When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

Zoe slapped the table after hearing Marian talk about how Aaron had scolded her. The loud bang startled a man across from her, causing him to choke on his drink.

"Ugh, Aaron is so mean with his words! Let's curse him: may he eat instant noodles without seasoning packets, order takeout without chopsticks, and drink beer without a bottle opener!" Zoe exclaimed.

Marian burst out laughing. "He's the CEO of Yutou Group. He doesn't eat instant noodles or takeout, let alone drink beer. Your curses don't apply to him at all."

Zoe huffed, saying she needed to come up with a better curse, but Marian stopped her. Tilting her head back, Marian took a sip of her drink. It tasted sweet, though she wasn't sure what it was.

"To be fair," Marian said, resting her chin in her hands, "this whole thing wasn't entirely Aaron's fault."

Aaron, sitting not far away, raised an eyebrow in surprise. He crossed his legs and subtly leaned closer to listen.

Setting down her glass, Marian continued, "Honestly, it's my fault. I deliberately left things ambiguous, thinking that it was just a matter of a few hundred thousand dollars. I figured that with his wealth, adding some budget wouldn't be a big deal. But Aaron was sharp; he saw through my little schemes right away."

Aaron chuckled lightly to himself, swirling his glass of wine. The liquid shimmered under the dim lights as his long fingers moved the glass in slow, lazy circles.

Zoe was still fuming. "Even so, he hurt you so badly back then. He comes back now, doesn't apologize, doesn't make it up to you—I can't stand it!"

"It's not all like that," Marian said softly, her gaze unfocused as she shared her thoughts. "In fact, I think it's the opposite. He probably gave Yutou's fund project to our company as a way to make amends. And… he's driven me home twice and left his umbrella with me. I think that was also his way of compensating."

Over the past few days, Marian had reflected and realized she might have misunderstood Aaron. Though he had scolded her, he hadn't complained to Julian or imposed any real punishments on her. Plus, he had seen through her lie about her address but chose not to expose her. All things considered, Aaron wasn't as unbearable as she had initially thought.

Zoe stared at her, stunned. "You're speaking up for him?!" She grabbed Marian's shoulders. "Don't tell me you still like him?!"

Aaron's hand froze on his glass, and his gaze instinctively shifted toward Marian.

"You're talking nonsense! How could I possibly like him? Aaron is the person I hate most in the world!" Marian snapped.

Aaron lowered his eyes to conceal the flicker of coldness that flashed through them. He resumed swirling his drink absentmindedly. Across from him, a few young women seated nearby began blushing and whispering among themselves. They cast furtive glances his way, clearly charmed by his nonchalant demeanor.

Their reactions annoyed Xu Huanran, who muttered to himself. He wasn't bad-looking either—why was everyone staring at Aaron? He sulked even more when he noticed Aaron didn't pay the women any attention at all.

Yao Ning, thoroughly amused, sent Xu Huanran a private message:

"Feeling jealous yet?!"

Xu Huanran angrily replied:

"Jealous? I'm fuming over here!!!"

Suddenly, Xu Huanran snatched the glass from Aaron's hand and slammed it onto the glass table with exaggerated force. "Hey, buddy, could you stop swirling your drink? You're hypnotizing all the girls in this bar!"

His voice was so loud that half the bar turned to look at them.

Marian and Zoe also glanced over at the commotion.

Aaron glared at Xu Huanran, barely concealing his frustration. Meanwhile, Xu Huanran, oblivious to the trouble he was causing, got up and began exchanging contact information with the young women nearby, grinning from ear to ear.

Aaron let out a long, exasperated breath. By the time he glanced toward Marian again, she was no longer in sight. Uncrossing his legs, he stood abruptly. "You guys keep drinking," he said curtly.

As he got up, Yao Ning instinctively asked, "Where are you going?"

Yao Qian patted her head lightly. "Where else? The restroom, obviously."

Yao Ning stuck out her tongue. "Alright, fine. Go ahead, then."

Aaron didn't explain further and started scanning the bar. Eventually, he spotted Marian at the entrance.

While Zoe was busy calling for a ride, Marian leaned against the doorframe, grumbling to herself.

"What bad luck. Aaron seems to pop up everywhere lately. He's like a ghost haunting me."

Closing her eyes, she tried to recall whether she had said anything bad about Aaron earlier. After running through the conversation in her mind, she concluded that she hadn't. Zoe had said a few mean things, but Marian had softened them and even defended him.

Satisfied with her recollection, Marian smiled faintly, feeling relieved that her job security wasn't in jeopardy.

The outdoor breeze left her feeling lightheaded, the alcohol amplifying her tipsiness. She barely noticed the figure approaching her. Assuming it was Zoe, she leaned against him without a second thought.