Page 4 of The Baby His Secretary Carries

“What?” There she went, sounding like an uncouth hayseed. “I mean, that’s fantastic for her. Wow. I had no idea she was even interested in taking a position like that.”

Molly was genuinely pleased for her mentor while also experiencing immediate panic. Had Valentina not wanted to bring Molly along?

What does this mean for me?

Her brain took another sharp swerve. What did it mean for thebaby?

Her hand started to reflexively cover her unsettled stomach, but she caught it with her other hand, resisting the urge while her mind continued to stumble and race.

“This promotion has been in the works for some time, but we kept it between us. She needs to clean house on arrival. Aggressively.” His eyebrows went up with the significance of that.

Heads will roll.

She blinked. She was often privy to confidential information, but never like this, where he was not only sharing the actions that would be taken, but also his view of it. She felt as though she was being invited into the inner circle. It was flattering, if disconcerting.

“You’ll draft the announcement, with her input,” he continued. “Once I approve it, you can send it out. There will be several releases as we restructure. Brace yourself for some busy days.”

“Of course, but...” She barely stopped herself from stumbling into anum... “Sensitive press releases usually happen at Valentina’s level. They should include the name of her replacement as a contact. Has that been decided?”

“You tell me, Molly.” He tapped the keyboard beneath the monitor on his desk. The screen flickered to life. “Valentina assured me you are the best person to take her place. I agree. All of your reviews are excellent.” He angled the screen so she could see the column of nines and tens in the matrix she and Valentina had filled out two months ago.

“Wait.” Molly almost fell out of her chair. She genuinely wanted to lean forward and dangle her head between her knees, but clung to the arms instead.

“I encourage promotion from within. You know that.”

“Yes, but...” That’s how Molly had come to London, by applying for an internal posting while she’d been assisting in the marketing department in the New York office. She had a business degree with a focus on marketing and analytics, but she had never expected her PR position to lead to a top-floor job here, let alonethis.

“I’m not ready to work for the president and CEO.” Theowner.

Even as she blurted out her protest, she could hear Valentina chiding her in that very same review.

“Confidence inspires confidence,” Valentina had insisted. “Believe in yourself, Molly.

“Valentina deliberately increased your responsibilities after this review, ensuring you could seamlessly take over for her.”

“Because there was a mandate for every department to have a succession plan. For emergencies,” she blurted. A lovely young woman named Yu had job-shadowed Molly for a week, to ensure she could cover Molly’s desk in a pinch.

That pinch was supposed to happen three weeks from now, when Molly went on medical leave.

“R and D is leaking like theTitanic,” Gio said starkly. “Not just money, but information. I consider that an emergency. Valentina has been dispatched to right that ship. I need a qualified assistant. You are qualified.” He waved at the screen. “Welcome to your new title of executive assistant.”

“But—” She once again stopped herself from covering her belly. Her stomach was churning with a load of gravel. “I was...” She crushed her own fingers as she clenched her hands in her lap. She couldn’t announce her pregnancy. She’d signed a nondisclosure agreement committing to hiding it.

Hiding it was becoming an issue, however. Two days ago, a coworker had had the temerity to ask if the salad she was eating was an attempt to drop the weight she was gaining.

“I have a thyroid condition,” Molly had lied coldly.

She had hoped to speak to Valentina after the twelve-week scan and be on leave by now, but Valentina had been traveling with Gio. Molly had just rounded fourteen weeks and even though her bump wasn’t pronounced, everything about her was becoming rounder, from face to breasts to tummy to backside.

Offering three weeks’ notice as they entered July seemed more than fair. Things usually slowed down in summer. She could finish training Yu and not be missed too badly.

She had thought.

Gio was watching her with raised eyebrows, awaiting whatever words she was trying to find.

She couldn’t take this job without disclosing that she didn’t intend to be here.

“May I have a few days to think about this?” She needed to ask Sasha— Well, she couldn’t explain her predicament to her, could she? Everything that happened in this office was strictly confidential. What the heck was she going to do?

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