My Cold Husband Fell First

The loud sound of cars filled the streets of Aurora City as people hurried to work. It had rained heavily a few minutes ago, leaving puddles everywhere. Soraya Carter sighed as she looked at her watch. "I'm going to be late..." Today was important. Very important. She had finally gotten an interview after weeks of searching for a job. Her family wasn't rich. In fact, they had been struggling for years after her grandfather passed away. Every little opportunity mattered. She tightened her grip on the folder in her hands and walked faster. "Please... just let today go well." Just as she stepped beside the road— Splash! A black luxury car sped past a puddle, sending dirty water flying all over her white blouse and skirt. For a second, Soraya froze. Then she slowly looked down. Her clean clothes were covered in muddy water. "...You've got to be kidding me." People nearby glanced at her before continuing on with their day. Soraya bit her lip, trying not to cry. "This was my only decent outfit." She wiped her face with her sleeve and looked up. The black car had already driven ahead before stopping in front of a large office building. Her eyes widened. "That's where my interview is." Without thinking, she hurried toward the car. The driver had already stepped out and opened the back door. A tall man in a perfectly tailored black suit walked out. His expression was calm and unreadable. His sharp jawline and cold eyes gave him a distant feeling. Everything about him screamed wealth. Soraya walked over quickly. "Excuse me!" The man turned his head slightly. His eyes landed on her muddy clothes before looking at her face. He didn't say anything. "You splashed water all over me!" Soraya said, trying to stay calm. "I have an interview in this building." The man's expression barely changed. Instead, he looked at the expensive watch on his wrist. "I'm in a hurry." Soraya blinked. "...Excuse me?" "If this is about money," he said coldly, "talk to my assistant." He took another step toward the building. Soraya couldn't believe what she had just heard. "What?" The assistant immediately walked over. "Miss, we'll compensate you." Soraya frowned. "I don't want your money!" Neither the man nor his assistant answered. The man simply continued walking away. Something inside Soraya snapped. "So all rich people think money solves everything?" The man paused. Only for a second. Without turning around, he calmly replied, "It usually does." Then he walked inside. Soraya stared after him in complete disbelief. "What an arrogant jerk." She clenched her fists. "I wasn't asking for money. I just wanted an apology." The assistant awkwardly held out a business card. "Our president didn't mean any harm." "I don't care." Soraya pushed the card back. "I'll handle it myself." She took a deep breath before entering the building. Hopefully, the interviewers wouldn't mind her appearance too much. --- Meanwhile... Inside the top floor conference room. The man who had just walked in sat down at the head of the table. Every executive immediately stood up. "Good morning, President Hale." He gave a small nod. "Let's begin." No one dared waste another second. His name was Adrian Hale. To the public, he was simply the heir of the Hale family, the richest family in Aurora City. People called him a lucky second-generation rich young master. Few people knew the truth. Five years ago, the Hale family was only ranked among Aurora City's Top Ten wealthy families. After Adrian secretly took over many of the family's businesses, their wealth grew faster than anyone imagined. Within five years... The Hale family became the richest family in the city. Almost no one outside the family knew Adrian was responsible. His grandfather preferred keeping it that way. "The less attention," the old man always said, "the safer." So the public continued believing Adrian had simply inherited everything. He never bothered correcting them. It made life quieter. --- Downstairs... Soraya finally finished her interview. She wasn't sure if she had done well. The dirty clothes definitely hadn't helped. As she stepped outside the building, she looked back toward the entrance. She caught another glimpse of Adrian walking toward another car, surrounded by assistants and bodyguards. "So dramatic," she muttered. He looked exactly like the kind of rich man who had never struggled a day in his life. People like him probably didn't even know the price of a loaf of bread. She shook her head. "I hope I never meet him again." Fate, however... Had very different plans. Because neither of them knew that years before they were even born, their grandfathers had made a promise. A promise forged during their days serving together in the army. "If one of us has a grandson and the other has a granddaughter..." "They'll become family." It was nothing more than a joke between two young soldiers back then. Until both men kept their word. Now, decades later... The elders had decided it was finally time to fulfill that promise. Whether Adrian and Soraya liked it... Or not