She’s Mr. Kent’s Child, Right?

Katniss

"So... he's your ex-husband, isn't he?" Mr. Corleone's sudden question startled me. I had been lost in thought, and the worst part was that I had been thinking about the very person Mr. Corleone wanted to discuss.

I didn’t answer right away. The last thing I wanted was to dig up the past. But my boss stared at me with a curious intensity. I wasn’t sure why, but after working with him for so long, I’d learned one thing—he was always curious about my life. About other people? Mr. Corleone hardly cared. In fact, he didn’t care at all.

Maybe it was because I was his personal assistant, and he thought getting to know me better would make our interactions smoother, more relaxed. A part of me suspected he was trying to blur the lines between boss and assistant, creating an easier flow in our work relationship.

"Do we really need to talk about this, sir?" I asked, forcing a smile. It was hard, considering how uncomfortable the topic was.

Mr. Corleone seemed to read my expression, and the corners of his lips tugged into a slight smirk. "Of course. He must've been awful, which is why you divorced."

Ouch!

It felt like a knife plunged into my chest. The pain was still fresh, damn it. I lowered my head slightly, taking a deep breath before lifting my eyes back to Mr. Corleone and answering his question.

"Yes, but it doesn't matter anymore. I’ve moved on with my life," I said calmly.

"I'm very happy with my daughter."

"You have a daughter?" Mr. Corleone asked, sounding surprised.

"Ah, I hadn’t told him yet. We had interacted so much, even discussing parts of his personal life since I spent plenty of time at his mansion as his personal assistant whenever he needed me. But he had never once visited my apartment or met Giselle. Of course, he didn’t know I had a child.

“Ah, yes. I have a child,” I replied, not hiding the fact at all.

“What’s her name?” Mr. Corleone asked.

“What’s her favorite?” he added another question, and was on the verge of asking a third when I cut him off.

“Giselle Starling,” I answered.

“Ahh… Giselle? What a beautiful name. She must be just as lovely,” he remarked, setting aside his documents. His gaze grew more intense, making the air between us thick with awkwardness. '”Like you,” he added.

I coughed a little, caught off guard by his words.

“Do you... have a photo of her? Can I see?” he asked.

“Sir... but why?” I questioned, confused.

“What’s wrong? You’re not going to show me?” Mr. Corleone raised an eyebrow.

“Ah, no, sir. Just a second.” I pulled out my phone and showed him a picture of Giselle, grinning brightly, her small, perfect teeth on display. His gaze softened.

As I took my phone back, he commented, “She’s Mr. Kent’s child, right? She looks so much like him.”

“No!” I snapped, my voice too sharp and quick, startling my boss with my reaction.

“Are you okay?” Mr. Corleone asked, his tone concerned.

“Ah, sorry, sir.” I apologized immediately, realizing how rude I had been. I quickly composed myself, but hearing someone suggest that Giselle was James’ daughter always set me off.

James had never acknowledged Giselle as his own.

James believed the lies—the venomous rumors that Giselle was another man’s child.

I clenched both fists, hard.

“Forget it.” My boss suddenly spoke again, rising from his seat.

“Whatever I asked earlier, just forget it,” he said. For a moment, I thought Mr. Corleone was angry with my outburst, but to my surprise, he smiled instead.

He stood and moved closer to me.

"Let's go somewhere. My schedule’s not too packed today, right?" he asked.

"Huh? Yes. Your schedule is light today. You only have a meeting at 7 PM with Mr. Adan to discuss…"

"Good, that's perfect. Let’s go now. It’s still early."

He walked past me, and I had no choice but to turn and follow. Soon, we were both in the car. To my surprise, Mr. Corleone, who usually had a driver, was driving himself.

"No driver today, sir?" I asked, glancing at him, confused.

"Where are we going, sir? Maybe I should drive instead," I offered, feeling uneasy. He was my boss, after all. I should be the one driving, not him.

"No, I’ll drive this time. You relax," my boss said casually.

I nodded, respecting his decision, though curiosity nagged at me. "So, where are we heading, sir?" I pressed.

"Ah, right. I almost forgot," he said, as if something had just slipped his mind.

I raised an eyebrow. "Forgot? What do you mean?"

He glanced over at me, his eyes locking onto mine. "Your daughter. Where is she? Can I meet her? We could spend some time together."

"Giselle? She’s at the apartment with her nanny."

"Show me where you live. Let’s pick her up and have some fun," he suggested, his tone too eager to decline.

I stared at him, baffled. Why would he suddenly want to spend time with my daughter? I couldn’t shake the odd feeling settling in my chest. Was I reading too much into this? No way... there’s no chance Mr. Corleone could like me.

'Don’t be ridiculous! He’s one of the most powerful CEOs in Europe. Get a grip, Katniss!' I scolded myself, embarrassed by my own thoughts.

I offered him a small smile despite my nerves, and he noticed. Our eyes met briefly before he turned away, jerking his head so fast he winced.

"Ouch!" he groaned.

"Are you alright, sir?" I asked, a little worried.

"Yeah, I’m fine," he muttered, rubbing his neck with a wince.

Mr. Corleone... he’s like my guardian angel. He’s always been kind, ever since that day he helped me and gave me this position. Without him, I don’t know where I’d be.

"Sir…" I began softly.

"Yes?" he glanced at me briefly.

"You’ve been so good to me. Thank you," I said, genuinely. There was a moment of silence as our eyes met again, this time longer.

"Thank you? For what?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion, though he stole a glance at me while still focusing on the road.

"You’re a good boss. I hope this doesn’t come across as inappropriate, but... I consider you a friend. You’ve changed my life for the better. You’re truly a meaningful friend to me," I said, my smile returning.

But as I finished, I noticed a subtle shift in his expression. Something darkened in his eyes.

"Just a friend?" he murmured.

To be continued...