The CEO Gets What He Wants

Avery blurted, “Well, I'm not really looking for any particular qualities in a partner.”

She wanted to end the blind date as soon as possible.

The atmosphere was getting more suffocating as time passed with Cayden sitting as still as a statue in

the vicinity.

“No particular qualities? Then, let me explain my situation to you,” said Lenny. Suddenly, his phone

rang, and he excused himself to take the call.

“Sorry, let me take this.”

He got up and left, while Avery sighed in relief.

Still, she dared not move or glance at the man sitting near her.

Cayden continued reading the paper quietly, sipping on his bitter coffee from time to time.

Meanwhile, Lenny had gone away to answer the call when he saw that the caller ID was “Mdm. Allie.”

Allie asked anxiously, “Lenn! How's the blind date going?”

Lenny did not have the heart to go through with Allie's scheme as he noticed how alone Avery looked.

Eventually, he replied, “She looks like a nice girl, Mdm. Allie. I don't want to hurt her.”

His words infuriated Allie, who huffed, “What do you mean 'harm her?”‘

“I'm gay, and I can never be a dutiful husband to her. I can't even give her the love she deserves. If we

get married, my parents will force me to have a child with her, and I just can't bring myself to sleep with

a woman. She's a nice, polite lady, and I can't deceive her into a loveless marriage,” Lenny explained in

Ustranasion.

“I don't care if you're gay or straight! If you want to continue seeing your boyfriend, you need to

appease your parents. All they want is a grandkid! After you marry Avery, you can have a baby with her

via IVF. You don't need to sleep with her. I'm doing all this for your own good. Are you stupid?”

Allie continued to threaten him, “Not every woman would be willing to marry you under such

circumstances, Lenn. You should be thanking your lucky stars that she's daft enough to take the bait!

Why are you throwing away such a perfect opportunity? Don't forget that your boyfriend is guilty of a

white-collar crime. If I don't drop my case against him, I can guarantee that he'll spend the rest of his

life behind bars!”

Unsurprisingly, Lenny's phone call lasted a good ten minutes.

When he returned to the table, resigned to his fate, Avery told him she would be leaving first, claiming

she had some matters to attend to.

Lenny merely sat down and said, “Ery, I'm really happy to meet you. I think I finally understand what

people call love at first sight. Do you feel the same way as me?”

Avery was at a loss for words.

What a half-hearted profession of love at first sight!

She did not think she was amazing enough to make someone fall in love with her at first sight.

Undeterred by her silence, Lenny continued, “I'm an excellent catch, considering my appearance and

my wealth. We can live overseas after our marriage, and you can spend the rest of your life in luxury.”

“Pfft!”

Avery almost spat out the coffee she had just drunk.

At the same time, Cayden shot Lenny a dark glare.

“I'm sorry, Mr. Long.” Avery hurriedly wiped her mouth and continued, “I don't think we're suited for

each other. Anyway, I've paid the bill. Goodbye.”

With that, she grabbed her bag and gave Lenny a polite nod.

Then, she left without looking back.

After leaving the café, Avery hastily hailed a taxi and got in.

“To this address, please, sir.” Avery showed the address on her phone to the taxi driver. The place she

was heading to was located in the most well-known affluent neighborhood in town.

The driver started the meter and began driving toward Avery's given address.

Avery chanced a glance at the black Land Rover parked outside the café. She subconsciously heaved

a sigh of relief when she noticed that the car did not move.

If Cayden didn't follow me, that might mean he isn't Moore. I just can't believe that the bright and

friendly Moore would turn into such a cold and heartless business magnate.

During the taxi ride, Avery received a call from Nephele urging her to hurry over.

The taxi pulled into the rich neighborhood at half past nine.

Nephele came out to greet Avery, who stared slack-jawed at the mansion and its imposing gate.

Baffled, she mumbled, “This place...”

“Looks familiar? A female celebrity held her birthday party here, trying to cook up relationship rumors

with some rich heir! It was all over the Internet!” Nephele sighed in equal admiration as she continued,

“Moore is nothing like us common folk. We would never set foot in a place like this if he didn't host my

mom's birthday party! It's the stuff of movies!”

Ah, so this is Moore's mansion.

The only rich Moores Avery knew among the wealthy circles of Ackleton was the Moore family behind

Trident Group.

Hesitantly, Avery asked, “Have you seen Moore?”

“I haven't seen him in the flesh. I heard he's busy, so he's joining us later.” Nephele suddenly pouted

and grumbled, “Ugh... Look at those vixens! They're all dressed to the nines after hearing that Moore's

going to be here. What a bunch of shallow girls!”

The sprawling mansion was crowded with attractive guests. Of course, there were also average people

like Avery and Nephele and a group of shier guests sipping drinks around a table.

Nephele led Avery to that very table and introduced her. “This is Avery Rumpley. Ring a bell?”

A bespectacled man stood up and nodded. “Of course! She was the only goody-two-shoes in class!

She always sat in the second row.”

A few people got to their feet as well. The men shook Avery's hand while the women smiled amiably at

Avery.

After Nephele's introduction, Avery got along swimmingly with the group. Everyone chatted about their

current work situation and tactfully avoided reminiscing about their time in school.

They all knew that it did not hold particularly fond memories for Avery.

Soon enough, they added each other on WhatsApp.

Someone suddenly asked, “Where's Ms. Choume, Nephele?”

“Oh, my mom's inside. Moore invited an overseas expert to check on her. Remember that she had her

leg amputated? She suffered chronic inflammation after that, and none of the hospitals in town could

cure her,” Nephele explained helplessly.

While Nephele's group spoke softly among themselves, the other guests were not quite so considerate.

Several scantily clad women stood around the pool and giggled loudly. They busily compared the

brands of their bags and exclaimed over rare lipstick shades.

Just then, everyone heard a car pulling into the mansion driveway.

The entire mansion fell into a dead silence.

Even the women milling about the pool stopped talking.

A black Land Rover gradually came into view. While everyone else in the crowd wore an expression of

excitement, shame, or shyness, Avery looked utterly expressionless.

The Land Rover came to a stop. Even its car plate number was impressive. The car door opened, and

a living Adonis stepped out of the vehicle.

With his imposing, powerful, and dependable aura, Cayden instantly commanded the admiration of

almost every woman in the crowd.

“He's so handsome,” an ex-classmate muttered softly in awe.

Alas, the room was so silent that everyone heard her.

Cayden walked deeper into the mansion. He wore a pair of black slacks and a crisp, white, long-

sleeved shirt. He left two buttons undone and rolled up his sleeves, appearing as though he was out for

a casual stroll. It did little to dampen his naturally imposing air. The crowd stared at him in reverence

but dared not meet his gaze.

Avery stared at the man coming closer to her in utter shock.

“Avery, you're here,” Cayden greeted her with a dazzling smile.

He spoke with an attractive baritone, and he sounded as though he had come that night for her and her

alone.