The Billionaire's Perfect Match

“Emily, this is my bank card. The PIN is 131224. Buy whatever we need for the house.” Several hours had passed, but Emily Anderson still heard her newlywed husband’s words echoing in her ears as he handed her the bank card before leaving that morning. Honestly, her knowledge of this man, now her husband, was sadly lacking. Besides him telling her that his name was Ricard William, she knew nothing else, not even who lived in his house. Emily also didn’t know where she got the courage to marry a man she had only met twice. Ten days ago, with the help of her best friend Anna, while Emily was on yet another husband-seeking journey, she met this man named Ricard. She didn’t have high hopes, as she had lost the right to be picky after being framed three years ago. Now, it was others who chose her. Because she couldn’t be picky, she arrived fifteen minutes early for the blind date. Given her lack of advantages, she tried to make a good impression in other ways, hoping to leave a good mark on him. If she could find a suitable man to marry, it would also put her parents at ease. The man she met arrived neither a minute early nor a minute late. He wore a very formal suit. Making it clear he took the blind date seriously, leaving a good first impression on Emily. His greeting was straightforward: “Miss Anderson, hello! I’m Ricard.” A very ordinary sentence, but his voice was so attractive that Emily found it particularly pleasant, increasing her impression of him a bit more. After a brief conversation, they exchanged phone numbers politely and then left. Emily, experienced in blind dates, saw no difference in this one. She believed it would be as fruitless as the others, but to her surprise, two days later, she received a call from Ricard. His voice was still polite and courteous: “Miss Anderson, are you free this evening?” That evening, Ricard invited her to a nearby restaurant. Emily didn’t like the awkwardness of blind dates, so she was very reserved during the meal, hardly saying a word and not eating much. She was about to find an excuse to leave early when Ricard started talking: “Miss Anderson, are you free next Wednesday? How about we go register our marriage?” “Register what?” Emily was stunned by Ricard’s words. “Marriage certificate,” he repeated, his tone serious, not joking at all. “A marriage certificate?” Emily remained in disbelief after hearing the news. She pinched her thigh hard to make sure she wasn’t dreaming before seriously looking at the man in front of her. Ricard had thick eyebrows, bright, spirited eyes, and a face as handsome as a carved statue. He was the type of person who stood out even among thousands. His expression and attitude were very serious, not impulsive at all. But this was only the second time they had met, and he was already talking about marriage? Soon after, his deep, attractive voice came again: “I thought Miss Anderson was like me, going on blind dates because we want to get married, have children, and live a ‘normal’ life like everyone else.” “That’s true, but we’ve only met twice. Is this too fast for you?” Emily expressed her thoughts. She desired a family, but not hastily. “It is a bit rushed,” Ricard calmly continued. “After our first meeting, I thought about it for two days. My first impression of you was very good, and I feel our personalities don’t clash. So, I want to try it.” Emily frowned slightly, a bit unhappy: “Marriage is not a joke. Try? If it doesn’t work out, do you mean?..” Before she could finish, Ricard interrupted: “Miss Anderson, we’re both adults. We don’t expect a love that doesn’t exist. We both know what we want.” Emily didn’t respond, quietly observing Ricard. Outwardly, he seemed steady and not flashy, a suitable candidate for marriage. Could she entrust her life to a man she barely knew? Could she really? Seeing her hesitation, Ricard continued: “Maybe I’ve been too hasty, not considering your feelings. If you think I’m acceptable, take your time to think it over. I’ll wait for your call.” That night, upon her return home, Emily pondered it incessantly. She admitted she shared some views with Ricard, such as not believing in love. After being deeply hurt before, she no longer believed in love. After a sleepless night, Emily called Ricard the next morning, accepting his “proposal.” That morning, she took her household registration book, and that afternoon, they went to register their marriage. When she and Ricard left the civil affairs office with their marriage certificate, she felt an indescribable emotion. Marriage, they said, was a woman’s second life. Now simple, using thirty thousand to register, leaving her and Ricard’s mark on her life. Yesterday was when she moved into Ricard’s place. Last night, Ricard was very polite, offering her the primary bedroom while he slept in another room. Emily didn’t expect that before leaving for work today, Ricard would give her his bank card. They didn’t know each other well yet, so how could he trust her with his finances? “Emily, reporters from major magazines are waiting inside. The board members and the new general manager are arriving soon. Why are you standing there?” The stern voice of Charlotte Smith, the Director of Public Relations, snapped Emily back to reality. She quickly collected herself and adjusted her attitude: “Director Smith, I’m sorry, I’ll be more attentive.” Charlotte looked at Emily sternly: “Emily, although you’re from the Business Department, since your director sent you to assist us, you need to be alert and not hinder the work.” Emily pressed her lips together and nodded: “Director Smith, I got distracted earlier. It won’t happen again.” Charlotte glanced at Emily multiple times before averting her gaze. She clapped her hands, calling the reception staff over. “Everyone, give it your all today. We must do an excellent job with this press conference. No mistakes allowed.” As she spoke, her serious gaze swept over each staff member. “Understood.” The reception staff and temporary assistants responded in unison. Finally, Charlotte’s eyes fell on Emily: “Emily, I heard you’re the best in the Business Department. You’ll follow me and handle tasks related to the new general manager. Don’t worry about anything else.” Emily nodded without responding. Ella Taylor, a member of the Public Relations department, gave her a smug look: “Emily, if our new CEO isn’t married yet, will you have the ‘advantage of proximity’?” Though it sounded like an opportunity to get close to the new CEO, everyone knew it was a hot potato that no one wanted, which was why it fell on Emily. Charlotte’s face turned stern, glaring at Ella: “Today could determine all our futures here. Everyone, get serious.” With Charlotte’s scolding, no one dared to speak further. Emily quietly took a deep breath, trying to show her best working state. Charlotte’s tension is understandable. Amid calm in the company, news broke from the board about CEO replacement. But the new boss was very mysterious, and despite their efforts, no department heads could find out any information about him. Emily was not usually one to join in the excitement, but at this moment, she couldn’t help but crane her neck, wanting to see who this mysterious new boss was. “They’re here. The major shareholders and the new CEO have arrived,” came the voice of a receptionist over the intercom to all the staff. Everyone instinctively adjusted their clothing and stood respectfully in their positions. Emily followed closely behind Charlotte, ready to greet the mysterious boss everyone had been eagerly expecting. After just a few steps, they saw a tall man in a silver-gray suit, surrounded by people in black suits, elegantly walking toward the press conference hall. One look and Emily was stunned. The tall man in the lead, wearing the silver-gray suit, was clearly her newlywed husband, Ricard! “No way!” Emily thought she was hallucinating. She immediately closed her eyes and shook her head to clear her mind. But when she opened her eyes again, the man’s appearance hadn’t changed. If it were someone else, she might have mistaken them, but this was her newlywed husband. She couldn’t be wrong. His chiseled face, about 1.88 meters tall, with a strong, sturdy build, and his naturally elegant and noble walk—every detail matched her husband perfectly. “Ricard, Ricard?” Emily called out instinctively, staring at the man. The man seemed to hear her voice and glanced lightly at her. Facing his gaze, Emily was so tense she almost forgot to breathe. She never imagined her “ordinary” husband would be the newly appointed CEO of her company. She looked at him, feeling her head buzzing as if it would explode. The man’s gaze briefly passed over her, unaware of her presence. Emily felt a rush of emotions at his indifferent look. He was clearly Ricard, her newlywed husband, so why did he look at her so coldly? In just a moment, countless thoughts flashed through Emily’s mind.