Part 1Even Cold Billionaires Crave My Praise

I was supposed to be the strategic infiltrator. The System, my handler in this absurd mission, had a target: a difficult, emotionally distant CEO. The plan? Get close to him through the one soft spot he had—his mildly autistic son.

I, Anya Reed, am a natural cheerleader, the kind of person who sees the glass half-full, then asks if you need help finding a matching coaster. A single bite of a despised carrot? “That’s fantastic!” The boy speaks a new word? “You’re amazing!”

So, the breakthrough was bound to happen. What I hadn't prepared for was the fallout.

When I had to request a single day off for a family event, the little boy panicked.

“You’re leaving me, aren’t you?”

“Please don’t go. If you do, take me with you.”

“I don’t want Dad anymore. I’m only going to be with you from now on.”

Callan Finch, who had just walked in hoping for a quiet, long-overdue bonding moment with his son: Wait, what?

* * *

My System and I are, collectively, Team Procrastination.

When it first paired me with this mission—to capture the heart of the notoriously icy, ruthlessly powerful, and legendarily bad-tempered CEO, Callan Finch—we both froze. We heard tales of his cold indifference and the potential for a career-ending, soul-crushing revenge if I messed up.

So, we stalled. One day turned into another.

Finally, under pressure from the System’s upper management, we devised a plan: The Curveball Strategy.

Callan had a son, Archie, who had been diagnosed with mild autism. If I could win over the boy first, it would be my golden ticket to getting closer to the father.

The next day, with the System’s help, I was successfully hired as Archie’s new governess. I said a cheerful, professional “Hello” to the small, unsmiling figure standing before me.

He ignored me completely and walked out.