Sentenced to Marriage by MadlainQ novel Chapter 38

Getting to know him It was a beautiful, sunny, and warm day. As I stepped outside on the terrace, the beach and ocean view instantly placed a smile on my face. The wind waved my loose hair, and I couldn’t wait until I tossed the sandals off my feet and stepped on the beach sand, but I needed to fill my stomach first. Aren stepped toward me and grabbed my hand, tangling his fingers with mine.

“You look astonishing in that dress,” he said, his eyes scanning my length.

“Thank you…” I responded, feeling heat flooding my cheeks, and then squeezed out a comment, “You look good in casual clothes.” “Really?” His lips formed a wicked grin. “You don’t like me when I wear suits then?” “No… You look good in everything,” I admitted, flustered like a dumb teenager. He leaned over me, his body close enough for me to feel his warmth. “So you do find me attractive?” he teased. I pushed him away, frowning. “You know damn well that I find you insanely handsome.” He raised his eyebrows, looking at me genuinely surprised. Well, I couldn’t blame him, I surprised myself with how easily I let those words out of my throat. “So why don’t you stop resisting me?” His words sounded like a dangerous demand. I pulled in a shaky breath. “I don’t trust you. You hold all the aces. You know about everything that has ever made me bleed, and I know nothing about you.” He chuckled. “Fine. Then I will tell you everything tonight.”

I nodded and let him lead me to the table set for two. It was impossible to miss the whole romantic aura around it. As I walked closer to the terrace railing, I instantly felt the chilly breeze that made me rub my naked arms.

“Here…” Aren reached for a blanket scarf he had prepared by our table and gently covered my shoulders before pulling out the chair for me to sit.

My heart skipped a beat. I felt my guard up around Aren, but I couldn’t find anything fake in his behavior while we were alone. He seemed relaxed around me. Everything he did, every gesture he made, was unforced, and that made him twice as irresistible as he was before.

“So… why did you decide to buy this place?” I asked, taking a bite of my Caesar salad.

“As I said, it was a good deal, an investment. If I sold it now, I’d double the money I paid for it. ” He shrugged as if the magnificent surroundings did not affect him at all. I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is that all you care about? Money?” “I like money. Everyone likes money. I just have the audacity to say it aloud.” He smirked. “I like money too, but I wouldn’t trade having it for ninety percent of my lifetime,” I claimed daringly.

to know him

“Do you think I’m a slave?” He leaned forward on the table, amusement painting his face.

“What I meant is that I could never make earning money my life purpose.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

He laughed before intensifying his gaze at me. “It’s not about increasing the number of zeros on my account. I chase, I fight, and I conquer. That’s pure adrenalin. Besides,” — his eyes ran down my deep cleavage-“I’m good at what I do.”

I was quite certain that he wasn’t talking about his work in that last part. “I bet you are…” I muttered under my breath.

“I like my job,” Arén continued, “I like watching something being built from a pile of dust to amazing heights. Wouldn’t you want the same?” he asked, pouring a glass of champagne for me and himself.

“Like what?” I chuckled nervously.

“Like having your own company. You already have a product finished. Isn’t it time to sell it?” he coaxed.

“First, I need funds to do that, and second, I don’t think that I’m capable of managing the company,” I said.

He leaned back with a smug smirk “You don’t have to do it alone. You don’t have to know how it all works. All you need to do is surround yourself with people who will work on numbers for

you.” 

“You make it sound so easy…” I sighed. “It’s not easy, it’s hard, but it’s achievable, especially for someone as smart as you, Cora.”

I looked deep into his eyes, and I knew that he meant every word. His sincere encouragement sent my heart into a wild race. Having my own company used to be my dream when I started studying at Oxford. It started gradually changing after I fell in love wi doubt my abilities, and I ended up throwing away that dream, marking it as something impossible to happen.

“Would you become my investor?” I joked.

I concentrated on creating a perfect presentation that would highlight everything my software was capable of. It must have been Aren’s words that put me on fire because I’d been working for a few hours without stopping. The sun was about to set when Aren knocked on my door.