Chapter 14_ Babysitter

As soon as Mr. Jackson exited the room after signing, Franko turned to Arya with a grave expression. "Now that this is taken care of, have you familiarized yourself with our corporate protocol on moonlighting?" he inquired.

"Well...yes, sir...but..." Arya stuttered nervously.

"I would prefer not to discuss it at the moment; there are a few matters I need to consider first. I expect to see you in my office tomorrow morning. We have some serious matters to address." Franko declared, to which Arya simply nodded in acknowledgement.

That evening, instead of heading home, Arya phoned Chloe to meet her at their usual bar and share her concerns over a few drinks. "This week has been a complete disaster, Chloe. Franko and Kane almost got into a physical altercation, and I was caught moonlighting. Tomorrow, he wants to have a 'serious talk' with me, and I know he's going to fire me for good this time." Arya lamented, taking a sip of her drink.

"Well, of course you'll be fired. You took a one million dollar deal and turned it into a two million dollar deal! People get fired for that kind of incompetence every day." Chloe retorted sarcastically.

"Chloe, I'm being serious." Arya groaned.

"So am I. And one day, your husband will leave you because you're too good in bed and an amazing mother." Chloe teased.

"I'm exaggerating, right?" Arya sighed.

"Yes, you're losing your grip on reality if you think you're going to get fired after your impressive achievement today. Talk to Franko about your difficult situation." Chloe suggested.

"I don't know. I don't like mixing my personal life with work. It makes me uneasy." Arya replied.

"I understand, honey. But if you have an honest conversation with him and he's not a complete asshole, he'll understand why you had to moonlight." Chloe reassured, giving Arya a comforting hug as she stood up.

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The following day, the first thing Arya did upon arriving at Maranello's Enterprise was head straight to Franko's office. As she entered, he motioned for her to take a seat in the chair across from him.
"I was taken aback to discover that you've been moonlighting as a babysitter. It's a grave violation of your contract," noted Franko, to which Arya nervously bit her lip.

"Sir, I am aware of the terms of my contract...but I was not earning enough to-" Arya trailed off as Franko swiftly interrupted her.

"No need to justify your actions, Arya. If you did it, I'm sure you had your reasons...and I have no issue with that. The policy is only for slackers; I have never had any complaints about your work performance," explained Franko, causing Arya to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank you, sir," she said gratefully.

"I only brought it up because, based on your experience, I have a great opportunity to offer you," commented Franko, catching Arya by surprise as she looked up at him.

"What kind of opportunity, sir?" she asked with curiosity.

"As it turns out, you have expertise in dealing with troubled teenagers, correct?" Franko inquired.

"Yes, sir," nodded Arya.

"Wonderful! Because that is exactly what my son needs," stated Franko.

"You want me to be your son's babysitter?" exclaimed Arya, taken aback.

"Indeed!" nodded Franko.

"But, sir...what about my job here?" she asked.

"You have been managing two jobs simultaneously without issue, there is no reason you cannot continue," commented Franko.

"Well...thank you, sir. I appreciate your trust," replied Arya with a beaming smile.

"So, is that a yes?" asked Franko.

"Yes, sir," answered Arya, to which Franko nodded.

"Fantastic. I am pleased to hear that. Kane requires some assistance in straightening out his behavior," remarked Franko, causing Arya to widen her eyes at his words.

‘Wait...what?’ exclaimed Arya in her mind, before speaking aloud, "Sir...Kane?"

"Yes, I'm sure you can agree that he knows how to cause trouble," confirmed Franko, to which Arya furrowed her brow.

"But I thought you were referring to a younger son...or something of the sort?" stuttered Arya.

Franko shook his head and remarked, "Oh no, his younger brother is an angel. It is Kane who needs your talents."

Arya replied, "Sir.... I can't deny that Kane is somewhat troubled, but I have no experience with adults."

"Your honesty is a testament to your work ethic....but I'm confident you are the right person," Franko stated. Knowing she had no way out of this situation, Arya resigned to her fate.

"But....even if I wanted to....how am I supposed to do the job? I have no power over him," Arya thoughtfully stated.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I will give you all the power you need," Franko assured. With those words, he picked up the office line and called Kane to come to his office.

A few minutes later, Kane appeared and was taken aback by Arya's presence with his father. He briefly glanced at her before fixing his gaze on Franko and inquired, "What's happening here?"

"Sit down, there is something we should all talk about," Franko commanded. Kane furrowed his brows at his words.

"I thought we already settled the—" Kane started but was abruptly cut off by Franko.

"From this moment on, Arya takes full control of your life," Franko declared.

"What?!" Kane exclaimed, his frown deepening.

"Not just here at work, she will be your general life coach as well," Franko added.

"Are you serious?" Kane asked in bewilderment.

"YES. When she says 'Jump,' you say, 'Is this high enough?'" Franko stated, causing Arya to hold back her laughter.

"This is insane! You can't do this!" Kane barked, glaring at his father.

"Well, what I can do is freeze all your accounts and put Arya in charge of your money," Franko retorted. Kane shook his head in disbelief and cursed under his breath.

"Any other 'great' news?" Kane asked through gritted teeth.

Franko nodded at him and stated, "Yes. At the end, Arya will furnish me with a comprehensive report on your situation. If that report fails to highlight any significant changes... your younger brother will ascend to the position of CEO, while you will be excluded from any managerial roles." A thick silence descended upon the office as these words hung in the air. Finally, Kane clenched his fists and turned to face Arya.

"So, how does it feel to have me at your mercy?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her.

Believe it or not, I'm not exactly thrilled about it either," Arya responded.

"Fantastic! We all hate this. Refuse, and we can go our separate ways..." Kane interjected.

"Unfortunately, that is not how the world works. I have a job to do, and I will do it," Arya retorted, locking eyes with Kane.

"See, she's already teaching you," Franko chimed in with a smirk, eliciting a scowl from Kane. He then stormed out of the office, with Arya following close behind.

As the work day came to an end, Kane approached Arya with a grave expression. "I have a proposition for you, Arya," he stated.

Hearing this, Arya raised an eyebrow, and Kane continued, "You claim to despise this entire situation just as much, if not more than I do... So here's my offer: tell me what it takes for a positive evaluation, and we can resolve this quickly, painlessly, and with mutual benefits. What do you say?"

"It's a clever plan, but there's one thing you haven't considered," Arya countered with a sly smile.

"What's that?" Kane asked, now curious.

Arya stood up and approached Kane, leaning in close and whispering in his ear, "I'm not for sale."

At her proximity, Kane felt a stirring in his lower regions. Acting on impulse, he grabbed her waist and whispered back, "Well, since you're now my babysitter, that means you have to take care of all my needs, right? How about you start now and fulfill my needs?" He guided her hand to his shaft under his pants.