THE CEO’S ACCIDENTAL BRIDE

CHAPTER 4

Forced to retreat several steps, Maya stumbled back, her heart racing. As the car window rolled down, she was left speechless, shocked to see him again—how could it be him?

Charles glanced at her for a moment before his gaze shifted to Ethan beside him. He parted his lips slightly and coolly commanded, "Get out."

The car door opened, and Ethan stepped out with a smile, making a gentlemanly gesture. "Miss Cooper, please get in. My brother has something to discuss with you."

What could they possibly have to talk about? Maya’s heart raced as she glanced at the man inside the car, her voice cautious. "What is it about?"

Ethan gave a sheepish smile and cleared his throat. "It's about my studies."

It seemed she had been too tense. Licking her lips, she replied, "If it's about your studies, we should go to my office." "My brother's identity is a bit special, and there might already be reporters on their way, so it’s better to find a quieter place."

Just as they spoke, the principal hurried over with a flattering smile. "Mr. Darwin, why didn't you give me a heads-up before coming? I would have been ready to welcome you."

Charles nodded slightly. "I’m just here for Ethan’s parent-teacher meeting today; I didn’t want to disturb you."

"Not at all, Mr. Darwin, it’s too kind of you..." The principal rubbed his hands nervously, only then noticing Maya standing nearby. He exclaimed in surprise, "Miss Cooper?"

"Principal," she nodded in greeting, surprised that he even acknowledged her presence.

"I'd like to discuss Ethan’s academic performance with Miss Cooper," Charles continued.

"Of course," the principal's eyes practically squinted with delight. He turned to Maya and said, "Miss Cooper, you won't need to return to school this afternoon. Take the time to have a good talk with Mr. Darwin. It would be best to come up with a targeted study plan to ease Mr. Darwin’s worries." Is this really necessary? The principal was acting like using her as a stepping stone, Maya thought to herself, wanting to decline. "But I have classes this afternoon..."

This Miss Cooper is so oblivious, the principal thought, feeling a bit anxious. No matter how many classes she had, she needed to prioritize Mr. Darwin: "Miss Cooper, I’ll let Miss Steel cover your classes this afternoon..."

Ethan raised an eyebrow at the principal. "Thanks, old man. Now we're taking Miss Cooper away!"

Before Maya could respond, Ethan opened the back door, pressed down on her shoulder, and shoved her inside. He then slid into the front passenger seat.

"Hey, where to?" Ethan asked, tilting his head toward the driver.

"I'm hungry," Charles replied in a low, gravelly voice, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed, his gaze drifting over Maya.

The pressure radiating from him was overwhelming, making her frown and feel restless. She didn’t even dare to move...

Even though Ethan and the driver were in the car too, the intensity of Charles's presence only seemed to grow stronger.

Even without moving her eyes, she could still catch him in her peripheral vision. The car glided smoothly down the road, eventually stopping in front of an upscale restaurant.

Inside the elegant and lavish private room, each of them had a plate of medium-well steak in front of them, along with a bottle of red wine.

Ethan had ordered the steak and kept asking Maya what she wanted to eat, pulling out the menu for her to choose from.

Maya only wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible, repeatedly declining and

making excuses.

But her refusals were in vain; Ethan had insisted on ordering her a medium-well steak, which led to the current awkward situation.

The thick red wine slowly dripped into the transparent glass, and its rich aroma immediately filled the private room. Charles’ gaze fell on her, studying her for a few seconds before putting down his glass of wine. "Are you sure you want to keep standing, Miss Cooper?"

Both Charles and Ethan were seated, and her standing made the situation feel a bit out of place. Maya had no choice but to awkwardly take a seat.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the slicing of steak. Fidgeting with her fingers, Maya broke the suffocating silence. "Is there something you want to discuss about Ethan’s studies, Mr. Darwin?"

As soon as his name was mentioned, Ethan abandoned his wine, making an excuse. "I need to use the restroom."

As he left the room, he even winked at Charles on purpose...

Charles elegantly continued cutting his steak, then turned his attention back to her. "What do you think about hiring a tutor, Miss Cooper?" Seeing his businesslike demeanor, Maya felt her guard drop and nodded in agreement, "I think that's a great idea."

Then, his voice cut through the air, "It seems that Teacher Cooper has agreed to be Ethan’s tutor."

Maya’s eyes widened involuntarily as she straightened up. "When did I agree to that?" Setting down his knife and fork, Charles picked up his glass and took a slow sip. "What’s your answer now, Miss Cooper?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't have the time," Maya replied without a second thought.

"You won't need too much of your time, just two hours a day..."

"Mr. Darwin, it's not about how long it is; I truly don't have any spare time," she mustered the courage to meet his gaze.

However, Charles seemed to ignore her words entirely, his lips curling into a slight smile as he continued, "How about I double your pay?"

Maya’s tone turned icy. "It's not about the money, Mr. Darwin. You should find someone else."

She was determined to erase all memories of that night, not wanting any further entanglement with him.

Because the moment she saw him, the memories of that night would flood back like a tidal wave!

Gently swirling the red wine in his glass, Charles remained calm and relaxed. "What do you think about discussing this matter with the principal of your school?"

There was undoubtedly a hint of threat in his words. Given the principal's earlier behavior, she was 100% sure that he would hand her over to him without a second thought!

The anger inside her finally ignited. Maya’s chest rose and fell slightly as she abruptly stood up from her seat. "Why do you insist on me?"

Countless people wanted to be a tutor; why did he have to force her? What were his true intentions?

"Miss Cooper, you must have misunderstood my intentions..." Charles replied, a light smile dancing in his eyes. He chuckled softly, "It's not that I insist on you, but rather that someone else insists on you..." Maya froze, staring at him in shock as three words escaped her lips: "Ethan?"

"Yes..." Charles replied lazily.

So it turned out she had overthought it. A sense of embarrassment rose from deep within her, and Maya’s face involuntarily flushed red. Taking a deep breath, she apologized, "I'm sorry, I got a bit carried away just now."