Chapter 9
I gently pulled Ares out of the crowd, smiling as I quickly deflected the question.
Back in the car, Ares seemed noticeably down, his mood much heavier.
I tried to comfort him. “You’ve done great. At least, with the time you had, you didn’t leave yourself with
regrets.”
Ares shook his head before suddenly pulling me into a hug.
Not wanting to push him away, I simply let him hold me.
To be honest, I was just as lost as he was.
With Ares retiring. I felt uneasy about my own future.
“Ana, to make my life more complete, would you come with me?” he asked earnestly.
“What?”
Ares pulled back slightly, looking up at me with eyes full of hope.
“The path to taking over the family business is filled with challenges, but if I have someone familiar by my side, I’ll be more confident. Would you be willing to be my secretary?”
Seeing my hesitation, Ares added another, even more convincing reason.
“Your good friend, Elena, also works at my company.”
And so, Ares and I both retired.
The news of a genius Go player retiring alongside his manager and stepping into the role of CEO at Aragon Group took the internet by storm.
The Go community was saddened by Ares’s decision to leave at the peak of his career.
Within Aragon Group, however, people eyed the unexpected heir with skepticism.
When we first joined the company, the most frequent comment we heard was, “What does a Go player know about running a company? How could a former Go manager possibly be a good secretary?”
“If it weren’t for his family ties, how could Ares ever deserve to be CEO?”
Chapter 9
Ares and I took all the criticism in stride, letting our success speak for itself as we broke through the
biases.
We were allies in the business world, standing strong together at Aragon Group
In our second year at the company, our relationship began to change.
We had just signed a huge contract, and after the celebration dinner, Ares and I had both had a little too
much to drink.
Ares pulled me to the rooftop to stargaze. As I was looking up, trying to spot the meteor shower he’d mentioned, he suddenly kissed me out of nowhere.
Naturally, we got together.
Now, two years had passed.
Standing outside Aragon Group’s entrance, I found myself momentarily disoriented, unable to grasp how long I had actually been here.
“Ana!”
I turned around to see Elena, walking beside me as we entered the main doors of Aragon Group.
She suddenly grew serious, her expression hardening. “Ana, you’re my best friend, and I need to ask you something.”
I noticed that she was acting weird, but I decided to let it go. She seemed to be hiding something from me and was struggling to tell me.
“What is it?”
“Do you want to get married? I mean, we’re not young anymore. I know you’re still focused on supporting your family, but you know… do you have any plans for marriage?” She asked, looking very eager to hear my answer.
Regarding her question, I do want to get married to the person I love, of course. Who wouldn’t?
I want to marry Ares. He’s the only man I can see myself spending the rest of my life with, and I know he feels the same about me. But on the other hand, I’m not sure if I’m ready. I still have so much to achieve and prove to myself.
“That’s quite a random question, Elena. You go upstairs first. I’ll just call Sir Ares,” I deflected.
She quickly turned to me with a pout, making me chuckle.
Chapter 9
“You’re such a buzzkill. See you later. I’ve got something important to tell you,” she said as she bid me goodbye and hurried out when the elevator doors opened.
I called Ares.
“Yes, babe?” He greeted me on the other line, and I automatically smiled.
“Where are you?” I asked, leaning against the elevator frame.
“Oh, damn! I’m sorry. I forgot to mention earlier that I’m on an out of town trip. I’m sorry, baby…” he apologized softly, pleading in his tone, making me smile even more, especially at the sound of his deep
voice. Never gets old.
“It’s okay. Ares. I’m planning to stay here at the office, I have a lot to catch up on
“No, no. You should go home. I don’t want you staying at the office without me. Go home and wait for me.”
“Fine, Sir Ares Constantine. See you soon. Please be safe.”
“I’ll see you soon. Take care. I love you, Ana,” he said seriously, and a smile involuntarily spread across my face. The butterflies in my stomach were starting to flutter again, and my heartbeat quickened.
As I was leaving the company, I received a text from my brother, Matthew.
Ever since he found out that Ares and I were together, he had started asking me for money again.
Matthew
“Lend me some money.
Just give it to Mom when you get home.”
I changed my route and headed home, but just as I arrived, I received a call from Elena.
“Ana! I’m outside your house! Ares got into a car accident on his way home!”
When I heard those words, it felt as though my heart stopped. Without thinking, I rushed out of the house, tears streaming down my face.
I sat in the car, nervously asking Elena, “Should I call his parents? How is he? What happened?”
“Don’t call anyone, Ana. We’re almost there. Don’t worry,” she replied, her voice steady and serious. I looked at her, shocked.
“What do you mean-”
Chapter 9
“Just relax, Ana,” she interrupted, speeding up.
A few minutes later, we pulled up in front of a high–end restaurant. I turned to Elena, about to demand an explanation. But before I could say anything, she quickly got out of the car and opened the passenger door. I saw the apologetic expression on her face.
“Why are we here? What’s going on? Where’s Ares?” I asked, my frustration mounting.
“Just go inside. He’s waiting for you,” she replied, then flashed me a smile, causing my eyes to widen.
“What am I supposed to do inside? I’m in casual clothes, Elena!” I exclaimed in frustration, while also dialing Ares‘ number.
“Ares? Where are you? Elena said something bad happened to you-”
“Look inside,” he cut me off. His voice was serious but gentle.
Chapter 70
Chapter 10
