The CEO's Reluctant Bride

Chapter2

“Are you nervous?” he glanced at the rearview mirror, asking, “I noticed you've been clenching your fists and grinding your teeth. Relax, I'm not a bad guy.”

What kind of bad guy admits they're bad? The moment he said that, my nerves, which had been relaxing, tensed up again. Could he really be a bad guy? No, no, there's no way. There are plenty of bad people in the world, but it can't be my luck to run into one on my first trip out. I forced myself to believe it.

I quickly waved my hand and gave an awkward laugh. “No, it's nothing. I just thought about my Santana when I saw your Rolls-Royce.” My hair, still damp and clinging to my neck, was making me uncomfortable. I pulled out a comb from my bag, brushing my hair as I asked, “You seemed to be waiting for someone earlier. Is it really okay to leave?”

“I was supposed to meet a friend to hang out, but he just told me his fiancée went missing, so he's tied up,” he replied, turning the wheel as we rounded a corner. The Kyoto Hotel's outline was now faintly visible.

“Looks like your friend cares a lot about his fiancée. It's hard to find men like that these days,” I mused.

He let out a cold chuckle. “They've met no more than three times. It's just a business marriage. If it were me, I'd never accept that kind of arrangement from my parents. I can't understand him.”

“Sounds like we're on the same page. I think business marriages are awful. Who gives our elders the right to sell our happiness in the corporate world?” I couldn't help but grit my teeth as I spoke. I needed to find my grandpa and get him to stop my parents from arranging that ridiculous marriage for me.

“Why don't we exchange numbers? Since we're staying at the same hotel, we can look out for each other,” he suggested.

I nodded, pulling out a notepad and pen from my bag to write down my number. It was rare to meet someone who shared my views. Unlike Nerys and the others, who always urged me to marry early, telling me not to end up like them, unable to find anyone. I'm only 22, for crying out loud! (That's why I call myself a modern 2B young woman.) I'm not even close to being “old” like those in their thirties or forties.

I took his number and smiled. “By the way, I forgot to ask—what's your name?”

“Carl,” he said, hitting the brakes as we arrived. “And you?”

“Vivi,” I stammered out my name in syllables, unbuckling my seatbelt and hurriedly opening the door. I had to rush to my room to find Nerys and give her a piece of my mind for abandoning me at the pool earlier.

After fumbling with my key card several times, I finally got the door open, only to find the room completely empty. The only sound was my own heavy breathing. What's going on? Did she not come back to the room?

I thought about calling her, but after rummaging through my bag, I realized I couldn't find my phone. Don't tell me I left it at the pool! Ugh, does that mean I have to go back? I rubbed my forehead, squatting down, utterly at a loss for what to do next.

Just then, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around to see Carl bending down, holding out my phone. “You left in such a rush that you forgot your phone.”

I gratefully took it, mumbling a quick “thank you.” Now I could call Nerys. Where on earth did that girl disappear to this time? But when I flipped open my phone, my heart sank. It was dead.

Luckily, Carl hadn't gone far. I leaned out of the doorway and called out to him, “Hey, could I borrow your phone for a second?”