Transmigrated: Stealing the CEO husband-Chapter 17: Important Talk

Gerald headed straight to his penthouse, his steps uneven, his mind a chaotic mess.

The moment he entered, he made a beeline for the bathroom. His breath was ragged, his pulse erratic—not like him. Never like him.

Reaching the sink, he twisted the faucet to the coldest setting and splashed ice-cold water over his face. Once. Twice. A third time.

Only then did his senses return.

His reflection stared back at him from the mirror—wild eyes, slightly bloodshot, lips pressed into a tight line. He looked... shaken.

No. He looked afraid.

A cold chill ran down his spine.

This—this was not like him.

"Mr. Gerald, are you alright?"

A voice from outside the bathroom. His assistant.

"You left the party in a rush. Should I call a doctor?"

Gerald exhaled slowly. He grabbed a towel, wiped his face dry, and schooled his expression into a mask of indifference before stepping out.

The assistant visibly relaxed at the sight of his composed demeanor.

"No need for a doctor," Gerald said, his voice smooth, controlled. But there was an underlying steel to it.

"I would rather have you do another task for me."

His assistant straightened. "Yes, sir?"

Gerald's fingers twitched at his side, his jaw tightening.

"Ariana Grey... Dig out everything about her. I don't care how trivial or buried it is—I want it all. From childhood records to scandals, from her daily routines to her darkest secrets. Every. Single. Detail."

The assistant hesitated for half a second. That in itself was unusual.

"Sir, if I may ask... did something happen?"

Gerald's gaze flickered, the temperature in the room seemingly dropping.

"Just do as I say."

The assistant swallowed and gave a swift nod. "Understood." He turned and left the room immediately, not daring to question further.

Gerald remained standing there, his hands clenched into fists. His nails bit into his palms, but he barely noticed.

His mind was trapped in an endless loop. The same scene playing over and over.

That woman. Ariana Grey.

The way she had stood there, unwavering. The way she had looked at him.

Like she had already won.

Like he was beneath her.

His stomach churned with something between humiliation and rage.

He was Gerald. He was never powerless. Never weak. Never at a disadvantage.

Yet, in those moments... in front of her... he had felt exactly that.

Helpless.

Pathetic.

His breathing turned sharp, uneven.

No.

No, there was no way he was letting her walk away from this.

He would find out everything about her. And then—

He would make sure she never had the upper hand again.

Never.f.

...

When Ariana woke up, she found herself in the presidential suite. After last night's emotional rollercoaster, she was drained. Besides, the Presidential suite was warm and cozy, and the bed was comfy to touch. She didn't know at what point, being cajoled by Luiss, she fell asleep.

However, in the morning, she found herself carefully tucked in with blankets over her body.

She quickly checked the system.

'Main Task: Make President Luiss see the host as a woman

Succeesfully completed

The reward is in the inventory.'

She clicked on the inventory.

"Having Luiss see the host as a woman: Perfect makeover x 3

Extra reward for finishing the mission before stipulated time: Attracton Buff.

Gerald's destructive obsession reward: Access to Gerald corporation classified info.

Change David's opinion. 80 percent completed."

'Ting'

'New main task. Go on a date with the Male Lead

Time Limit: One week

Penalty: Elimination'

Ariana felt as if blood filled her mouth from the damage of that statement. If this system wasn't some intangible machine but a material object, she would have smashed it to pieces by now.

She sighed, chanting mantras to calm her furious heart. Then she checked up on the stats with the male lead.

'Stats with Male Lead

Affection/Friendship: 5 %

Romantic interest: 3 Percent

Sexual interest: 10 percent

Respect: 20 Percent"

Ariana was happy to see the stats going up. But one thing that unsettled her was that sexual interest was going up way faster than the other aspects.

She wanted to keep the respect and affection at the top.

The system's next prompt was the best opportunity for this.

A light knock jolted her out of her thoughts. Ariana realized she was still in the party dress, makeup and dishevelled hair.

"Wait," She said and ran towards the bathroom. She quickly washed off her face, combed down her hair and got out of the messed up party dress to don a teashirt with jeans. Of course, her lazy self never bothered to wake up in time for her lectures. So getting ready effectively was a well-practiced skill, and it took her a matter of seconds.

"Come in."

To her surprise, the person was none other than President Luiss. He approached her cautiously and stood at a safe distance from her, close to the exit door. "Did you sleep well?" He asked.

Ariana noticed how extra careful he was. After all, in stats, respect came at the top of his heart for her. Then came the other feeling.

"Yes President Luiss. I'm grateful to you for looking after me last night."

He closed the door and walked in deeper, occupying the sofa.

"You seem tired. I think I overworked you with the presentation."

"Why do you say so?"

The most uptodate nove𝙡s are published on frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓.

"Because it's 12 past morning already."

Ariana's eyes widened. Did she really sleep that long?!

"Don't worry. I asked them to take away their breakfast since it was cold. I have already asked the reception to get you something fresh." His eyes keenly observed Ariana, her every gesture and subtle change of expression. Only after being certain she was comfortable did he continue, "I know last night might have been overwhelming for you. I don't want you to feel pressured in any way. Take your time with everything."

"The water is hot. You can take a bath. The reception will deliver your clothes. I want to discuss something with you."

Ariana was amazed. Logically speaking, he was such an important and powerful person. He didn't need to apologize, let alone give a simple fuck regarding what happened last night. Not only did he look apologetic, but he was also keen on making amends for the mishap.

That spoke a lot about his character

If Ariana's heart had stats for respect, her number would have gone way up.

"Is the important talk... Is it about last night?"