It's been days since Almond met with his grandfather, yet he still found it difficult to fully accept such an impromptu arrangement, as he felt it was too harsh on the young lady.
Although a part of him hoped she would eventually agree to the marriage, he didn't want it to happen this way. After all, what is forced is never sweet, and as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force it to drink.
Almond sighed deeply.
This matter was truly troublesome.
Knowing his grandfather's personality, once the old man made up his mind about something, there was little to no room left for negotiation. Moreover, wedding preparations already seemed to be progressing quietly underneath without any interruption, yet the two people meant to be joined together in holy matrimony could barely stand each other.
Lying on the king-sized bed with the morning sun casting a warm golden glow through the luxurious curtains, Almond stared blankly at the ceiling.
The atmosphere around him was peaceful and silent, but only he knew how chaotic his thoughts were.
He kept thinking about ways to reduce the pressure the young lady was currently facing.
No matter how calm he appeared on the outside, he was not blind to Jayden's resistance. In fact, the more he thought about her expression during their last meeting, the more he realised she genuinely feared this marriage.
And somehow… that thought bothered him.
Stretching his hand toward the bedside table, Almond picked up his phone and dialled Nicholas' number.
The call was answered almost immediately.
"Good morning, sir," Nicholas' respectful voice came from the other end.
"Yes, morning," Almond replied calmly. "Confirm today's meeting with LS Empire and make sure the location arrangement is properly handled. Also, assign someone competent to oversee the overall project currently at hand."
"Alright, sir."
"Oh, and one more thing," Almond added after a brief pause. "Send me the contact of the young lady I met on the blind date the other day. Also check my schedule for this week and send me today's itinerary."
Nicholas was slightly surprised but quickly composed himself.
"Yes, sir. I'll send everything right away."
Without saying anything else, Almond ended the call.
He shook his head lightly afterward, almost questioning himself.
Why exactly did he ask for her number?
It wasn't like he had anything particularly important to say to her.
With that temper of hers, she might not even allow him to speak properly before attacking him again.
Still…
Perhaps it would be better if they could meet once more and calmly discuss how they wanted to handle things moving forward. Since there seemed to be no immediate way out of this marriage arrangement, the least they could do was establish an understanding between themselves.
Having settled his thoughts, Almond stood up from the bed and walked toward his spacious walk-in closet.
For some strange reason, he found himself paying extra attention to his appearance today.
Maybe because of what his friends said the other day.
Or maybe because he unconsciously wanted Jayden to see him at his best.
Not as some cold businessman forcing himself into her life…
But as someone worthy enough to stand beside her.
After carefully scanning through several outfits, he finally selected a perfectly tailored royal blue suit that highlighted his tall figure and elegant aura. He paired it with a crisp white dress shirt, a black silk tie, French cuffs, polished custom-made shoes, and a luxurious Rolex wristwatch.
Simple.
Elegant.
Refined.
Exactly like him.
Thinking about Jayden's fiery personality, Almond couldn't help but chuckle softly.
At least she was different from those rich heiresses suffering from severe princess syndrome.
That woman had claws.
And strangely enough… he found it interesting.
Taking his selected clothes, he headed toward the bathroom.
Standing before the large frameless mirror, Almond stared briefly at his reflection before raising a silver razor to shave the growing stubble around his jaw.
The luxurious bathroom reflected his status perfectly, from the granite countertop neatly arranged with expensive essentials to the spacious glass walk-in shower fitted with rainfall showerheads and body jets designed for relaxation. A modern soaking tub rested elegantly near the floor-to-ceiling privacy windows, making the entire place look more like a private spa than an ordinary bathroom.
After shaving properly, Almond stepped into the shower and allowed the warm water to run down his body.
For once, he wasn't thinking about contracts, meetings, profits, or business expansions.
His thoughts kept drifting back to a certain stubborn woman with green eyes and a sharp tongue.
It was honestly ridiculous.
By the time he finished bathing and completed his skincare and hair routine, nearly an hour had passed.
Once fully dressed, Almond picked up his phone again to check the itinerary Nicholas had forwarded.
Seeing he had about an hour free before his official schedule became hectic, he decided to arrange a brief lunch meeting with Jayden.
Perhaps another meeting under calmer circumstances would ease the tension between them.
Copying the number Nicholas sent, Almond dialled it.
The call rang.
And rang.
And rang.
No answer.
He frowned slightly before redialling.
Still nothing.
No response at all.
He leaned back against the chair thoughtfully.
Maybe she was busy.
Or perhaps she simply didn't answer unknown numbers.
After all, there was no way she would recognise his private contact.
Almond sighed and placed the phone down momentarily before picking up his car keys.
Since she wasn't answering now, he could always try again later before lunch.
At least that way, it wouldn't seem like he was forcing things onto her again.
…
By the time Almond arrived at Jones International Enterprise, Nicholas was already waiting for him.
Being an assistant was not exactly an easy job, especially under someone as strict and work-driven as Almond Jones, but Nicholas remained genuinely grateful for the opportunity.
Despite his boss' cold aura and demanding standards, he was still someone who treated the people around him fairly.
To ensure everything flowed smoothly, Nicholas had already arranged all the files requiring Almond's immediate attention before the meeting with LS Empire.
The moment Almond stepped into the office, he went straight into work mode without wasting even a second.
There was no room for mistakes.
As an international enterprise, Jones International had no real need to rely on external companies to thrive, but partnering with LS Empire would further strengthen the company's image and influence globally.
LS Empire lacked a strong foothold in Jinnah City and hoped to use this collaboration to establish themselves firmly in the market, while Jones International would benefit from increased international reputation and smoother expansion opportunities, especially regarding their branch in Country Y.
The moment Almond thought about Country Y, a headache instantly formed.
Nicholas had repeatedly reminded him to personally inspect some branches there, but he kept postponing the trip due to work pressure.
Now, with the wedding approaching in barely two weeks, leaving the country seemed almost impossible.
His grandfather would never agree.
That old man already considered marriage more important than any business deal in existence.
Even after the wedding, he would still expect Almond to remain around his wife for appearance's sake.
Thinking about all this, Almond unconsciously sighed before picking up his phone again and redialling Jayden's number.
This time
The call connected.
And before he could even speak, an annoyed female voice blasted through the phone.
"And whoever this is clearly doesn't understand the basic courtesy of making calls…"