The Billionaire’s Baby Book 4: Loving The CEO

I shut my eyes for a moment, then opened them again, half-expecting the scene before me to have changed. But the imposing structure of the hospital remained, confirming that this wasn’t a dream. I was really here.

Mascare General Hospital.

“Can you believe it, Angie? We’re actually here! It took me two days to wrap my head around the fact that we got accepted,” Magnolia bubbled, her voice brimming with excitement.

“I know, it’s surreal,” I agreed.

Mascare General was the top hospital in the country. Landing a job here was akin to hitting the jackpot. And here I was, holding my winning ticket, yet unable to muster the courage to step through the doors and start my journey as a resident doctor.

“I feel invincible right now! Come on, Angie, let’s get inside before we lose our nerve,” my best friend urged, looping her arm through mine and pulling me forward. I was grateful for her push; without it, I might have never found the courage to step inside.

The interior of the hospital was more akin to a luxury hotel than a medical facility. Cafes and gift shops lined the marble corridors, and I tried to take in the opulence around me.

“This doesn’t even feel like a hospital,” I murmured, stating the obvious.

“I know. With the kind of money the Maslows have, I’m not surprised they didn’t stick to the traditional hospital design. I heard they’re planning to expand this place and open branches in other cities,” Magnolia commented.

The name Maslow shouldn’t have stirred anything in me. I kept telling myself it didn’t. But the tremor in my heart was a clear sign that I was lying to myself.

“True, but my main goal is to help as many people as possible,” I said, glancing at a restaurant tucked in a corner. The lobby wasn’t the only area boasting eateries and cafes; they were scattered throughout the hospital. Each floor had something unique, and the patient rooms resembled suites in a high-end hotel.

“Everyone knows that, Angie. And those who don’t will find out soon enough. But you need to have some fun too. I heard they opened a mini mall here, and I’m dying to check it out,” she said, jabbing the elevator button.

“Duty first, fun later. That’s how it should be,” I reminded her, waiting for the elevator to arrive.

“Sure, sure.” She rolled her eyes. “But you need to start dating again, Angie. I’m serious,” she added before I could protest. “I know it’s hard for you to open up to someone, but you can’t spend your life just saving others. It would be nice if you had someone to come home to. Someone to share your life with.”

“There’s nothing to share. I can take care of myself,” I retorted.

Magnolia gave me a skeptical look, but I didn’t bother to defend myself. There was no need. She knew me better than anyone else and could tell when I was lying and why.

The elevator finally arrived, and we stepped inside. It was the largest elevator I’d ever seen, complete with a maroon carpet and a mini chandelier.

“Wow! I knew this place was fancy, but this is borderline extravagant. How do the doctors get any work done with all this luxury?” she wondered aloud as we ascended to the sixth floor, where the administrative offices were located. We were scheduled to meet the hospital’s owner and CEO. I’d tried to look him up online but found nothing. Rumor had it he was a very private man. According to the grapevine, he’d recently taken over, but few knew who he was, and those who did were tight-lipped.

“If they didn’t manage, this hospital wouldn’t exist. We’re lucky to be training under their guidance,” I replied.

“That’s true.” She paused, taking in the elevator’s grandeur. “Do you think the CEO would cancel our applications?”

“Why would he do that?”

She gave a nonchalant shrug. “I’m not sure. What if he’s in a foul mood and decides to give us the boot before we even clock in?”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic, Mags. He wouldn’t do that. He may be new, but I’m certain he’s professional. By the way, do you have any idea who he is?”

She shook her head. “I tried to do some online snooping, but there’s zilch about him on social media. Mr. Maslow has been pretty hush-hush about passing the torch to the new boss. I don’t even know his name.”

“Isn’t it a bit odd that no one knows who he is? What if he’s some sort of criminal?” I blurted out, instantly regretting my ridiculous statement. Judging by the look Magnolia shot me, she thought it was just as absurd.

“He’s not a criminal. Criminals don’t aspire to be hospital CEOs. We’ll find out who he is soon enough,” she replied, and I tried to calm my racing heart. I couldn’t pinpoint the source of my anxiety, but it had been nagging at me since I set foot in the hospital.

The elevator deposited us on the sixth floor. I was taken aback by the plush carpets underfoot and the chandeliers overhead. Pricey artwork adorned the walls as Magnolia and I navigated our way to the CEO’s office, which—according to the hospital map—was situated at the end of the hallway.

“There are so many offices here. I’m itching to see what’s behind these doors,” Magnolia mused, and I quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her close.

“You’re not going in there. Do you want to get kicked out on your first day?” I hissed.

“I won’t get kicked out. You just said the CEO wouldn’t fire us,” she retorted, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

“No, but he will if you start snooping around,” I shot back.

She rolled her eyes. “Snooping, Angie? Really? Now you’re being dramatic. I just want to see who works here and what kind of jobs they have.”

“You can find that out by reading the nameplates,” I pointed out, gesturing to a gold plaque affixed to the wall next to a sturdy, wooden door. It bore a name I couldn’t pronounce and the title of the person inside.

“I’d rather ask them in person,” she countered, but she didn’t make any further attempts to approach the doors.

We finally arrived at the CEO’s door after what felt like an eternity. The corridors in this hospital seemed to stretch on forever.

“Knock on the door,” I instructed her. A small voice in the back of my mind urged me to turn around and leave, but I couldn’t. It was a requirement for all new hires to meet with the CEO before starting work.

Magnolia lifted her arm and rapped gently on the solid wood. We waited for a full two minutes, and when no response came, I considered leaving, just like the voice in my head was suggesting.

“Knock again. And make it louder this time,” I whispered.

“That’s impolite,” she retorted.

“What if he didn’t hear it?”

“He’s hard of hearing? I wasn’t aware.”

“We don’t know anything about him. Now knock again. It’s clear he didn’t hear,” I urged.

She raised her arm and knocked again. This time, the door swung open, and a man around our age peeked out. He had a head full of tousled, blonde hair and friendly blue eyes. He was casually dressed in a light blue polo shirt and jeans, with a pair of blue converse sneakers. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t picture him as the CEO.

“Hi, you must be the new residents. Come on in,” the man invited, opening the door wider for us to enter.

“We knocked earlier, but I don’t think you heard us,” Magnolia explained as I took in the office interior, suddenly realizing I had forgotten to read the name on the plaque outside.

The office was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning view of the London Eye. Plants were clustered in one corner, and a row of bookshelves spanned an entire wall. A pile of books sat on a hefty desk, alongside an iMac and a MacBook Pro, as well as various office supplies. Two visitor chairs were positioned on one side of the desk, and a sofa and a couple of loveseats were arranged near the bookshelves, surrounding a glass coffee table strewn with medical journals.

“Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable. Mr. Gardner will be joining us shortly,” the man informed us.

The mention of that name made my heart skip a beat, and my mind was suddenly filled with memories of the man who held my heart captive, even though I didn’t hold his.

Could it be the same man? It seemed impossible. The man I knew had different aspirations. I couldn’t imagine him being the CEO of a hospital. No, it had to be a different Gardner. After all, it was a common last name.

~

But it could be a coincidence. People shared last names all the time. I needed to stop thinking about him and focus on helping those who needed me, because he clearly didn’t.

“Where did he go? Is he running late?” Magnolia inquired as I set my purse down and took a seat in one of the visitor chairs. There was no nameplate on the desk, so the CEO’s identity remained a mystery.

“He stepped out for a bit. Said he had an important meeting,” the man replied.

“And what’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?” I asked.

“I’m Ryan,” he responded, flashing a bright, white smile.

“Nice to meet you, Ryan. I’m Angela, but you can call me Angie. This is my best friend, Magnolia,” I introduced us.

“That’s great. I’d love to stick around and chat, but I’ve got a pile of files to sort through and these journals need to be put away before the boss arrives,” he said, gesturing to the journals scattered across the coffee table.

“Do you need some help?” Magnolia offered, setting her file on the desk and moving towards the coffee table to gather the journals. “Where do these go?”

“Uh, right there.” Ryan pointed to the bottom shelf, which was packed with various medical journals. It was clear that the new CEO was an avid reader, and I found myself wondering how he found the time.

“What else can I do?” Magnolia asked after returning the journals to their proper place.

“No, you should sit and relax. It’s your first day, and it’s not your job to do the boss’s errands. Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” Ryan assured her, a smile on his face.

Magnolia rolled her eyes and gave him one of her signature smiles. The kind that made it clear she was interested in him.

“If you’ve got more books to carry, I think you could use the help. What else do you need help with?” She asked. Now that her interest was clear—at least to me—I knew she’d spend every spare moment she had with him. I wondered, as I always did, how she could fall for someone so quickly. I had only ever been interested in one man in my twenty-six years, and he didn’t even want me. I tried to be interested in other men, but for some reason, I couldn’t. My heart only ever yearned for one man, and I had a feeling I’d die single.

“I need to make a smoothie for the boss,” Ryan admitted, looking a bit sheepish. “Do you really want to help with that?”

Magnolia’s face lit up. “I make a killer smoothie. Just tell me what to put in it, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

Ryan laughed. “Okay. I’ll show you to the kitchen, and you can work your magic.”

They were about to leave when I stopped them. “Why are you leaving now? What if the CEO shows up?”

“I’ll talk to him later. It’s not like he’s going anywhere. You can meet him and get started on your work,” she said, and then she and Ryan left the office.

I sighed, closed my eyes, and leaned back in my chair, hoping that my new boss would arrive soon. The first rounds were about to start, and I wanted to meet as many patients as possible. I hated seeing people in pain and wanted to help them feel better as soon as I could.

The sound of the door opening made me open my eyes, and my heart stopped for the second time in less than an hour when I saw the man who was undoubtedly my new boss.

~

Our eyes met, and while I could only stare at him in shock, I saw a whirlwind of emotions flash across his green eyes before they settled into their usual calm.

“Good morning, Angie,” Nico greeted me, walking over to his desk and taking a seat in the chair reserved for the boss.

“Wait, you’re the new CEO of the hospital?” I blurted out, unable to contain my surprise.

He simply nodded in response, and it hit me—this residency was going to be a lot tougher than I’d anticipated.