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Laia brushes her bangs off her face to have something to do with her hands, because she's not following any of this.

"I thought we weren't hiring anyone else this year."

"And we're not—like I said, she'll only be here six months and then she's gone. She's not going to be a permanent hire."

"Okay, and what role will she have?"

"No specific one. The idea is for her to spend time in every department and learn how the whole operation works from the ground up—but what we're really after is for her to develop some discipline and commit to the job."

"Ah," Laia says, picturing your typical sixteen-year-old—some spoiled, lazy kid who doesn't want to work or study, shipped off to a relative's factory by parents desperate for someone to take her off their hands and teach her a lesson.

Elvira looks at her as if she knows exactly what she's thinking—and she's not far off.

"Look, here's the situation." She decides to be straight with her, because for Laia to do what she needs, she has to have the information. "I don't have much of a relationship with my family, and this particular niece, I hadn't seen in years. I always assumed she'd be in my sister's offices, fully invested in the family business."

Laia is holding her breath, hands pressed tight on top of the notebook, because this is the first time her boss has shared anything personal with her and she's not entirely sure how she's supposed to act.

"Apparently, Claudia isn't what my sister expected. She's thirty-four years old, and she can't hold down two weeks in a row without being late or missing days. In short, she doesn't take her work seriously. I imagine having money from the day she was born has meant she doesn't value anything."

"I understand," Laia murmurs, though she doesn't understand at all. She's twenty-six and has never once been late, and she only called out sick one day because she was running such a high fever she was delirious in bed.

"I want you to keep an eye on her. Day and night."

"I'm sorry?"

Elvira doesn't flinch at her expression.

"Look, my sister and her husband want to give her a wake-up call—something like an ultimatum—and among the conditions of this last chance they want to offer her," she says, air-quoting the last few words, "one of them is specifically that she behaves both inside and outside the company. So they've asked me for someone they can trust to watch her throughout this whole period—in and out of work. When she leaves, you'll follow her home and make sure that's actually where she goes. If it's not, you'll note it in the weekly report you'll give me."

Laia is so stunned that her boss pauses to let her process it.

"I know all of this is awfully strange, but these are the terms she agreed to," Elvira finishes, "and Claudia doesn't fully grasp what she's risking if this doesn't work out—so I want you to make sure she shows up every day on time, does what she's asked, and behaves. I'm not asking you to put her on a leash. Just look out for her. Try to talk some sense into her when she decides to pull one of her stunts."

"I don't understand," Laia starts. "How am I supposed to make sure she comes to work?"

"Just do your best," she replies, clipped.

"But—"

Elvira pinches the bridge of her nose for a moment. She knows this whole thing is crazy, but she wants to help her niece—and if that means Laia becomes her shadow, so be it.

"I know I'm asking a lot, and that this is—well, babysitting my niece is not exactly in your job description, that much is certain. You'll be paid for every extra hour you spend with her outside of work. You've asked me plenty of times about expanding your hours, so I know you need the money."

Laia sits still, watching her steadily.

"And obviously, there'll be a reward if you pull this off," Elvira adds, because she wants her to say yes—she's the person she trusts most in the company.

"What kind of reward?"

"Keep my niece on track for six months, and when that time is up, I'll give you the head of the admin department. You'll have the position you always wanted—only better, with the pay raise that goes with it."

"Are you serious?" Laia asks, pushing up from her chair with such force that Elvira instinctively leans back in hers. "Sorry, I just—I got excited," she says, making no effort to hide her smile as she sits back down.

"It seems I've found your motivation," her boss murmurs, looking surprised by the reaction.

"Yeah, I guess so," Laia admits, still smiling.

"Think it over carefully," Elvira says. "This is six months chasing around a grown woman who isn't used to being told what to do."