful for her. Thankfully, she thought she had done well, despite her future boss's scowl, and walked towards the office exit with her thoughts in turmoil.

"God help me and I got this job!" Valentina thought as the elevator got closer and closer to the ground. She would have a week to prepare herself both for a negative response and for the one she hoped would come, that she had been chosen for the job, even though it wasn't her dream job, it was the one that would pay her rent, thus preventing her from being evicted.

Aslan, sitting in his chair, still had Valentina's CV in his hands. He didn't like the way he felt as soon as he saw her and angrily threw the slightly crumpled CV back into the drawer. He snorted with stress and shouted for his secretary. She even found his attitude strange, as he had never treated her like this before.

- Yes, sir. - Anne said, entering the office surprised by the way Aslan had treated her.

- Bring me something for my headache. - Aslan growls, turning his back on the desk.