Lani tapped her nails against the desk impatiently, glancing at the time on her computer screen. 9:00 AM.
Olivia had set up a meeting for her to officially meet Elias Carter, her new life assistant, and she was already in a bad mood about it.
She had spent all night convincing herself that she would fire him on the spot, but a part of her knew Olivia wouldn't let her get away with it.
A knock on the door made her look up. Her secretary, Nina, peeked in, looking suspiciously excited. "Ms. Lelani, your assistant is here."
Lani let out a breath, preparing herself. "Send him in."
The door opened, and in walked a tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in a simple button-up and slacks. His dark brown hair was slightly tousled, and his sharp, angular features looked like they had been sculpted by an artist. He carried himself with a calm, confident aura, his deep-set eyes giving nothing away.
Lani blinked.
Okay, she hated to admit it, but Olivia was right. He was attractive.
That made her even more irritated.
Elias stopped in front of her desk, hands in his pockets, and nodded once. "Good morning."
His voice was deep, smooth, but oddly indifferent. There was no arrogance in his tone, no unnecessary friendliness—just a simple greeting.
Lani leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "First things first, you cannot live in my house."
Elias didn't even blink. "I didn't intend to."
Lani frowned slightly. She had expected at least some pushback, but he didn't seem to care.
"Good," she muttered, flipping through the papers in front of her. "You'll be picking up the kids, cooking for them, making sure they do their homework, and staying out of my way."
Elias gave a single nod. "Understood."
Lani narrowed her eyes. Something about how calm he was annoyed her even more.
Before she could say anything else, Nina walked in with a folder, practically beaming at Elias. "Here's the list of tasks for the week," she said sweetly, twirling a strand of hair. "I also included my number, just in case you need any help."
Lani gritted her teeth as she watched her secretary shamelessly flirt.
Elias, however, simply took the folder with a blank expression. "Thank you." He turned to Lani. "Is there anything else?"
Lani clenched her jaw. "Yeah. Try not to make every woman in my office drool all over you."
For the first time, Elias's lips twitched. Not quite a smile, but something.
Then, to her absolute shock, he let out a low chuckle.
A chuckle.
Not a response. Not an argument. Just a quiet, knowing laugh.
Lani's face burned. "What the hell is so funny?"
Elias shook his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "Nothing."
And then, without another word, he turned and walked out.
Lani stared after him, seething.
She already hated him.
---
The First Task
Elias arrived at the school precisely at 2:30 PM, just as Lani had instructed.
He walked up to the administration office, handed over the official letter signed by Lani, and waited as they verified everything.
A few minutes later, Luca and Lily were brought to the front.
Luca, with his messy dark curls, crossed his arms and stared at Elias like he was an enemy.
Lily, on the other hand, simply tilted her head, studying him with curiosity.
"I'm Elias," he said simply. "I'll be picking you up from now on."
Luca didn't say a word.
Lily just smiled slightly but remained quiet.
Elias wasn't surprised. He had read about the twins beforehand. Lani had described them as a handful, but that didn't bother him.
"Come on," he said, walking toward the car.
Luca hesitated, then grabbed Lily's hand before following.
The ride home was silent.
Luca kept glaring at Elias through the rearview mirror, and Lily just looked out the window.
Elias didn't attempt conversation.
He figured they would warm up to him in time. Or not. It didn't matter—he was here to do a job, nothing more.
But as they pulled into the driveway, Elias noticed Lily looking at him again, her small smile still present.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
As soon as the car pulled into the driveway, Luca unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out, slamming the door shut without a word.
Elias watched as he stomped toward the house, his small fists clenched at his sides.
Lily, in contrast, took her time, gracefully stepping out of the car and looking up at Elias with her big, observant eyes. She didn't say anything, but there was a quiet curiosity in her gaze, as if she were studying him.
Elias simply nodded toward the house. "Go inside."
Lily smiled—a small, knowing smile—before skipping up the steps after her brother.
Elias followed at a steady pace, already anticipating the chaos ahead.
As expected, the moment he stepped inside, Luca turned on him, arms crossed and eyes full of distrust.
"I don't like you," Luca stated bluntly.
Elias nodded, unbothered. "Noted."
Luca scowled, as if he had been hoping for more of a reaction. "I don't need a babysitter."
"I'm not your babysitter," Elias replied. "I'm your mom's assistant."
Luca narrowed his eyes. "Same thing."
Elias didn't respond. He simply walked past Luca, setting his keys on the counter. The house was modern and elegant—minimalist but full of warmth. It was clear that, despite Lani's busy schedule, she had put effort into making a comfortable home for her children.
Lily climbed onto the couch, swinging her legs as she watched the exchange between her brother and Elias like it was an interesting movie.
Luca, clearly frustrated by Elias's lack of reaction, finally huffed and turned away. "Whatever. I'm going to my room."
Elias let him go, knowing that forcing a conversation wouldn't do any good.
Instead, he turned to Lily. "Are you hungry?"
She nodded.
"Anything specific?"
She thought for a moment before her eyes lit up. "Pancakes."
Elias checked the time. "For dinner?"
Lily nodded again, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Elias simply nodded back. "Fine."
Lily's smile widened, and she hopped off the couch, following him into the kitchen like a tiny shadow.
---
By the time Lani got home, she was exhausted.
Meetings had drained her, and she was fully prepared to walk into chaos. She expected toys all over the floor, the twins fighting, or some kind of disaster waiting for her.
What she didn't expect was the smell of pancakes.
Her heels clicked against the marble floor as she walked into the kitchen, stopping in her tracks at the sight before her.
Elias was at the stove, flipping a pancake effortlessly, completely calm and in control.
Lily sat on the counter, swinging her legs, a plate of pancakes already in front of her. She looked entirely at peace.
Luca, however, was sitting at the dining table with his arms crossed, glaring at his plate as if it had personally offended him.
Lani blinked. "What… is happening?"
Elias barely looked up. "Dinner."
Lani's eyes darted to Lily, who happily shoved a forkful of pancake into her mouth.
"You made pancakes?" she asked, baffled.
Lily nodded eagerly. "He's good at it."
Lani turned to Elias. "You're supposed to cook actual dinner, not spoil them."
Elias simply set another pancake onto the plate. "Food is food."
Lani opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. She was too tired for this. And truthfully, she hadn't seen Lily this happy in a while.
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine. Whatever."
Luca suddenly spoke up, his tone sharp. "I still don't like him."
Elias smirked slightly but didn't respond.
Lani sighed again, dropping her bag onto the counter. "Welcome to my life."