Chapter 102
Fighting back This extremely handsome man standing in front of me in his ssy three-piece navy suit
gave me the most alluring smile I had ever seen on his face. I smiled back at him but couldn’t stop the
tears that instantly covered my cheeks in wide streams. For a moment, the entire hall turned silent, as if
nothing else mattered except for the two of us. Our eyes locked on each other, me standing on the
podium and him on the level where all the workers and reporters stood. He reached out his arms toward
me. I slowly stepped to the edge of the podium, taking in his entire magical presence. I hurriedly put the
heels back on my feet in an instant need to look more presentable. He chuckled and scooped me up to
hold me in his arms, bridal-style. I gasped and put my arms around his neck as he spun me around
before gently putting my feet on the floor next to him. My heart beat hectically. His warmth, his touch, his
smile… I missed it all insanely. I wished I could sh my lips against his and kiss him for hours; for every
day that he couldn’t be with me. Unfortunately, we weren’t in the best ce to make up for the lost time…
As I hesitantly nced around us, I quickly realized that we had given those reporters the entertainment
of the year. They stood in awe, shing pictures of me and Aren and quietly waiting for our love scene to
be over. The whole board of executives also impatiently awaited what would happen next, but their
previous excitement had hurriedly turned to a stinking mix of rage and fear. Mr. Dawson still held the
microphone as he stood petrified at the front of the podium with his mouth open while the rest of the
board got up from their seats and stepped back, instinctively trying to escape the consequences.
Aren kissed my forehead and shifted his eyes to Dawson, his warm gaze instantly turning into an icy
re. He reached out his hand without saying a word, and the terrified CMO passed him the
microphone. Aren slid his hand around my waist and pulled me close. His embrace was firm enough for
me to hear his slightly unsteady heartbeat. I knew he wasn’t well; he couldn’t have felt well since he ran
here only minutes after waking up from aa. The fact that he was embracing me at that moment felt
like the purest miracle. He pulled me closer, pressing me against hisrge frame and making me feel tiny
and delicate in his strong arms. He nced at me one more time with his smiling eyes before turning to
the reporters.
“I recently discovered that the executives at Lan Diamond Corporation are extremely concerned about
thepany’s well-being and are always ready to intervene in the event of a dangerous urrence.
Unfortunately, it was my wife that they found dangerous.” Aren’s words, covered in sarcasm, immediately
provoked a wave of snorts from the reporters.” Apparently, this fragile woman posed so much of a threat
to those men that they decided to break the rules of thepany’s status, risking their own jobs. I hope
they will all be grateful because I intend to take this beautiful and intelligent woman away from them.” He
locked his eyes on me as he said thest part of his sentence, and I couldn’t miss the devilish smirk that
crossed his lips.
One of the reporters stepped closer. “Mr. Lan, can you tell us what caused your state, and are you
healthy enough to return to your CEO’s position?”
Aren looked at him with confidence. “As my wife previously informed you, I was in the state of aa
due to an ident. My state was stable for many days, but only now did I regain the strength to return.”
“Were the board and the shareholders informed of your stable condition, Mr. Lan?” another
reporter inquired. “Yes, they were all notified that my absence was temporary, and I also know that my
wife, who acted in my name, asked for their patience in the meantime…” After answering the question,
Aren’s eyes shifted to the executives. “Not only did she not receive guidance from those who had the
most experience in thepany, but she was also threatened and disrespected.” His cold tone made
everyone on the podium flinch.
Aren’s embrace became even firmer, as if he wanted to shield me from everyone who dared look at me
with hostility. I wasn’t afraid to face those men, but I happily epted Aren’s overprotectiveness.
“Of course, I cannot me the board for being anxious about thepany’s future. That is why they will
not suffer any consequences for trying to remove me from my position as the CEO due to my long
absence…” As Aren paused, I could clearly hear the deep sighs of reliefing from the podium,
followed by the press’s murmurs. “However… I acted ording to thepany’s status, and the
executives went against that. I appointed a person who is dedicated and trustworthy as my recement,
and with all my knowledge, she did exceptionally well as a temporary CEO, giving absolutely no reason
to the executives to rece her in her position, but they acted otherwise. And thest piece of
information I wish to share is that those who insulted my wife will be fired effective immediately. They will
also be sued for defamation of Cora Lan as an acting CEO and for the detriment of thepany.” His
words were heavily coated with a threat, making the fear spread across the hall.
As Aren’s statement caused the hecticmotion around us, he looked at me with the kind of
tenderness that made my whole body melt. Thosest words he said, he did it for me. He did it because I
held his name and because he had once promised to protect me. But I also knew that he couldn’t stand
the fact that someone could harm me, and he was ready to rip those executives to shreds for their cruel
words and insults. Well… I wasn’t going to stop him if he decided to.
After themotion subsided slightly, Aren motioned his head toward Neil. Neil nodded and quickly took
over the microphone.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that it is time to finish the Lan Diamond Corporation’s press conference,
as it is time for Mr. and Mrs. Lan to join the rest of the shareholders at the meeting. The main decisions
made at the meeting will beter announced in a short public statement, in about two hours.” As Neil
ended the conference, Aren grabbed my hand and pulled me straight through the crowded corridor to the
private elevator.
The second the elevator door closed, Aren’s arms wrapped around me, pressing my entire body against
his. His lips imed mine roughly, his tongue instantly thrusting inside in hungry strokes. He grabbed the
back of my head, positioning me to deepen the kiss, making me moan against his lips. My fingers
possessively tangled his thick ck hair, wanting him closer. I kissed him, flooding him with my
desperate longing for his touch. Suddenly, his kiss became softer until he rewarded my swollen lips with
a gentle peck followed by his bright smile.
“I wanted to do that the second I woke up,” he murmured. His words felt like a stab in my heart. “I wanted
to be there… I was there, waiting for you…” He hushed my cracking voice, gently caressing my cheek. “I
know, sunshine. I knew you were waiting for me. I could never me you,” he whispered
with tenderness before he changed his tone into an icy cold one. “I me those bastards. I will never
forgive them for taking that moment away from us.” I looked at his zing eyes, saw his tense jaw, and
instantly became worried. His body must have been weak. He should have been resting, lying in bed,
instead of fighting for hispany. As strong as he was, he wasn’t a superhero. “Are you sure you are
OK?” I asked softly a second before the elevator door opened.
ConTEent bel0ngs to N?v(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
He didn’t answer. He only grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the auditorium, where the
shareholders were already waiting for the CEO to exin the current situation. It was unfair. Those
frowning and filled with hostility people suffered no losses. What gave them the right to be so demanding
and insensitive? Aren could have died, but they only cared about their fucking wallets! My blood began to
boil just by looking at their faces. Aren seemed to be indifferent to their enmity. He simply smirked,
meeting their res as he walke heading to his seat at the head of the grand table and making me sit
right next to him.
He waited as the room filled with people I recognized from the list of shareholders that Neil prepared for
me. Aren scrutinized each of them like a predator selecting its prey. Once the shareholders took their
ces, the executives joined, reluctantly sitting not far away from Aren and me. Aren chuckled coldly as
he saw fear in their eyes.
“I can see that we’re all here,” Aren said with a smile that never reached his eyes. “Let’s begin the
meeting.”