Mr Billionaire's Regret Chasing His Irresistible Wife (Jared and Arielle) novel Chapter 175

(ARIELLE'S POV)

"Thank you, still," Mrs. Harrison said, her eyes persistent.

I nodded, smiling warmly. "You're welcome," I said, realizing the older woman had no intention of backing off unless she heard those words.

She smiled, seeming to relax now.

"And Mrs Harrison," I called, my voice taking a serious tone.

"Yes?" she responded, looking up at me expectantly, her husband beside her. Thankfully, his complexion had returned to normal, and he seemed back to his usual self.

"You know, as we get older, our eating habits change. Some foods become harder to chew, so we need to replace them with softer options," I began carefully.

Mr. Harrison sighed, looking a little uncomfortable. "We’re always so cautious about what we eat," he said, as if weighing his words. "Sorry if we caused any trouble."

I shook my head with a reassuring smile. "Not at all, sir. Actually, we have some options on the menu that I personally designed for guests like you—things like tender meats, pureed soups, soft rice, and even desserts that are easy on the palate."

Mrs. Harrison’s eyes lit up. "That sounds wonderful! See, I told you she’s the best! I’ve never heard of a chef making special meals for older folks. You’re a genius, my dear. I’m so glad we invested in you."

Her praise warmed me, and I couldn't help but smile. Over time, the Harrisons had gone from just customers to friends—and now even investors in the restaurant. They were practically family, and I was grateful our paths had crossed.

"That means a lot," I said sincerely.

Mrs. Harrison sighed deeply before speaking again, exchanging a glance with her husband.

"You know, Arielle," she began, her voice softening, "I can't thank you enough for saving this old guy's life. But, honestly, there's something else that’s been bothering us, which is why my husband got so worked up earlier. It’s about our granddaughter, Margaux. She’s a wonderful girl, but..." Then a note of sadness creeped in when she continued. "She's so stubborn when it comes to her marriage. We've tried setting her up with several good, eligible bachelors, but she’s turned them all down."

Her voice trailed off, and I was a bit taken aback. I didn’t expect to hear her sharing family troubles.

Mr. Harrison also spoke, with frustration. "We’re worried sick about her future. She needs someone with a good name, someone financially stable, someone who can take care of her. Especially now, with our wealth slowly declining..."

"But she just won’t listen!" Mrs. Harrison groaned, rubbing her temples. "She’s so stubborn. We want her to marry someone wealthy and influential, someone kind too. That way, we know she’ll be taken care of, and we won’t have to worry about her when we’re gone."

She paused for a moment, then added, "Her father, our son, lived an extravagant life, leaving Margaux with nothing. We don’t want her to suffer for his mistakes."

Rebecca, who had joined us during the commotion and clearly very interested, listened carefully before speaking up. "So, what are you planning to do now?"

Mr. Harrison sighed again. "We have a plan, but she won’t cooperate. We've arranged men for her before, but she keeps rejecting them. We even had someone set up for her this time, but just now she called to say she won’t go. That’s what got me so upset," he said, his voice trailing off.

Stephen had also been quietly listening beside Rebecca. Upon hearing that he frowned and spoke up. "Sir, may I offer my thoughts? I think you might want to reconsider your approach. She’s an adult. Is setting her up with different men really the solution? Maybe you should respect her wishes."

Mr. Harrison shook his head, a firm expression on his face. "You don’t understand. People like us don’t get to choose freely when it comes to marriage. It’s a business deal, a way to secure the future for the family. Most importantly, we need to prevent her from making the same mistakes her father did. If we’re not here to support her, who will?"

Mrs. Harrison nodded, adding quickly when she saw the confused look on Stephen's face. "We’ve seen what happens when people marry for love without thinking about the consequences. Our son, Margaux’s father, married a woman with no money or family to speak of. She didn’t know anything about managing finances and only helped him squander what little he had. Now he’s struggling to get by, and we’re terrified that Margaux will end up in the same situation if we’re not careful."

Her words slapped me directly to face my own past.

I used to believe my marriage with Jared was something special. I was just a chef, and he was a billionaire. Nana Jean had always been supportive of us, but honestly, no one else really was. His family had doubts, especially his mother, though she tried to hide it. And that still stung.

We didn’t even have a wedding. Jared kept it low-key, only telling a few relatives, and even then, it sparked plenty of gossip. Eventually, he shut it all down.

Even now, with my own restaurant, I know people still see me as unworthy of him.

And the way our marriage ended...