Mr billionaire's regret chasing his irresistible wife by Gabby Emmanuel

The invite

(ARIELLE'S

POV)

I walked towards my car, handbag slung over my shoulders, jotter tucked securely under my armpit, its edges poking out slightly from the confines of my arm. On my other hand, I clutched an important file; it contained a mix of the new business plan I had drawn courtesy of Jared's class. The memory of his gift still lingered in my mind, and anytime I recalled the moment and the words that accompanied it, a hue of colors always found its way to my cheeks.

After presenting the gift to me, Jared had declared his decision to leave, citing an unknown appointment he needed to attend. I thanked him profusely again, ensuring that I showed how grateful I was for the gift.

Once he was gone, Rebecca and Stephen took over, never stopping fussing about the sculpture, oohing and aahing over how perfect it was. They insisted on helping me find the perfect spot to hang it, and after much deliberation, we finally settled on the wall across from my desk.

The sudden ringing of my phone snapped me out of my thoughts. It came from my handbag, but with my hands full, I kept walking until I reached my car. Once there, I carefully placed the file and jotter on the passenger seat, ensuring they wouldn't slip. Finally, I rummaged through my bag, found my phone, and answered on the third ring.

"Hello?"

""Hey, Arielle! It's me, Margaux Harrison-the blind date? Remember?"

A cheerful young lady's voice filled the line, and it didn't take me long to place it. Margaux, the Harrisons' granddaughter. We hadn't spoken since that night, and I didn't even remember giving her my number. How did she get it?

"Oh, Miss Harrison! Of course, I remember. How have you been?" I asked, leaning back in the driver's seat as I smiled.

"Well, same old. Still being dragged to endless blind dates by the family. You'd think they'd give up by now, but nope," she said, laughing. "Anyway, I'm not calling about that! I actually got your number from my gran-hope you don't mind and I have a proposition for you." "Not at all. What's this about?"

"We'd love for you to be the contracted chef for my family's cruise dinner!" Her voice bubbled with excitement. "You're the first person who came to mind, and Gran thought you'd be perfect for it."

My heart skipped a beat as I processed the invitation.

This was a huge opportunity! The Harrisons were still influential. I could use the influence to my advantage. If handled well, this could open doors I'd only dreamed of.

I'm honored you thought of me," I said, trying

knew you'd say yes!" I could imagine Margaux smiled tenderly on the other side. "Honestly, I

busy life, but there's no way I'd pass up such

best," she said sincerely. "Before the formal dinner, I was thinking it might be helpful for you to come to the private ship early to go over everything.

already mentally bracing myself

do you think you could come tonight?" She added, in a slightly pleading tone. "It'd be great

long it would take before everything was settled. Ever since my son was born, I'd rarely spent nights away from him. Before

thought startled me once it crossed my mind. Geez. I was

home first to get everything in order. I have a little human to take care of,

Go take care of your little

let out a sharp breath,

on a ship wasn't exactly uncharted territory for me. I'd learned all about it during my time in Italy: you have to contact the cruise line or ship operator, hammer out every little detail-date, time, guest count, menu, pricing, special requests-you name it.

neat in theory, but

vel.r

sideways. Timing issues, unforeseen mishaps, or worse falling short of expectations in front of an elite crowd. And the

and more precision, not to mention the exposure. High-end clients, social media buzz, word-of-mouth. All reads pointed to big things for

effect had my head spinning in

bubbling inside me. This was hands-down the biggest

Jared's

streak of luck? Or maybe it was the blessing of those faithful knives in my old kitchen?? Either way, I couldn't help but laugh at my own

grip, Arielle," I muttered, shaking my head as I turned the key in the ignition. Time to focus. Big

driveway felt colder than usual as I stepped out of the car, the weight of the evening settling in. Meredith opened the door before I could reach it,

replied, glancing past

been waiting for you. Bella stopped by earlier, and they had a blast. He's excited for dinner with

my chest tightening slightly. "Thanks, Meredith. I'll be down in a

tension, but my mind wouldn't stop racing. A quick change of clothes later, I packed a small bag, pausing for a moment. Downstairs, Maverick sat at the table in

yelled, jumping from his chair and