MR BILLIONAIRE'S REGRET: CHASING HIS IRRESISTIBLE WIFE
Business tactics, or more.

(ARIELLE'S POV)

"Thank you, still," Mrs. Harrison said, her eyes persistent.

I nodded, smiling warmly. "You're welcome," I said, realizing the older woman had no intention of backing off unless she heard those words.

She smiled, seeming to relax now.

"And Mrs Harrison," I called, my voice taking a serious tone.

"Yes?" she responded, looking up at me expectantly, her husband beside her. Thankfully, his complexion had returned to normal, and he seemed back to his usual self. "You know, as we get older, our eating habits change. Some foods become harder to chew, so we need to replace them with softer options," I began carefully.

Mr. Harrison sighed, looking a little uncomfortable. "We're always so cautious about what we eat," he said, as if weighing his words. "Sorry if we caused any trouble."

I shook my head with a reassuring smile. "Not at all, sir. Actually, we have some options on the menu that I personally designed for guests like you things like tender meats, pureed soups, soft rice, and even desserts that are easy on the palate."

Mrs. Harrison's eyes lit up. "That sounds wonderful! See, I told you she's the best! I've never heard of a chef making special meals for older folks. You're a genius, my dear. I'm so glad we invested in you."

Her praise warmed me, and I couldn't help but smile. Over time, the Harrisons had gone from just customers to friends-and now even investors in the restaurant. They were practically family, and I was grateful our paths had crossed. "That means a lot," I said sincerely.

Mrs. Harrison sighed deeply before speaking again, exchanging a glance with her husband.

"You know, Arielle," she began, her voice softening, "I can't thank you enough for saving this old guy's life. But, honestly, there's something else that's been bothering us, which is why my husband got so worked up earlier. It's about our granddaughter, Margaux. She's a wonderful girl, but..." Then a note of sadness creeped in when she continued. "She's so stubborn when it comes to her marriage. We've tried setting her up with several good, eligible bachelors, but she's turned them all down."

Her voice trailed off, and I was a bit taken aback. I didn't expect to hear her sharing family troubles.

Mr. Harrison also spoke, with frustration. "We're worried sick about her future. She needs someone with a good name, someone financially stable, someone who can take care of her. Especially now, with our wealth slowly declining..."

"But she just won't listen!" Mrs. Harrison groaned, rubbing her temples. "She's so stubborn. We want her to marry someone wealthy and influential, someone kind too. That way, we know she'll be taken care of, and we won't have to worry about her when we're gone."

She paused for a moment, then added, "Her father, our son, lived an extravagant life, leaving Margaux with nothing. We don't want her to suffer for his mistakes."

Rebecca, who had joined us during the commotion and clearly very interested, listened carefully before speaking up. "So, what are you planning to do now?"

Mr. Harrison sighed again. "We have a plan, but she won't cooperate. We've arranged men for her before, but she keeps rejecting them. We even had someone set up for her this time, but just now she called to say she won't go. That's what got me so upset," he said, his voice trailing off.

Stephen had also been quietly listening beside Rebecca. Upon hearing that he frowned and spoke up. "Sir, may I offer my thoughts? I think you might want to reconsider your approach. She's an adult. Is setting her up with different men really the solution? Maybe you should respect her wishes."

Mr. Harrison shook his head, a firm expression on his face. "You don't understand. People like us don't get to choose freely when it comes to marriage. It's a business deal, a way to secure the future for the family. Most importantly, we need to prevent her from making the same mistakes her father did. If we're not here to support her, who will?"

Mrs. Harrison nodded, adding quickly when she saw the confused look on Stephen's face. "We've seen what happens when people marry for love without thinking about the consequences. Our son, Margaux's father, married a woman with no money or family to speak of. She didn't know anything about managing finances and only helped him squander what little he had. Now he's struggling to get by, and we're terrified that Margaux will end up in the same situation if we're not careful."

Her words slapped me directly to face my own past.

I used to believe my marriage with Jared was something special. I was just a chef, and he was a billionaire. Nana Jean had always been supportive of us, but honestly, no one else really was. His family had doubts, especially his mother, though she tried to hide it. And that still stung.

We didn't even have a wedding. Jared kept it low-key, only telling a few relatives, and even then, it sparked plenty of gossip. Eventually, he shut it all down.

Even now, with my own restaurant, I know people still see me as unworthy of him.

And the way our marriage ended...

Well, that wasn't exactly something to be proud of.

I forced a bitter smile. "Yeah, I guess real life, after all, isn't a fairytale."

Mr. Harrison pressed on, oblivious to my shifting thoughts. "This man we arranged for Margaux tonight, he controls half the economic lifeline in this state. He's the best match she'll ever get. Wealthy, influential, kind-he'll take care of her, provide for her future, and for their children."

But I wasn't really listening anymore.

My stomach had dropped at the mention of the man they were setting Margaux up with tonight. "The man controlling half the economic lifeline?" My mind raced, my thoughts jumping ahead. There was only one man I knew who controlled that much.

And that man was Jared Smith.

Life's cruel sense of irony.

I had to push the thought aside, focusing on the conversation.

"I'm...sorry to hear about your worries, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison. I really hope tonight's meeting goes well for all of you," I said, though I wasn't sure if I meant it. My head was already spinning.

"Oh, it's fine. Thank you for your

concern," Mrs. Harrison said, brushing it off. Then, completely ignoring the warning look Mr. Harrison shot her, she leaned closer and added, "Arielle, their dinner date is at the Grand Imperial Hotel. We've booked a table overlooking the sea. Very romantic," she winked at me.

"That's a beautiful venue."

She gave me a serious look, placing a hand on mine. "We really hope you can keep an eye on things for us,

elet

Arielle. We're getting old, and all we want is to to see that our

granddaughter's future is secure.

We trust you. Can you do us this

favor?"

I froze for a moment, caught off guard, then coughed awkwardly. "Mrs. Harrison, I'm afraid I—"

"Of course she'll do it!" Before I could protest, Rebecca had already nodded enthusiastically for me. I shot her a look that clearly said, Don't make me kill you.

"Aren't you just the sweetest?" Mrs. Harrison cooed, patting my shoulder affectionately.

I forced a smile. "...Anything for you."

After they left, I immediately turned to Rebecca. "What were you thinking, girl?"

However, she stared back at me, looking even more serious than I was. "I know exactly what you're thinking. You suspect that the man... could be "

I quickly shook my head, trying to push the nagging thought away. "No, of course not. Rebecca, don't start."

She sighed. "Ma'am, we're meeting a new supplier tonight, remember?"

"Oh right..." I patted my forehead. "Almost forgot we shut Mr. Zeke down."

"Yeah," Stephen then rolled his eyes wildly. "That stupid Zeke of a man should thank his stars, it wasn't I who got him first."

I stifled a smile. Stephen and Rebecca had been engaged when I filled them in on what went down with Mr Zeke and I, Stephen especially, and his reaction currently is proof to that.

"Calm down, angry bird," I patted his shoulder.

Stephen turned to Rebecca. "So, you mean...?"

Rebecca looked at me, and I sighed. "All right, I know. Hey, Lauren, can you make our meeting point the same hotel as the Harrisons?" I turned to my assistant.

Rebecca nodded approvingly, while Stephen muttered under his breath, "Ma'am, you always said it's unprofessional to mix business with personal stuff."

"Yeah, I did say that," I grinned, rubbing my temples. "But this is just a business tactic. We will help Miss Harrison finish the blind date and win the Harrisons' favor. That's all. Nothing else. I swear."