Chapter 13 Jobless. In the opulent CEO's office, nestled on the 99th floor of the prestigious BRD Group. Adrian strolled in with a jaunty tune on his lips. Upon laying eyes on the man beside the desk, he let out a boisterous guffaw and taunted, "Hey, jobless. " =. The man raised his eyes and shot a frigid glare in Adrian's direction, his expression conveying an icy disdain. Blissfully oblivious to the danger looming before him, Adrian lounged on the sofa, chortling heartily. "Ha-ha! That's priceless! Never before have I heard anyone refer to you, the CEO of the BRD Group and the eldest son of the Anderson family, as jobless. Your wife's a real character. ” Chuckling, Theodore interjected, "If you find yourself idle, I could certainly send you to the western area to manage a mine. Upon hearing Theodore's threat, Adrian sprang up from the couch and suppressed his laughter, showing respect to his boss. Normally, Theodore maintained a stoic demeanor, but when he wore that sarcastic smile, everyone knew he meant business. If Theodore carried out his warning and dispatched Adrian to a mining operation, there would be no turning back for him at the BRD Group. Adrian became grave, trying to smooth over the situation by saying, "I only wanted to relieve some of your stress. Theodore pushed his laptop aside, revealing a surveillance video from the interview room Ariana had been in moments ago. With a raised eyebrow, he pondered aloud, "So, what should your reward be?". His piercing gaze left Adrian feeling uncomfortable, and he shifted his gaze to the laptop screen, avoiding Theodore's eyes. As he chuckled nervously, Adrian attempted to diffuse the tension. "No need for a reward. You don't have to be so polite. The sound of the laptop being slammed shut echoed through the room, startling Adrian. His heart was racing as Theodore's piercing sneer froze him to the spot. "Was this the urgent matter you meant when you asked me to come to the company? You have exceeded your authority, Adrian. I haven't seen you for three months, and you dared to invite Ariana for a job interview without my approval?". Adrian's hand instinctively went up to touch his nose as a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, betraying his unease

Ariana’s resume didn't make the cut in the initial screening, yet Adrian couldn't help but be intrigued by the woman who dared to marry someone as fearsome as Theodore. He was perplexed as to why Theodore, who was known for his ruthlessness, didn't dismiss her immediately but instead continued to let her be his wife. So, taking a risk, Adrian invited Ariana for an interview and convinced Theodore to be present. It was supposed to be a mere amusement for Adrian, but he didn't anticipate that Ariana's performance would be so impressive. Defying Theodore's wrath, Adrian said, "Sure, I didn't have your authorization to interview her, but her abilities speak for themselves. I'm only acknowledging her genuine talent. Theodore sneered, but he didn't bother to answer. Adrian let out a deliberate sigh, and with an air of incredulity, he lifted Ariana's resume and posed a question to Theodore. "What a hapless woman! She married you but knew nothing about the man she wedded. As the wife of the CEO of the BRD Group, she made a concerted effort to apply for an ordinary job interview. Why not offer her the position?” Theodore's eyes remained fixed on the document as he spoke in an icy tone. "I have other plans for her. Adrian placed the resume on the desk and gave a nod. "Alright, I understand. From the corner of his eye, Adrian caught sight of Theodore's wheelchair. He asked with earnestness, "Are you genuinely disabled? You even came to the office in a wheelchair. I had to fabricate a story to the subordinates that Mr. Fredrick had a fall from his horse. Theodore abruptly closed the file and gazed up at Adrian with a faint smile. "Feeling unoccupied, are we? I can assign some work to you. ” Adrian let out an awkward smile and touched his nose. "No, thanks. I have a meeting to attend. I'll take my leave now. As soon as the last word left his lips, Adrian scampered to the door, a knot of worry chuming in his gut that Theodore might take his jest seriously

After the interview, Ariana returned to the Anderson family's mansion. The whole place was quiet. In the garden, Judy was the only soul watering the plants. Ariana paced around the house and realized Theodore was yet to come back. She slumped on the couch in the living room, feeling a tinge of boredom. Fumbling through her pockets, her fingers brushed against Adrian's business card. Her mind wandered off to him, and she began to fret. Was Adrian's interest in her merely an attempt to trade her body for the job? If it were, and she passed the interview, should she accept the offer or not?. If she didn't, she would be letting go of an excellent opportunity to prove herself. If she did, she would be a puppet in his hands. These thoughts troubled Ariana, and she let out a sigh. Living in this society was a daunting task, full of snares and pitfalls lurking around every corner. With a despondent expression, Ariana took out her phone and searched for Adrian's information on the Internet. Bored and uninterested, she skimmed through his resume and pictures before turning her attention to Holden Fredrick—the current CEO of the BRD Group, who Ariana suspected to be the same man as Theodore earlier. Holden was a man shrouded in mystery, an enigma that left Ariana intrigued. Despite her best efforts, she found no substantial information about him on the Internet—no past experience, no identity, and no photos. But Ariana refused to give up. She scoured the depths of the web, determined to uncover even a sliver of information about the enigmatic CEO. And after a long and arduous search, she finally stumbled upon a grainy photo taken in secret by a paparazzo. Despite the poor quality, Ariana could tell that Holden was tall and had a strong, chiseled jawline. As she studied the photo intently, Ariana felt a strange sense of deja vu. wash over her. It was as if she had seen this man before