My Ice-Cold New Boss Is My Ex-Husband

Chapter 3 You Do Play Wild

Aria was already annoyed. She cut in directly. "Mr. Shaw, you have three secretaries. You could ask Ms. Cross to accompany you…"

He couldn't just keep squeezing her dry every single time.

"Are you the CEO, or am I?" he said flatly, not even looking up.

"You are." Aria forced the two words through clenched teeth.

'Capitalist devil.'

"You have forty-seven minutes left," he added, glancing at his watch.

Aria bolted like a rabbit.

'Damn it.'

It would take thirty minutes to get home and only seventeen to change and put on her makeup, and the rush felt more desperate than a race to the gallows. As she hurried along, she pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Mom, pick up Lumi tonight. I have to attend a business dinner with my boss."

"Alright."

******

When Aria stepped out of her apartment, a glaring Rolls-Royce was already parked by the curb. She was still deciding where to sit when the rear door opened.

She got in. Adrian turned his head to look at her. His gaze was blatantly invasive, sliding from her face to her collarbone, and lower.

Aria was wearing a sapphire blue strapless gown today. Her pale shoulders were delicately sculpted, her neckline perfectly defined, her cleavage faintly visible. The fitted waist accentuated every curve of her body.

Her carefully applied makeup only enhanced her beauty, making her irresistibly captivating in a way that felt almost dangerous.

"Mr. Shaw, staring at your subordinate like that seems rather impolite." Aria spoke up. Those sharp eyes of his were genuinely intimidating.

Adrian curved his lips slightly. "Ms. Vale, haven't had a boyfriend these past few years?"

"What makes you say that?" Aria narrowed her eyes, her tone turning sharp.

"You've turned into dried string beans. I remember you used to have… a better feel." His sharp tongue was as lethal as ever.

"Looks like your wealth has grown, Mr. Shaw. Shame your eyesight has declined with it," Aria scoffed. "As for what kind of 'bean' I am, that's none of your concern. And in any case, it's not your turn."

Adrian gave a half-smile.

'Still just as sharp-tongued.'

Aria turned her head toward the window, her thoughts drifting to those "string beans."

Back in her sophomore year, she had come back complaining that her roommate mocked her for it. He had said he would help her "develop," then took her to a beautiful hillside.

That was the first time things had gone too far between them. There had been a ginkgo tree on that hill, and a sky full of stars. She had cried until she couldn't breathe. He had coaxed her for two whole days.

That place became where they marked the beginning of their relationship. For the first two years after the divorce, she would still go there on their anniversary.

Later, the land was bought by a mysterious tycoon and turned into a private estate. It was sealed off, and she could no longer enter. She could only look from afar. The ginkgo tree was still there.

******

Adrian took out a dazzling necklace from his pocket and suddenly leaned closer. A faint citrus scent drifted toward her, instantly throwing Aria off balance. It was once her favorite scent.

"Mr. Shaw, please behave."

"Put it on. Don't embarrass me," he said, moving to fasten it around her neck.

Aria's heart clenched, her pupils contracting as recognition struck. It was the very necklace she had picked up that afternoon, worth fifty-two million. There was no way she could bring herself to wear something so expensive. If anything happened to it, she would be his slave for life. A familiar story from her elementary school days, The Necklace, suddenly came to mind.

"Mr. Shaw, it's too valuable. I can't wear it. What if I damage it? I couldn't afford to pay it back…" She tried to refuse like someone pushing away gift envelopes during the Christmas.

"As long as it's not intentional damage, you don't have to pay," he said, shooting her a disdainful look. "My date dressed this poorly, do you think I don't care about my reputation?"

Aria froze for a second.

'Fine.'

She was poor. She couldn't afford haute couture from the current season. This dress had cost her over eighty thousand last year when she accompanied her former boss to a banquet, and she had only worn it once.

"Then… I'll return it to you after the dinner," she said, no longer resisting. His image was at stake, after all.

Adrian leaned in again to fasten the necklace. His warm breath brushed against her neck, his fingertips grazing her skin, making her shiver slightly.

Seeing the faint redness at the tip of her ear, Adrian suddenly said, "Aria, don't tell me you still miss me after all these years."

"A heartless ex-husband? What's there to miss?" Aria glanced at him.

Only she knew that she had gone on seventeen blind dates and hadn't liked a single one. His influence on her ran far too deep.

"There's emotion in your tone. Clearly, you're still hung up on me." Adrian knew exactly how to provoke her.

"Mr. Shaw, don't flatter yourself. Do you know how to be a proper ex-husband?"

'As if you were dead.'

"With your current status, Mr. Shaw, there must be plenty of women lining up to throw themselves at you, right?" She sneered, eyeing his infuriatingly handsome face.

"Want to take a number? I can give you priority."

She glared at him. "I don't sleep with my boss. Even a rabbit won't graze near its own burrow."

He asked again, "Then what do you do when you have needs? Do you just take care of it yourself?"

Aria blinked, caught off guard. Was their current relationship even appropriate for a conversation like this?

She clenched her teeth and replied, "I'd find someone temporary. Good stamina. Plenty of tricks."

"Ms. Vale, quite adventurous, aren't you?"

Adrian's gaze dropped to her soft, flushed lips. It had been a long time since he had tasted them.

"Still not as impressive as you, Mr. Shaw. Disappearing for three days and nights to enjoy yourself." Aria's tone remained cool.

"Oh? Bringing up the past now?" A hint of amusement flickered in Adrian's eyes. "So… do you want to play with a man like me?"

Aria fell silent.

Without warning, Adrian reached out and gripped the back of her neck, pulling her closer before crashing his lips against hers.

"Mmph." The sudden kiss left Aria flustered. She pushed against his chest, but he caught her wrists with his other hand. He forced her lips apart, taking complete control of the kiss.

"Adri… mm…"

He stole the air from her lungs, his free hand pressing firmly against her chest, moving as if absent-minded yet deliberately tracing her softness.

'Four years…'

Up front, the driver quickly raised the privacy partition. At that moment, he sincerely wished he were both deaf and blind.

A jolt ran through Aria. She bit down hard, the metallic taste of blood spreading across her tongue.

Only then did the man release her.

"Adrian, you're shameless."

A satisfied smile curved his lips. "You seemed to enjoy it."

Aria was speechless. She refused to deal with this bastard anymore.

******

Twenty minutes later, the Rolls-Royce pulled up in front of the six-star Imperial Crown Hotel.

The moment the car stopped, Leonard Grant, the president of Ravenport City's business council, hurried over and personally opened the door.

Adrian's acquisition of Aurelius Holdings and his powerful return to Ravenport City had become the biggest event in the upper circles. The focus was never the company. It was Adrian himself.

The Northstar Capital he founded overseas was a trillion-level giant. Every investment it touched turned into massive profit.

Tonight, every entrepreneur in Ravenport City wished they could carve their name onto their own face just so Adrian would remember them.

The city once had four great families: the Cole family, the Rowland family, the Hawthorne family, and the Sterling family. With the Sterling and Hawthorne families having moved overseas, only two remained.

Now that Adrian had returned, he claimed a place of his own.

According to financial magazines, his net worth stood at one hundred and eighty-four billion. He was known as the Black Reaper of the investment world, someone who could bankrupt others overnight.

Any company he set his sights on would either soar or be destroyed completely. There was no third outcome.

From the moment he stepped back into Ravenport City, the business world was shaken, and a wave of high-quality startups began returning from overseas.

From then on, the Shaw name stood above all in Ravenport City.

******

After stepping out of the car, Adrian suddenly extended his arm.

Aria's heart tightened, but she did not take it.

"Ms. Vale, be professional."

'Fine. Just business.'

Aria took a steady breath and lightly placed her hand on his arm. His familiar warmth seeped through the thin fabric of his suit. The intimacy of the gesture made her heart race for no reason, heat rushing to her cheeks. After four years apart, being this close to him again made her palms damp with nervous sweat.

Adrian seemed pleased with the subtle change in her expression, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

******

The moment they entered the banquet hall, countless eyes turned toward them like spotlights.

"Oh my God, that's Mr. Shaw! He's so handsome! I can't believe we're finally seeing him in Ravenport City!"

"I went to Seabridge City before and waited half a month without even catching a glimpse of him!"

"The woman beside him is so elegant. Is she his girlfriend?"

"That's the top investor. The richest man in Ravenport City right now. Even the Cole and Rowland heirs can't compare!"

"Ravenport City belongs to Mr. Shaw now!"

Gasps and exclamations filled the room.

Leonard quickly stepped forward and announced loudly, "Everyone, this is the founder of Northstar Capital, Mr. Shaw! Let's welcome him back to Ravenport City!"

Thunderous applause erupted.

Soon, layers of entrepreneurs surrounded him. Among them were three striking women, each wearing watches worth enough to buy a house, clearly daughters of wealthy families.

Aria found an excuse and quietly slipped out of the crowd.

******

As soon as she stepped outside for some air, a woman in a couture gown approached her.

"You're Mr. Shaw's secretary?"

"Hello." Aria nodded politely.

The woman handed her a check. "I want Mr. Shaw's schedule for the next month. This is your payment."

Aria glanced at it and saw three hundred thousand, a generous amount.

She recognized her as well—Vivienne Laurent, the heiress of the Laurent family from Ashbourne City and the founder of a rising jewelry brand.

"Sorry. Protecting my boss's privacy is a basic rule for secretaries."

"Not enough?" Vivienne raised a brow, then removed a valuable bracelet from her wrist. "This is worth over a million. It's yours too. I only need one month."

Aria suddenly smiled. She lifted a hand and lightly touched the brilliant blue diamond resting against her neck.

"Ms. Laurent, since you work in jewelry, you should recognize what I'm wearing. What do you think it's worth?"

Vivienne narrowed her eyes and stared at the necklace, its deep ocean blue and flawless cut revealing it to be the legendary Heart of the Abyss Diamond.

"That's impossible. It can't be real!"

"Excuse me." Aria had no interest in continuing and turned to leave. For the first time, she realized that being rich actually felt pretty good.

Vivienne watched her retreating figure, her gaze turning venomous as suspicion crept in. How could a mere secretary afford something like that unless she had slept her way into Adrian's bed? The shameless woman. No wonder she refused to sell the schedule. She wanted Adrian all to herself, as if she were worthy of him.

Vivienne beckoned a waiter over and slipped the check into his pocket.

******

When Aria returned to the hall, a low, magnetic voice sounded behind her with a hint of mockery. "Ms. Vale, that was quite the display. Borrowing power to intimidate others suits you well."

Aria's heart jolted. Had he heard? She turned around, a professional smile already in place. Stepping closer, she spoke in a soft voice meant for him alone. "Mr. Shaw is practically a god in Ravenport City. As your secretary, I'm only borrowing a little of that divine favor."

Aria had no idea how alluring she looked in that moment, her chin slightly lifted, her gaze fluid and bright, as far as Adrian was concerned.

He wanted nothing more than to pin her down and claim her completely. Four years—he had endured four long years of restraint, and now that he was back, he had no intention of holding himself to that discipline any longer. Adrian forced himself to rein in the heat surging through his body.

Another businessman approached. "Mr. Shaw, hello, I'm Dorian Blake from Easton Dynamics…"

Adrian turned slightly to Aria. "Go get something to eat. I'll find you later."

"Alright." Aria made her way toward the buffet. She really was hungry.

A server passed by with a tray of champagne. She picked up a glass and took a couple of sips. Then she selected a few delicate pastries and ate slowly.

Suddenly, a wave of dizziness and weakness washed over her, followed by a spreading heat through her body. Had she gotten drunk?