My Ice-Cold New Boss Is My Ex-Husband

Chapter 2 A Surprise Crash at the Blind Date

Aria clenched her teeth and went over the report twice more, working until nine thirty that night. Only then did she finally finish checking it.

'Not a single mistake.'

She picked up the documents and headed back to the CEO's office, submitting them again.

Adrian said lightly, "Sorry, Ms. Vale. I might have misread it."

Aria was speechless.

"It's late. I'll drive you home."

"No need. I have my own car. I'll head back first." Aria said, then hurried off.

At exactly ten, Aria stepped into a high-end riverside restaurant bar in her heels.

The lighting was soft, the atmosphere calm.

By the window sat her blind date, a well-dressed man in a tailored suit with gold-rimmed glasses. He looked refined and gentle.

"You must be Mr. Reeves. Sorry to keep you waiting, something came up tonight." Aria gave him a polite smile.

"Miss Vale, please, have a seat." Daniel Reeves stood up and pulled out her chair like a gentleman. "I figured you might be hungry, so I ordered mushroom soup and some bread in advance."

As soon as he finished speaking, the waiter brought over the warm soup and bread. He then handed her the menu. "Take a look and order whatever you like."

Aria accepted the menu and casually ordered a few of her favorite dishes. She took a small sip of the rich mushroom soup. Warmth slid down her throat into her stomach, and she quietly gave him extra points for his thoughtfulness.

They chatted casually.

Aria realized that not only was he good-looking, but he was also well-educated and articulate.

Just as the atmosphere settled into something pleasant, a shadow carrying an overwhelming presence fell over them.

A low, deep voice sounded. "Ms. Vale."

Aria's hand froze around her spoon. She looked up. "Mr. Shaw."

She shot to her feet, her heart skipping a beat. Why was he here?

Adrian didn't look at her. He calmly adjusted the cuff of his expensive suit, where a sapphire cufflink gleamed.

Five years ago, she had saved four months of salary to buy him a similar pair. He had never worn them. He must have thought they were too cheap.

"I have a business engagement later. Come with me." His tone left no room for refusal.

"Mr. Shaw, it's after work hours," Aria reminded him.

"According to Clause 2, Article 7 of the Chief Secretary’s Code, the secretary leaves work only when the boss does." He finally looked up, his gaze cold and devoid of warmth. "Do you need me to go over it with you again?"

Aria bit her lower lip hard, the color draining from it. She turned to Daniel, guilt written all over her face. "Mr. Reeves, I'm really sorry…"

Before she could finish, she let out a startled cry. The world spun as he hoisted her over his shoulder. His solid shoulder dug painfully into her.

"What are you doing? Put me down, Adrian!" Aria's face flushed instantly as she kicked helplessly in the air.

Daniel froze in shock, and only when he heard that name did he snap back to reality. Adrian, the legendary financial tycoon of Avalon, was a man who controlled hundreds of billions in assets.

Aria struggled all the way, nearly losing her heels, until he carried her into an empty observation deck.

"Behave." His low warning brushed against her ear. His large hand landed lightly on her hip before he carefully set her down.

Aria was furious. She pushed her messy hair aside and shouted at him. "Adrian, what do you want from me? You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

Adrian looked down at her from above, his handsome face unreadable. "I was saving you. That man isn't right for you."

"Whether he's right for me has nothing to do with you. You're just my boss. My personal life is none of your business."

But he declared domineeringly, "If I don't approve, you're not marrying him."

Adrian could not stand the sight of her looking so pleased right after he took over Aurelius Holdings. He really did bring luck to his ex-wife.

Back then, she was the one who insisted on the divorce. She said she no longer loved him and cast him aside without a second thought. He refused to let her have things so easily.

Aria cursed him silently. 'So you could marry in glory, while I am expected to mourn you for a lifetime?'

"I'm tired, Mr. Shaw. I can't work right now. If you're unhappy, fire me tomorrow." She spat the words out, then shoved him away with all her strength.

Without looking back, she walked off. The night wind tangled her long hair and unsettled her thoughts. She still remembered the day he left. The sky had been heavy with clouds.

He had left her a bank card with three million ninety thousand, along with an apartment of about thirteen hundred square feet. That was everything they owned at the time.

When she woke up, there was a Crimson-White Agate Bracelet on her wrist. It was something he never took off, half pure white, half deep crimson.

She lay beneath a ginkgo tree and broke down in tears. Autumn leaves swirled in the wind, drifting down as if to bury her.

She had wanted to chase after him, but the pain in her body left her unable to move. She knew he would never come back.

Later, when she returned home, she ran a fever for two days and two nights, nearly losing her life. Four years of love in college, two years of marriage, all ended just like that.

His mother had pressured her countless times to divorce him, saying that if he married Bianca of the Sterling family, their alliance would elevate his career to new heights.

But she refused.

Until that day, when her father fell critically ill and Adrian disappeared for three days without a word.

She received a photo on her phone. He was lying on a luxurious bed, eyes closed, and beside the bed stood a pair of white high heels.

She believed he had betrayed her and that he was no longer the man he once was.

When he finally returned, he only said he had been busy with work. He offered no other explanation. That was when she asked for a divorce and told him she no longer loved him.

Her eyes burned red, but she clenched her teeth and refused to let the tears fall. If only she had never fallen for Adrian.

The next day, as soon as Aria arrived at the office, she was summoned by Adrian.

She knocked and entered.

The man behind the desk looked even sharper now, his features more defined. An expensive suit wrapped around his broad shoulders and lean waist.

He leaned back in his chair, relaxed in posture, yet his presence pressed down heavily on the room. At last, he spoke, his tone flat and devoid of warmth.

"Starting today, your position will be reassigned as my Chief Secretary. You'll be on call twenty-four hours a day."

What was this supposed to be, some kind of power move? Aria let out a faint, humorless smile, her eyes remaining cold.

"Mr. Shaw, are you planning to pay me three salaries?"

He placed his clasped hands on the desk and tapped his fingers lightly.

"Not satisfied? It's been four years. Your abilities haven't improved, but you've learned to bargain with your boss."

"I wouldn't dare." Aria gave him a professional, practiced smile. "I'm just curious. Is this personal revenge, Mr. Shaw, or has your life fallen apart so badly without me that you can't function anymore?"

A faint curve touched his lips, laced with amusement. "You call this personal revenge?"

He pushed his chair back and stood up. Then he walked around the desk, step by step, toward her. "I call this making full use of what I have."

He stopped in front of her. That familiar, crisp citrus scent pushed into her breath, leaving no room to escape.

Aria let out a cold laugh, tore the badge from around her neck, and slammed it onto the desk. "Adrian, I quit. I'm done serving you. I'm done with all of this." With that, she turned to leave.

"Stop." His voice was low, yet carried an authority she couldn't ignore. He pulled a document from the drawer and tossed it in front of her. "Take a good look."

Aria picked it up and flipped through it. Her mind went blank in an instant.

'Damn it.'

She'd walked straight into a trap. Rage shot straight to her head. "Typical ruthless capitalist!"

Adrian smirked.

She glared at his annoyingly handsome face, so close it filled her vision, and had the sudden urge to bite him.

In the end, frustration got the better of her, and when she turned to leave, she walked straight into the glass door with a loud bang.

Adrian rushed over immediately, his warm hand pressing gently against the reddening spot on her forehead.

"Babe," he blurted out.

Aria froze.

'Babe, my ass.'

"Stay away from me." She shoved him aside and stormed out of the office.

This man had to be doing it on purpose. Back when they were together, Adrian always called her that. And now, with everything he had, he was using it to mock her.

That afternoon, Adrian posted a new message in the work group chat and tagged her, attaching nothing more than an address and a contact number.

Aria let out a resigned sigh, grabbed her bag, and took a cab straight there. Her head kept buzzing the entire ride. She had never expected the contract she renewed half a year ago to include a non-compete clause. If she quit on her own, she would owe the company twenty million, a figure with seven zeros. The thought alone made her feel utterly miserable.

By the time she arrived at Laurent Crown Auction House, the very name alone made it hard to breathe. The handover process turned out to be simpler than she had expected, yet far more dangerous.

A staff member in white gloves pushed a velvet box toward her. "Miss Vale, please sign here."

Her gaze dropped to the bottom of the transfer form, where the final figure was listed. The endless string of zeros made her head spin.

'Ten thousand… a hundred thousand… a million…Fifty-two million.'

Her heart clenched so hard she almost stopped breathing on the spot. Her hand trembled as she picked up the pen. If anything went wrong on the way back, she might as well start preparing for her next life.

She took the box carefully, holding it tightly in both hands as if it were something priceless. It truly was, and she knew that a single misstep could shatter not just the box, but her entire future along with it.

Aria sat rigidly in the car on the way back to the company, clutching the box to her chest. Her mind was in turmoil. A necklace that expensive could only be meant for some woman. That was how the rich played, spending fifty-two million in a single move.

She suddenly thought of the past. Back when they had nothing, the gifts he gave her were modest, worth only a few thousand at most. The most expensive was their wedding ring, which he had saved for a long time to buy. It cost one hundred and sixty thousand.

On the day of their divorce, she tossed the ring into the flowerbed outside their apartment building, decisive and without hesitation. It felt clean, final, like the end of everything. But later, she went back. She searched through the soil again and again, digging with her hands until they were dirty and raw. She never found it.

Now, all she had left was the half-red, half-white agate bracelet he had left behind. She did not know its value, only that it had once saved her life, and she would never return it.

It was the only thing he had left her, the sole thread connecting her to him through those hardest four years, and she would not give it back, not in this lifetime.

By the time she returned to the company, it was already five-thirty. Aria took a steadying breath, composed herself, and walked straight up to Adrian's desk.

He was still working, his sharp profile even colder under the light.

"Mr. Shaw, your necklace." She placed the heavy velvet box in front of him.

'Task complete.'

"You're coming with me to a banquet tonight," he said calmly, lifting his gaze.Then added, "Go change. Wear something… sexy."

'Sexy? Am I supposed to sell myself?'

Adrian seemed to read her thoughts. "Not selling yourself. You're not worth that much."

Aria froze. For a split second, she seriously considered poisoning him just to shut him up.