Mr Billionaire's Regret Chasing His Irresistible Wife (Jared and Arielle) novel Chapter 196

(ARIELLE’S POV.)

I could feel the heat of both Stephen’s and Rebecca’s gazes on me.

“Is any of that really necessary?” I asked, a frown pulling at my lips. Mixing business with personal life was a line I didn’t like to cross. Especially not with Jared, who clearly had an agenda.

Jared straightened his tie, not missing a beat. “What’s more relatable than real life?” he replied smoothly, eyes flicking to me for just a second too long. “Of course, the examples I gave are purely hypothetical,” he added, the subtle emphasis making it clear he knew exactly what he was insinuating.

Sometimes it’s just that hard to resist the urge to snap. Everyone here knew what he was indicating when he talked about marriage!

“Let’s break it down.” he continued, ignoring my killing glare, “In any successful marriage, there’s a constant ebb and flow of communication—much like any thriving business. If one partner isn’t speaking up about their needs, or worse, if they're not listening, the entire foundation begins to crack.”

He let the silence linger, but I could feel his gaze landing on me just a second too long.

“Now, conflict resolution—another pillar,” Jared said, leaning forward, his hands resting on the desk. “In both marriage and business, if you don’t resolve conflicts, you destroy trust. You can’t let things just fester. You’ve got to face the issue, talk it out, and find a compromise. And compromise is key, whether you’re working out a business deal or deciding how to spend your weekend.”

There it was again, that subtle jab. He didn’t have to say it, but I knew exactly what he meant. Jared, the king of compromise, always the diplomat. Just check his track record with everything between me and Sofia!

“Loyalty,” he continued, “is the unspoken contract, whether it’s between a husband and wife, or a CEO and their team. Loyalty builds respect. It’s not about blind obedience, but trust. Trust that when things get tough, you’ll both fight for the common goal, whether that’s the success of your business or the longevity of your relationship.”

Now he’s talking about loyalty?

I felt my blood pressure rise. Was he really this clueless, or was he doing this on purpose? I could practically feel Rebecca and Stephen holding their breath.

“It’s a creed I’ve always lived by. But of course, none of this applies to anyone personally,” he added with a sly smirk. “I’m just here to teach the concepts. No need to overthink it.”

I couldn’t tell if I was more frustrated by his audacity or by how smoothly he deflected. But I wasn’t going to let him off the hook.

“So,” I said, forcing a smile, “to clarify, you believe that running a business and maintaining a marriage are essentially the same thing? Just with different goals?”

Jared’s smile never faltered, but there was a flicker of something behind his eyes. He could tell I wasn’t buying what he was selling.

“Well, if the marriage is built on communication, loyalty, and conflict resolution, I’d say it’s a pretty good analogy,” he replied, casually. “The challenges might be different, but the strategies… they’re universal.”

I couldn’t help it. My eyebrows shot up in disbelief. He was getting way too comfortable, like he was trying to rewrite our history into something picture-perfect. Did he really think this was his way back in?

“Right,” I said, leaning forward, voice cool. “So, if we take your analogy a little further... What happens when trust gets broken? When loyalty’s compromised? How do you fix that?”

Jared’s smile tightened, but his eyes remained steady. He opened his mouth to speak, but for a brief moment, he hesitated.

“Well, in that case…” He paused, “You start by addressing the issue directly. No assumptions. No silences. Clear, honest communication.”

“Even when one person’s been hurt, and the other has no idea—still keeping secrets? Wouldn’t you say that’s just like business, where one side has way more to lose than the other?”

Jared froze. He had nothing to say, just staring at me for a beat. The air was thick with tension, and I could practically feel Rebecca and Stephen bracing for the fallout. Jared’s face flushed red, the words caught in his throat.

“Arielle, that’s a bit off-topic, don’t you think?” he said, his voice quieter now, but still trying to brush it off.

“Well, since we’re in memory lane, how about we throw in some bad ones too, for balance?” I said, pouring fuel on the already simmering fire. “I can think of one, a pretty practical one. If in a partnership, one side starts trusting a third party and keeps information from the other? That’s a surefire way to tank everything. That partnership’s done.”

Stephen nodded thoughtfully. “That’s a fair point.”

Jared didn’t even look at him. He rolled his eyes, irritation flashing across his face. “Oh, just shut up, Stephen,” he snapped. “We’re done for the day.”

He threw his hands up in frustration and stormed out of the room, leaving the tension hanging like a cloud.

Stephen and Rebecca exchanged glances before turning back to me.

Rebecca was the first to speak. “Ma’am, did we make Mr. Smith angry?”

I shook my head. “No, it’s not you. You guys didn’t do anything. I just got a little... emotional. I’ll apologize to him in a bit. Don’t worry, it’s fine.”

Stephen frowned, clearly still puzzled. “But you didn’t say anything wrong. Isn’t this just an academic discussion?”

Rebecca gave him a light tap on the head. “You big idiot, just shut up.”