Chapter 4 The Deceased Fiancée

Inside an elegantly decorated CEO’s office, Aaron was attentively reviewing the resume that Tia had submitted. “Mr. Aaron.” the HR manager lightly knocked on the door. “Come in.” Aaron waved his hand. “These are Ana’s documents.” The HR manager placed a file on the desk. “Have you investigated her thoroughly?” Aaron picked up the file. “No, it seems someone has tampered with her records and deliberately concealed certain details,” the HR manager said somewhat apprehensively. Aaron coldly chuckled, tapping his index finger on the desk twice. “They think these crude tactics can deceive me?” From the moment Aaron laid eyes on Tia, he recognized her. He had not expected her to emerge unscathed. However, he did not anticipate that she would be so foolish as to voluntarily come for an interview. Since that was the case, should he not take 'good care' of her? Standing up, Aaron walked to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the bustling streets of the city. Painful memories from the past resurfaced in his mind. All his suffering was brought about by that detestable father-daughter pair. He vowed to make them suffer more than he did. “Continue with the investigation. I want the results within three days,” Aaron commanded with icy determination. The weather was sunny, and the sunlight was a bit dazzling. Today was Tia’s first day at work, and she had dressed up for the occasion. She wore a white pencil skirt suit with her hair neatly pinned up. It gave her a crisp and professional appearance. Aaron was genuinely busy, with meetings that seemed to go on all day, along with a mountain of paperwork. Tia was kept busy as well, and her legs ached by the end of the day. “Excuse me!” Holding a stack of documents, Tia rushed down the stairs and accidentally collided with a man in a gray suit. “I’m truly sorry, sir!” The man’s eyes flickered with surprise. He furrowed his brows and looked at Tia with a different kind of interest. “It’s okay. You can go on.” Tia nodded and continued her descent. The door to the CEO’s office was pushed open with force, and a well-dressed man entered. “Hey, Aaron. Long time no see. Have you missed me?” Aaron lazily lifted his eyelids to glance at his good friend, Xander. He then resumed working on the documents. “When did you get back?” “Two days ago. It’s been over a year since we last met, and I’ve missed you a lot, you know. Aren’t you tired of always looking so cold?” Xander and Aaron had been good friends for many years. They studied in the same university abroad. Unlike Aaron, who was rigid and cold, Xander was a romantic and amorous playboy. Over the years, Aaron had never been without lovers, accumulating quite a few romantic feuds. Aaron’s face remained expressionless. Xander clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction before suddenly remembering something. “By the way, I just saw an employee of your group who looks a lot like Ramona. Have you seen her?” Aaron paused his actions, raising his head to look at Xander. “That’s my new assistant.” “You found a replacement for Ramona?” Xander had not expected Aaron to have such a fetish. “No one can replace Ramona.” “Why’d you hire her, then?” Aaron’s eyes sparkled with a dark light. “She’s Guthrie’s biological daughter.” As for Angelica, she was nothing more than the illegitimate child of her mother and the butler, but both Guthrie and Tia were kept in the dark about it. “Holy shit, it’s been so many years, and you still can’t forget about what happened back then?” Xander sighed, shaking his head helplessly. “I will never forget.” “That incident was just an accident. Ramona had a heart condition, and you know that.” “But if she hadn’t heard that I was getting married, her heart condition wouldn’t have acted up, and she wouldn’t have died in an unsuccessful resuscitation attempt! If it weren’t for those people, Ramona would still be alive!” Xander looked at Aaron with a sense of helplessness. “Even so, that was her father’s fault. It had nothing to do with her, no? You put her in prison five years ago, and she’s already repaid her debt to you. Why can't you let her go?” Aaron’s expression stiffened, and his gaze became sharper after hearing this. “Let her go? Hah! If I let her go, what about me? I’ve been struggling in pain for all these years. Who has ever pitied me?!” Xander supported his forehead with one hand. “Aaron, you’ve lost yourself in this hatred.” Xander had also seen Aaron’s pained state back then. The loss of a loved one had struck him hard, and he could not accept that reality for a long time. Eventually, he got lost in his hatred. Aaron gradually calmed down, feeling a throbbing pain in his temple as he sat down. As Xander was about to leave, he turned around at the office door to ask Aaron one last question. “Did you truly love Ramona that much?” Aaron slowly lowered his head, gazing at the ring on his ring finger. Did he really love her…? Of course, he did! If Ramona had not rescued him from the riverside that year and taken him home to care for him, he would've died far away in a foreign country! During the year he could not see, Ramona had taken great care of him, accompanying him through medical examinations, treatments, and rehabilitation exercises. She was there for him even when he had lost all hope of ever seeing the light again. How could he not love her after all the care and companionship she had given him? She was the most important person in his life. Those people took her away from him, so how could he not hate them?! The office door was knocked on. Tia entered. “Mr. Aaron, the documents have been reviewed.” Aaron’s thoughts returned to his work. “Understood. There’s one more thing I want you to do." “Please, do tell.” “Review the financial statements of the group for the past few years and compile any discrepancies.” Tia looked puzzled. “Isn’t that supposed to be handled by the finance department?” Aaron crossed his legs, leaning back in his chair. “Since you’re my assistant, all your tasks will be assigned by me. Do you have any objections?” “No,” Tia shook her head and replied with a smile. “Submit it to me before you leave today.” “Yes, Mr. Aaron.” After leaving the office, Tia could not help but mutter angrily to herself. ‘He’s really a moody man. How completely unreasonable!’ Despite her resentment, since the task had been assigned, Tia had to complete it. She worked diligently throughout the day, and when it was almost time to leave, she took the documents to the CEO’s office. Aaron happened to be away. Tia searched the office, and her gaze fell on the desk. “Perhaps this is my chance?” Tia silently told herself. So, she quietly approached the desk, pulled open a drawer, and tried to find what she was looking for inside. “What the hell are you doing?”