Married to the Cold CEO

Chapter Two

Scarlett clenched her teeth so hard that her palms began to bleed. Inside, her heart pounded with fury and betrayal—she longed to storm into the adjacent suite and tear those two apart. But in the end, reason prevailed. She couldn’t afford to act impulsively; after all, she was still a designer at OceanSky Jewelers. Alex’s betrayal hurt deeply, but jeopardizing her career wasn’t an option—especially when he’d been using her talent to boost Tiffany’s career.

Her anger was twofold: both love and career had been wounded. Scarlett vowed that she would reclaim everything that was rightfully hers and make Alex and Tiffany pay dearly. And she knew she also had to deal carefully with her father’s schemes—she couldn’t let rash actions ruin her uncle’s thriving business.

The next morning, Scarlett woke with heavy, sleepless eyes. As soon as she heard that Alex and Tiffany had left the hotel, she followed them. She trailed the pair all the way to the county clerk’s office. Standing by her car, she allowed herself a bitter smile as she snapped a photo of them holding hands while entering the building—a shot she intended to use as evidence.

No sooner had they stepped into the clerk’s office than Scarlett dialed Alex’s number. The moment the call connected, she pressed the record button on her phone and said coolly:

“Alex, where are you right now?”

After a brief pause, his voice stammered, “Uh... my office had an emergency this morning. I left early and didn’t get a chance to tell you.”

A sarcastic smile twisted on her lips as she replied, “Really? I almost thought you were off sneaking around with someone else.”

Alex’s tone wavered as he forced a laugh. “No, Scarlett—you know you’re the one I love. Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention: could you send Tiffany your latest jewelry design? She’s got a major competition coming up at Sterling Jewelers in a couple of days, and she isn’t satisfied with her current sketches.”

Scarlett’s voice remained icy: “Tiffany just competed in a county-level contest. Now she wants your design, too?”

Alex continued, “It’s that simple, Scarlett. Tiffany’s at a crucial point in her career, and she absolutely adores your work. Besides, once we’re married, you’ll settle into your role as a full-time partner—OceanSky Jewelers will be yours!”

How shameless! Not only was he about to tie the knot with another, but he had the gall to ask for her work as if it were free. Suppressing her fury, Scarlett took a deep breath and replied, “Fine, I love that design too—it’s my heart and soul on paper.”

After hanging up, she immediately sent the incriminating photo—clearly capturing Alex’s side profile—to several trusted media contacts. Everyone knew she was Alex’s girlfriend, yet the woman in the picture (shown only from behind) bore no resemblance to Scarlett at all. She was eager to see how Alex would handle the media’s questions and, more importantly, how he’d explain this mess to her.

Just as Scarlett lowered her head to leave, still plotting how to thwart her father’s plan of forcing her into an arranged marriage without involving her uncle, she accidentally collided with a man.

He was tall and imposing, dressed in a custom-tailored suit that perfectly showcased his strong frame. Looking up, Scarlett immediately saw his striking features—thick eyebrows, a high-bridged nose, and thin, defined lips set on a chiseled, cool face. His eyes, as cold and piercing as distant stars, held hers for a long moment. This was Maxwell Stone—the renowned CEO of Sterling Jewelers and the very man every woman in Los Angeles dreamed of marrying.

Maxwell’s expression hardened as he gave her a brief, appraising glance. Then, turning to his assistant in a low, measured tone, he said, “Where is Miss Song?”

The assistant stammered, “Miss Song… she just got to the airport and booked the earliest flight to France. They say she has urgent business there—she’s already on board!”

Maxwell’s voice grew colder: “And when will she be back?”

The assistant swallowed nervously, “It’s said… it might be about a year.”

Maxwell let out a cold laugh. “This is the third time. I won’t give her a fourth chance. If she stands me up again, I’ll simply marry another woman immediately.”

With that, he strode purposefully toward the county clerk’s entrance.

For a moment, Scarlett was stunned. Was this man, the one all of Los Angeles coveted, also suffering the pain of being stood up? Suddenly, she remembered that Tiffany’s upcoming competition was hosted by Sterling Jewelers—and that her own feud with Alex was bound to explode into a career-breaking scandal. More importantly, if she could align herself with Maxwell, she might finally secure a way out and stop her father from forcing her into another loveless match.

With a spark of determination in her eyes, Scarlett mustered every bit of courage. She stepped forward and, with a tone that was both defiant and daring, said, “Mr. Stone, since we seem to share similar disappointments, why not turn our luck around? How about we get a marriage license right now?”

Maxwell paused, his icy gaze meeting hers. In that charged silence, a new alliance—born of mutual betrayal and the promise of a fresh start—seemed to flicker into existence.