Married to the Cold CEO

Chapter Three

Maxwell Stone turned in surprise and barked, “Give me her file!” His gaze swept over Scarlett like a radar.

The assistant glanced at Scarlett and immediately recognized her name—it was well known in the jewelry world. Without missing a beat, the assistant quickly placed a call. In no time, Scarlett’s complete profile was sent over and handed directly to Maxwell.

As Maxwell scanned the file and caught sight of her name, his eyes flickered. He pronounced it slowly, “Scar...lett!”

Scarlett hurriedly nodded, “It’s me!”

Maxwell didn’t reply immediately, his attention fixed on the photo in the dossier. It read: Scarlett Brooks, a designer at OceanSky Jewelers, and girlfriend to Alex Harrison, CEO of the company. At just eighteen, she’d created a groundbreaking jewelry design that flew off the shelves both domestically and abroad. But in the past two years, she hadn’t produced any noteworthy work—was this a case of a wasted genius? Meanwhile, her stepsister Tiffany had been racking up award after award; just yesterday, she had won the city-level jewelry contest. Even more intriguingly, Tiffany’s design style was strikingly similar to Scarlett’s.

Maxwell’s mind began to work. In this cutthroat circle, he’d seen his share of shady deals. Glancing at Scarlett, his thin lips parted as he simply said, “Good.”

A rush of relief surged through Scarlett. Marrying Maxwell wasn’t for love—it was pure revenge, a way to make Alex regret his betrayal once and for all. From now on, she would no longer give a second thought to his kind.

Thanks to Maxwell’s influence, their marriage registration was processed through a special expedited channel. When they signed, a county clerk even joked, “You two are a perfect match!” prompting a momentary flush on Scarlett’s cheeks. Maxwell only replied coolly, “Different characters,” as if commenting on the weather.

Within half an hour, Scarlett emerged from the county clerk’s office a newlywed—now officially Maxwell Stone’s wife. Through the glass doors, she caught sight of Tiffany and Alex still waiting in line. Maxwell shot her a blank look and said curtly, “Get in the car. Let’s grab a bite.”

Scarlett pressed her lips together and replied, “Okay.”

As they climbed into the car, Scarlett’s eyes caught Alex, holding Tiffany’s hand with a sullen expression as he emerged from the building. Tiffany clutched two freshly issued marriage licenses. Just then, Scarlett’s phone rang.

Maxwell glanced at her and then out the window. Scarlett activated her camera, snapped a quick photo of them, and answered the call while still recording.

“Hello?”

“Scarlett, where are you?” Alex’s voice sounded anxious.

“At the hotel. Is something wrong?” she replied calmly.

“Well, Scarlett, I just saw a media report claiming I was at the county clerk’s office—and they published a photo. The woman in that picture isn’t you. They’re speculating that I betrayed you and got married to someone else. It’s a complete farce. Please, don’t believe it!” His tone was desperate.

Scarlett’s eyes flickered. “So, who is that woman? Why did you go to the county clerk’s office?”

“I... I was just helping out a friend. I was asked to escort her to register her marriage with her boyfriend. I was trying to do a good deed, and now everything’s blown up!” he stammered.

“Do I know this friend?” Scarlett asked coolly, emotionlessly.

“She—she’s not someone you’d recognize. I’m college friends with her boyfriend, but we aren’t close,” Alex continued awkwardly.

“I see. Let’s end this call,” Scarlett said evenly.

“Wait, Scarlett. Since you trust me, let’s hold a press conference this afternoon to clear things up. Otherwise, this mess will damage OceanSky Jewelers badly. You have no idea how the internet is calling me every name in the book—you have to stand by me!” he pleaded.

A sarcastic smile curled at the corner of Scarlett’s lips. Yes, she thought, she should stand by her betrayer. She forced a calm tone: “Okay, see you this afternoon.”

After hanging up, Scarlett lowered her head in silence. Maxwell glanced at her sideways. “Your ex?”

Scarlett merely murmured a soft sound in response.

In a measured tone, almost as if instructing a subordinate, Maxwell said, “I don’t want you getting too entangled with him once we’re married.”

Scarlett looked up steadily at him. “Don’t worry—I won’t. But you have to promise me something: I want our marriage to remain low-key. You’re too much of a spotlight magnet; I don’t want unnecessary attention.”

“That’s your call,” Maxwell replied indifferently.

Scarlett withdrew her gaze, lost in thought for a moment. She had assumed Maxwell, with his icy demeanor, would remain silent. Instead, he suddenly asked, “Did Tiffany use your design in the competition?”

Scarlett’s head snapped up in shock. “How did you know?” The secret of that matter—aside from her and those two scumbags—was known to no one.

Maxwell’s tone was cool and detached. “Anyone with eyes could tell.”

Barely recovering from her shock, Scarlett stuttered, “Really? I thought... nobody knew!”

Without addressing her disbelief, Maxwell inquired, “Do you need any help?”

Quickly shaking her head, Scarlett replied, “No. I’ll handle my revenge on my own. Just give me some time—once I’ve had my payback, I’ll be completely done with Alex. But trust me, I won’t betray you!”

Maxwell eyed her in surprise. “If not for revenge, then why did you choose to marry me?”

“To secure an escape route,” Scarlett answered calmly.

Maxwell nodded slightly, a hint of favor softening his otherwise stern demeanor. “I don’t care how you exact your revenge, but since you’ve married me, you must live up to our marital obligations. I’m not interested in a wife in name only…” His tone, though laced with suggestiveness, was as indifferent as commenting on the day’s weather.