Mommy for Billionaire's Baby

Sunny looked at Tasya with a strange gaze. Of course! Earlier, at their grandchild's favorite ice cream cafe, Tasya had a private conversation with Nathan. It's not that Sunny didn't want to listen, but when it came to work matters, she chose to step back. She still didn't want to interfere with her youngest son's business. She just wanted to be by Nathan's side as a support, even though... Sunny knew that sometimes she went too far.

She should have been self-aware, considering that Nathan is also under pressure with everything he's facing. Nathaniel Sinclair, who disliked living behind a desk. His son was like an eagle with wings spread wide. His hobby was adventuring. Far and free. Unfortunately, now those wings were neatly folded. As a mother who knew how her son usually grew up, Sunny shouldn't add to his burdens. However, "Are you alone, Tasya? Where's Nathan?"

Tasya adjusted her glasses and smiled broadly to get rid of all the sudden thoughts that had occupied her mind earlier. "Mr. Nathan went back to the apartment." "That child!" Sunny grumbled irritably. "Well, never mind. You go ahead and eat. Did you have a meal with Nathan earlier?"

Still smiling, Tasya nodded. Although it was a lie that she shouldn't have told. But what could she do when her mood was shattered? In the past, Tasya thought the heaviest burden in her life was during her undergraduate thesis defense. From arranging the front page of the script to completing all the tasks. It made Tasya feel like she was going crazy and wanted to give up.

Eh... Turns out there's something even crazier than a thesis defense. Besides the work world, she also had to deal with a boss like Nathan, the Raptor, who for some reason, was in a terrible mood this afternoon. Although Tasya stayed silent, didn't argue, didn't complain, and even made a regretful expression, according to her boss, she was at fault, right?

Why did he leave behind the work that Nathan clearly awaited and needed for the sake of Naina? But this is Naina, you know! Not someone else. Nathan should realize that, right? But considering Nathan's behavior, acting on his whims, without thinking, what's the point of Tasya arguing?

After that long rant, the car driven by Nathan took a different route than it should have.

"Where are we going, sir?" Tasya asked in surprise. She didn't dare to glance at the man beside her. She already felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. As if she were being stared at with a force of hundreds of million volts. Ready to be annihilated if she dared to look.

"Anywhere, as long as I'm happy," Nathan replied curtly. His eyes glared angrily at Tasya.

"What about my fate, sir?"

Nathan remained silent. His gaze returned to the road displayed in front of him. Occasionally, he honked the horn forcefully and cursed at drivers who, in his opinion, were driving recklessly. His only hope was for Tasya to stop him. But she didn't. Tasya just remained silent, gripping her seatbelt. When Nathan glanced at her, sometimes the girl would close her eyes and mumble something. Although the speed of the car wasn't too fast, to be honest. It was just a bit reckless. Let it be. Let his assistant know that he was angry. What's so difficult about expressing what was bottled up inside?

The girl breathed a sigh of relief when the car Nathan was driving entered the apartment lobby area.

"Pick me up tomorrow at seven. Bring breakfast and coffee. And make sure you finish what I asked for tonight."

Tasya swallowed slowly. "Yes, sir."

"Don't be late!" He unbuckled his seatbelt. "Take my car home. Make sure there are no scratches."

Tasya obediently nodded.

"Give me updates on your work every hour."

In addition to the suppressed breaths that seemed to contain her overflowing emotions, which Nathan thought he would hear a long string of sounds from Tasya. Unfortunately, what greeted his ears once again was a submissive and flat- toned response. "Yes, sir."

Nathan sighed in frustration. He unbuckled his seatbelt rather roughly and slammed the car door shut. There was no farewell greeting; instead, Nathan gave Tasya an annoyed and angry glare. The plain expression on Tasya's face and her glasses obscuring her downcast eyes successfully triggered Nathan's anger.

He stomped his way into his apartment, ignoring the greetings from a few staff members. He left Tasya to start the car's engine, and its faint rumbling could be heard as it left the thirty-story building.

Meanwhile, inside the car, Tasya sighed multiple times. She wanted to scream and shout, but it was futile. She was exhausted. Perhaps it was because she had been holding back from uttering words that could make Nathan even angrier. Silence was the key. Although... she turned up the volume of the car's audio system.

If she ever got involved with the police, she would just consider this as a way to relieve her built-up stress.

"Miss Tasya!" Naina exclaimed while clutching her favorite toy, Minnie Mouse. "I've been waiting for you. Daddy said you were coming back here."

Tasya put on her fake smile once again. In addition to the tiring drive through Jakarta's traffic, she had also been singing like a mad person in the car. There was still a bit of frustration lingering, but it turned out that the car she was in had already arrived at Nathan's large house. "Yes, I still have to finish some work."

Naina laughed. "Miss Tasya is just like a student. She has homework."

"Come on, Tasya and Naina, don't talk too much. Let's have dinner first. We can continue talking later," Sunny interrupted. She embraced Tasya and whispered, "Change your clothes and wash your unfriendly face, Tasya." Tasya was clearly surprised. She stared at Nathan's mother with a puzzled expression. What she received was a genuinely sincere smile and lips that formed the words, "Forgive Nathan, please."

She was left alone as the older woman tended to her granddaughter. However, in her remaining consciousness, she dragged her feet toward her room. The guest room she was staying in was located on the right side of this luxurious house. Sunny was right. Maybe she should take a shower as well. Who knows, the frustration she had been holding onto might wash away with the water that would drench her whole body. After that, she could eat with a much better state of mind. But if she took a shower, would Nathan's mother and Naina be waiting for her?

Oh no! She was just a guest here! Her presence here was for work. She had to be aware of that! She quickly washed her face, getting rid of the lingering frustration in her heart, albeit just a little. She changed her clothes and hastened her steps toward the dining area.

"Miss Tasya, walk faster!" Naina pouted. "I'm hungry, you know! I almost caught up with you, but Grandma said to wait a bit longer."

"Why don't you eat first?" Tasya was clearly surprised. She needed time to come back here, right?

"Naina doesn't want to eat without you. She said it's rare for us to have a meal together." Sunny shook her head in amusement but also smiled. "All right, let's eat first."

Tasya didn't know how to express herself. Suddenly, she longed for a meal with her own family, which she hadn't had for a long time. Everyone was busy with their own matters, including herself, struggling with various tasks to meet her needs at home.

***

"Finally done!" she exclaimed, stretching her tired muscles. There was fatigue and soreness in her back. But it felt satisfying to complete a task. Now her eyes were content as she observed the result of her work.

She was used to having two copies. One for herself just in case Nathan misplaced it. The other was the original file she gave to her boss. The genuine archive. And most importantly, she kept a copy on a special flash drive in case of unforeseen circumstances. As an assistant, she learned to back up categorized data.

Low, middle, and high priority. Like the files, she had just finished reporting on.

Her smile widened amidst the busyness of her hands, tidying up each scattered pile. One by one, she arranged them back to their original order. She also took the parts she deemed important to support her research. When her eyes fell on her black, flat object, Nathan's name appeared on the screen. Tasya smirked.

"So impatient. I'm going to send the report tomorrow morning anyway." But she couldn't just ignore the call. She immediately slid the green icon on the screen and found a comfortable spot to lean against. "Yes, sir?" "Are you done?"

Tasya closed her eyes for a moment. "Yes, I am. Just now. I'll send the report in about five minutes. I'll organize the files first. You can check it tomorrow in its entirety." "Okay."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"No," Nathan replied shortly. Tasya sensed a change in Nathan's tone tonight. She thought his voice would be the same as when he left her in the car. Harsh and ready to challenge her. But since his speaking tone had returned to normal and there was a hint of cheerfulness, Tasya felt relieved.

"Good night then, sir. So I can continue"

"You don't need to come to the office tomorrow, Tasya."

Tasya was surprised. "Why not, sir?"

"Take the personal leave I've given you for tomorrow."

"Really?" Tasya even straightened her back. This was truly surprising for her. Nathan had never given her personal leave before. Even if it was just a day off to enjoy the city of Jakarta, she couldn't do it. And if she could, seriously, Tasya would be overjoyed. But when she was allowed, Nathan would tag along. Even though he wasn't physically present besides Tasya, his phone would keep ringing with numerous questions about work. What was it called when her leave was constantly disturbed by Nathan?

"It's almost one in the morning, and you haven't rested since earlier, right?"

Tasya pouted. She mumbled quietly, not caring if Raptor heard her. "Who asked for it to be finished tonight? Acting as if there's no tomorrow!"

In the distance, Nathan burst into laughter. That annoying Raptor!

"If you have a problem with it, you should have said so, Tasya."

"Can I voice my objection?" Nathan asked, still with a hint of laughter.

"Why can't I?" Nathan replied, still a hint of laughter in his voice.

"I'm afraid of disturbing your comfort," Tasya spoke with a thin smile, even though Nathan couldn't see it. But at least this time, she spoke honestly. She didn't want to be too open about her objections. Like earlier, all the words were neatly arranged, ready to be spoken because she couldn't stay silent. It wasn't because she wanted to play at the mall. It never occurred to her to relax amidst the waiting files. But if she spoke about something that would burden Nathan, it was better for her to stay silent.

"I don't feel bothered, Tasya. Tell me how you feel. How am I supposed to know what's weighing on you if you stay silent?"

Tasya pursed her lips.

"No need to pick me up. Just rest. Send the files over soon so I can put all the pieces together," Nathan said lightly. "Are you listening to me?" "Yes, sir."

"Mom will be coming back tomorrow morning. Maybe she can drop off Naina at school. It's not a problem if you want to sleep in."

The girl chuckled softly. "Just like my own home, huh, sir?"

"Do you even sleep in at your own home?"

Nathan waited for Tasya's response, but after almost two minutes of silence, he sighed softly. "It's getting late, Tasya. Go to sleep as soon as you finish the final part." "Yes, sir."

Shortly after, the phone returned to its main menu. The call was disconnected, leaving Tasya staring at her phone screen for a while. A photo of herself wearing a school uniform was displayed, flanked by her parents. She had a wide smile on her face, her eyes not yet accustomed to thick-framed glasses. Instead of glasses, Tasya wore gray-colored contact lenses that complemented her skin tone. Her straight hair fell neatly, with her bangs positioned on the right side of her face. "I miss you, Dad," she whispered softly. "But my resentment is also significant." She tilted her head slightly, feeling the cold temperature in the room.

Her gaze was interrupted by the arrival of a new message.

Boss Raptor:

Extend your business leave, Tasya. Naina needs a study tutor. Just for a week until her pre-semester test is over. I can't refuse it since I've already approved the request. The HR department has informed your parents, although it should have been you who told them. But I'm not sure if you'll be granted permission quickly. Enjoy your holiday tomorrow, Tasya.