“You’re such a good actress, Zara. And how heartless of you,” Soren murmured under his breath. His voice was tinged with sorrow.
Everyone had thought he was the one being loved, and he had believed it too. Over the years, he had taken advantage of her tolerance and took her for granted. He had let himself drown in her fabricated love. Just as he realized he couldn’t live without her, she had cruelly walked
away.
A text notification broke the silence. He raised his head with tears streaming down his face.
Wiping them away, he reached for his phone.
The message was from Jamie, and it read: “Mr. Blight, that person is indeed in Halcyona.”
The last glimmer of hope vanished. Soren let out a self–deprecating laugh and, after a long pause, replied to the message: “Book me the earliest flight to Halcyona. Also, send me that person’s information.‘
Jamie texted back: “Alright, Mr. Blight.‘
After a month of relentless effort, Zara finally secured a position at Nielsen Group. Through carefully crafted encounters and deliberate interactions, she had managed to catch the
attention of the company’s CEO, Immanuel Nielsen.
“Mr. Nielsen, what a coincidence,” she greeted.
During yet another staged encounter, Immanuel—who was aware of her intentions- maintained his gentlemanly composure. Smiling politely, he nodded back at her.
“It is a coincidence, even though it’s our 15th one this month,” he responded.
It was June 15th that day.
“Ms. Cobain, while I’m not sure what your motives are, it seems you’re unfamiliar with the phrase ‘too much of a good thing‘ no?”
He stirred his coffee. His smile was courteous yet tinged with amusement and curiosity as his sharp eyes studied her.
Zara showed no embarrassment when he exposed her calculated intentions. Instead, she brazenly leaned closer and took the seat across from him.
“I know, but I still wanted to do this. And why am I doing this? Well, who could resist a handsome, elegant, gentle, and wealthy man like you, Mr. Nielsen?” Zara replied playfully.
She tilted her head, sweeping her bold gaze over him from head to toe while remarking, “Well,
you’re accomplished and good–looking. You’re even kind to a scheming secretary like me. Imagine how wonderful it would be to be your girlfriend.”
Her bold demeanor and teasing tone might have offended any other man, but Immanuel chuckled. He took her words in stride. “Thank you for the compliments and… the admiration?”
The faint upward lilt in his tone carried a subtle allure, leaving her momentarily stunned. Her gaze unintentionally lingered on his lips which opened and closed sensually as he spoke. Dazed, she couldn’t hear a word he said.
Not used to receiving such a direct stare, Immanuel pressed a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat lightly.
Reluctantly, Zara tore her gaze away. People often said men with thin lips were relatively unfeeling. But she didn’t think that applied to him.
According to the background information she had gathered, Immanuel had always been the golden child. He excelled in everything from elementary to high school, consistently ranking first in his class and leaving others far behind.
By the time he attended university, he completed a dual major degree in finance and computer science within two years. At 18, he began managing his family’s company. And by 19, he had taken over completely. By 20, he transformed Nielsen Group into Halcyona’s leading corporation.
Unfortunately, fate always seemed to mess with immensely talented people or geniuses. Immanuel had been born with a severe congenital heart condition. At 22, he had been on the brink of death multiple times before finally receiving a heart transplant, which stabilized his condition.
Perhaps due to his health, there had never been any rumors of any romance, marriage, or even
a love interest.
Knowing that Andy’s heart had saved such an extraordinary person gave Zara some comfort.
“Ms. Cobain?” Immanuel’s voice, which was slightly raised, snapped her out of her thoughts.
Looking up, she noticed the faint redness at the tips of his ears. Well, wasn’t he adorable?
Amused, she intensified her playful approach. “Mr. Nielsen, do you happen to need a girlfriend?”
Since taking over as the CEO of Nielsen Group at 19, Immanuel had come across countless women trying to get close to him. Yet, Zara was unlike any of them.
She was straightforward in her intentions but roundabout in her methods. She was bold but not brash and candid in expressing herself
He didn’t find her behavior off–putting. Instead, he found her quite intriguing.
