Chapter 3

Arianna appeared to be sitting there, overcome with a sense of nervousness and restlessness. Her eyes were busy searching here and there for the figure of Samuel Walters, whom she had been eagerly waiting for.

Suddenly, dark thoughts danced in Arianna's mind. Was this man really serious about meeting her this afternoon? Instead of discussing matters in the office, Samuel, who also happened to be her boss, had invited Arianna to meet at a café in the middle of the city. However, if they wanted privacy, they shouldn't have met in such a crowded and open place.

"Have you been waiting long?"

In the midst of the silence, the baritone voice of a man suddenly brought Arianna back from her reverie. She slightly raised her head and found Samuel sitting perfectly in front of her.

"I-I..."

"If I may guess, it seems like you can't wait to see me this afternoon," Samuel interrupted.

"Don't be too confident. Here, it's you who needs help," Arianna replied casually. In truth, it wasn't just Samuel; she also needed him to solve the problem that was currently plaguing her.

While Samuel didn't respond, he chose to gaze deeply at Arianna. It was as if he were reevaluating the appearance of the woman he would introduce to his parents and extended family in a few days.

Being looked at in such a manner made Arianna slightly uncomfortable. She could feel Samuel's cold and dominating aura.

"Have you ordered a drink?" Samuel initiated the conversation. His voice sounded heavy and deep.

"Not yet, sir," Arianna replied softly. Initially, she didn't need a drink, but after a few minutes of meeting the man in front of her, Arianna suddenly felt that she needed something to calm her nerves.

"In that case, let me order for us." Samuel then waved his hand towards one of the waitresses on duty. After receiving the menu, he opened it and chose the drinks that seemed suitable for their conversation. "Two Matcha Green Tea Frappuccinos."

While waiting for their order to arrive, Samuel continued to observe Arianna. He nodded from time to time before speaking.

"So, what do you think? Do you agree with the offer I made a few days ago?"

Arianna nodded thoughtfully. Even though she needed the money her boss was offering, she couldn't appear too eager. She didn't want Samuel to take advantage of her or underestimate her.

"After thinking it over, I don't see any problem with agreeing to your offer from the other day."

Samuel gave a faint smile, feeling somewhat relieved that the issue of finding a partner was finally resolved. Now, he didn't need to worry anymore. All that was left was to wait for the day to execute the plan he and Axel had carefully crafted.

"Alright, now that we have an agreement, do you want me to pay you in cash, through a transfer, or by check?"

"Any of those options is fine, sir. But..."

Arianna deliberately paused in her sentence. She glanced at Samuel's jet-black eyes. Her actions raised questions in the mind of the man who also happened to be her boss.

"But what?"

"I don't want to be paid only 100 million."

Samuel's brow furrowed reflexively. Was Arianna trying to negotiate with him now? After refusing yesterday, she was now agreeing but asking for more payment.

"Are you asking for an increase?" Samuel guessed.

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, no problem. So, how much are you asking for?"

"250 million for one night or one meeting."

"Crazy!" Samuel exclaimed with wide eyes. He thought Arianna might request an additional 10, 20, or at most 50 million. He never expected her to set such a substantial amount. "Are you greedy?"

Arianna shrugged indifferently. She didn't care whether Samuel thought of her as greedy, opportunistic, or anything else. She genuinely needed the money to pay off the bank bills that were weighing on the orphanage where she lived.

"Well, it's up to you, sir, whether you agree or not."

"What makes you so special that I should pay that much?"

Confidently, Arianna responded to Samuel's question. Leaning slightly forward, she whispered softly.

"I have everything you're looking for. And I can guarantee that your entire family will like me without exception."

Samuel sighed. He leaned back in his chair, folded his hands in front of his chest, and responded casually.

"Besides being greedy, you're quite confident, aren't you? But isn't this a bit excessive? For 250 million, I could just book a celebrity. It would be clearer in terms of quality."

"Oh, by all means, go ahead," Arianna quickly retorted. "I'm not forcing you to use my services. If you're not willing, I consider our conversation finished here."

With great confidence, Arianna rose from her seat. She walked towards the café's exit while counting down in her mind. Right at the count of five, she could hear her boss calling her name again.

"Arianna."

Yes!

Arianna rejoiced silently in her heart. Keeping her composure, she halted her steps. She turned gracefully and responded.

"Yes?"

"Alright, it's a deal. I agree to your offer."

A satisfied smile played at the corner of Arianna's lips. Maintaining her image, she turned around and sat back in the chair she had occupied before. She watched Samuel take out a checkbook from his jacket pocket without hesitation. He then wrote the amount that Arianna had requested.

In truth, 250 million wasn't a big deal for Samuel; he had plenty of money. However, giving that much to someone he didn't know well made him skeptical.

"Here, 250 million as per your request. I hope what you've said and promised will prove to be true. If not, I'll ask for double compensation."

After handing over the check, Samuel chose to rise and leave. He left Arianna smiling contentedly because she had easily obtained what she needed.

***

After returning from her brief meeting with Samuel, Arianna continued with all the pending work. With full concentration, the beautiful woman typed and organized all the documents that Samuel had read and signed.

"Arianna, here's the agenda for Mr. Samuel's meeting with some business partners next week. Can you review and evaluate it?"

Cantika Adisti, a female colleague from the planning division, approached Arianna. She handed over some important files for Arianna to review.

"Sure, Cha. I'll finish typing these, and then I'll check it all," Arianna replied without taking her eyes off her personal computer screen. She was so focused on completing the task at hand.

"Arianna..." another person called her name. "Here are the dresses and other accessories from Mr. Samuel. Please wear them for the event."

Arianna stopped her work and raised her head to find Axel standing right in front of her desk. She quickly stood up and accepted the white paper bag that Axel had brought.

"Yes, sir. I'll wear them for the event. Thank you for delivering them."

As Axel left, Cantika, who was still standing next to Arianna's desk, approached. Curious, she immediately asked,

"Arianna, why did Mr. Samuel give you stuff? You're not having an affair with our polar boss, are you?" she whispered while glancing around to make sure no one else was overhearing their conversation.

Arianna shook her head and casually replied to her colleague and friend's question,

"The story is quite long."

"Long as in what? As long as a walk down memory lane?" Cantika joked. "You're unusually tight-lipped about this. We're still friends, right?"

Arianna, who had finished her work, looked up and smiled at Cantika.

"The bottom line is, Mr. Samuel asked me to accompany him to Mrs. Arabella's birthday party."

"The Queen of Pasific Palace?"

Arianna nodded.

"Yes. According to the confirmation, Mrs. Arabella is throwing a grand birthday celebration. She asked Mr. Samuel to come with his partner."

Cantika's eyebrows nearly touched as they heard this explanation.

"So, what does this have to do with you? I mean, if he was asked to come with a partner, why did Mr. Samuel show up with you instead of his girlfriend?"

Arianna shrugged her shoulders, seemingly indifferent to the reasons behind her boss's request for her to take his place.

"I told you, it's a long story. I'll explain it later after I finish all my work. For now, you should go back to your office. If Mr. Axel sees you still hanging around here, he might give us both a warning."

Feeling unsatisfied with Arianna's answer, Cantika could only sigh in exasperation. Before leaving, she whispered to Arianna, as if giving her a warning,

"Be careful. Sometimes, what starts as a pretense can turn into something real."

"Cantika!" Arianna immediately widened her eyes, while Cantika walked away with a satisfied laugh.