MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE

(ARIELLE'S POV)

A few days later, I was at work, with the incident with Jared pushed behind me, and long forgotten.

I had hired Stephen the day after his interview, despite his cringe-worthy attempts at flattery. "Love at first sight," he'd said, which I brushed off as nothing more than an embarrassing expression of youthful infatuation.

As the days rolled on, I got to know him better and realized I'd made a wise choice. At first it was hard to connect this young man with the elite crowd Mr. Stone loved to brag about. But once he settled into the role, I knew he was exactly what I needed. Stephen's obsessive attention to food quality and his sophisticated palate were beyond impressive for someone so new. I couldn't be more content with him-if only he could tone down the dramatic declarations of his undying affection for me. Honestly, I had enough of his theatrics, and I often found myself silently pleading for Rebecca to rescue me with her usual excuse: "Ma'am, I really need you to check this dish."

Poor Rebecca-she bore the brunt of Stephen's infatuation and ended up being called a "bad chef" more than once. I felt a twinge of guilt for her.

Today, I was in the dining area of the restaurant, chatting with some old couple who insisted on meeting with the brain behind such a large establishment.

"You know, we've been coming here right from the day it was first opened, and we just had to meet you," Mr Harrison said, his eyes conveying his respect and admiration.

His wife was no different. "The meal is great, the best we've had in years and we're glad we discovered this place," she added.

"I'm glad you did," I replied, smiling warmly at them. "It's always lovely to meet our customers."

While we chatted, the entrance door swung open, and time seemed to freeze. I paused mid-sentence, my heart skipping as I took in the sight of him. No way... that emerald gaze?

He couldn't be here, not without a word. Had I conjured him from my imagination because we hadn't spoken yesterday, like we usually did?

But no-it wasn't a hallucination. I caught Rebecca's wide-eyed expression a few meters away, confirming my disbelief.

He had seen me, and now walking towards me, an infectious smile on his face. This seemed to draw attention as everyone, especially the ladies were now stealing glances at him.

He finally stopped in front of me and whispered, "Ostrich."

I blinked, momentarily lost for words. "D... Dwayne? What a surprise! I wasn't expecting you. You never mentioned visiting," I stammered, struggling to mask my fluster.

"I know. Ever heard of surprises, Ari?" he said, as if flying from Italy to New York was no more than delivering a gift pack.

"Oh, that's lovely of you," I murmured. Eyes were still on us, and to be honest the last thing I wanted at this point in my career was for news of my non-professional relationship with a man getting out. This was not the best place for reminiscing.

And then there was Stephen. God, please don't let him walk out of his office right now and witness this unplanned reunion. It's not like I was supposed to care, but I did have no willingness to make this whole thing more complicated.

I threw a quick glance at Rebecca, who wore an expression that echoed my own worries.

"Um...can we talk in my office?" I quickly turned to Dwayne to ask.

"Sure," he responded.

"Alright," I said, and then I turned to the Harrisons. "Excuse me for a moment, please. It was lovely meeting you both."

"Likewise, dear," they chimed, and I felt their eyes linger on Dwayne as I stepped away.

But just as I took my first step toward the office, disaster struck. Stephen walked in.

Our eyes locked, his brow furrowing as he took in the scene-me and Dwayne, standing too close for comfort. I thought I saw a flicker of hurt in his gaze.

I looked away. "Let's go," I said, breaking the gaze with Stephen and leading Dwayne away, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. My mind was racing, frantically searching for a way to ease the tension.

This was so awkward! What kind of bad luck had I stumbled into?

"Do you have much work to do?" Dwayne asked, his voice low, as if he could sense my flustered thoughts spiraling out of control.

"No, not at all. Why?"

"We could go somewhere else," he suggested, his eyes scanning the area. "You don't seem quite comfortable speaking to me here."

I paused, my eyes darting back to Stephen who was now standing by the bar, watching us with an unreadable expression. And so I didn't bother arguing with Dwayne because he was right. The atmosphere was tense, and stepping out a bit would help. "Alright," I responded.

Instead of heading to my office, like the initial intent, we turned back around and headed for the restaurant exit.

(STEPHEN'S POV)Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

As I walked into the dining area to discuss some document details with Arielle, I was completely unprepared for what I saw.

There she stood, laughing softly with a strikingly handsome man.

I tried to dismiss the thoughts swirling in my head, convincing myself he was just a customer, but that theory crumbled as I watched Arielle beam at him, her shyness evident.

Hey I mean, who is this guy? What's with those flirtatious eyes? And that chiseled face-did he really hit the gym every single day? I caught myself wondering if I should grow a mustache too.

Just then she turned in my direction, and surprisingly, she immediately returned her attention to him acting like she didn't see me.

My heart skipped a beat. Ok somebody really needed to tell me who the hell was this guy?

A sharp jolt of hurt pierced my chest as I took in how effortlessly charming he was. His confident demeanor and that easy smile made me feel even smaller.

I forced myself to give a smile.

Stupid Stephen. What was I expecting? That Arielle would be single, and even if she was, she wouldn't be interested in someone as young as me or below herdevel. I was her employee after all.

Still, I couldn't suppress my feelings for her. I watched helplessly as they chatted, her smile only deepening my discomfort. Why did she look so relaxed and happy with him? Did she

think of me as just a kid?

As they spoke, I strained to catch snippets of their conversation, but then they turned toward the hallway, heading for Arielle's office. My heart ached. What was his relationship with Arielle?

Still in thought, they returned, but this time, my heart sank as they made for the exit together.

Where were they going? I watched them leave, my instincts screaming to follow and ask Arielle where she was headed with this man.

What if he was dangerous? But I

quickly dismissed the thought. She

was my boss; it would be

disrespectful to invade her personal

life. If she didn't know him weal

she

wouldn't have agreed to leave with him.

I let out a frustrated sigh and slumped onto a barstool, brooding. I didn't want to return to my office.

Rebecca spotted me, and approached me with a concerned expression. "Hey, Stephen, are you alright? What brings you here?"

"Not great at all. I just needed some air," I responded plainly.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're getting air at the bar?"

I shrugged, trying to appear casual. "Just clearing my head. I'll head back to my office soon."

She offered a sympathetic look, one that said she understood, but I didn't care. I hoped my excuse was enough to satisfy her.

Just then, the door swung open, and our eyes automatically turned to the entrance.

A handsome man walked in, holding a bouquet of rose that immediately filled up the place with its sweet fragrance. I found myself comparing him to the man Arielle left with -who was more good-looking? Well, clearly they both looked more attractive than me. Damn it!

The newcomer's eyes landed on us, and his lips curled in a light smile as he approached us.

The man stopped in front of us and. "Hello," and without waiting for a response, he turned his focus to Rebecca.

"Where's Arielle?" he asked.

My stomach dropped. A fox left and then another came?

"She's not here" I started, but Rebecca cut me off.

"She just stepped out not quite long," she said, stepping in front of me and subtly tapping my fingers as a signal.

From her response, one could tell she was well-acquainted with the man.

"Alright. I have a meeting in a few minutes, could you help me give this to her?" He asked, holding out the bouquet.

"Sure," Rebecca said, accepting it.

"Thanks. Bye," he said, but hesitated for a moment before adding, "And could you... could you please tell me her reaction if you don't mind?"

"I'm sorry, I can't do that, sir," Rebecca said politely, though her refusal felt a bit too quick, as if... she didn't like him.

"...Sure. I understand. Thank you." He managed a bitter smile before leaving.

I watched all of these in silence, so many thoughts whirling through my head.

I was still hurting from Arielle leaving with a man, and just when I thought the day could get any better, another comes with a flower.

And wait-did he just drive up in that sleek Mercedes-Benz?

Could the day get any worse?

The moment the man was out of earshot, I nudged at Rebecca's arm urgently.

"Who is this guy?"

With a sympathetic balance, she responded, "That's our boss's ex-husband. A billionaire, as you can see."

At that point, it seemed like a time bomb went off inside of me, shattering my entire being.