Irresistible Attraction: Fated to the Cold CEO

"Ma'am, are you really going to divorce Mr. Roberts?" asked Alex Brown, the butler of the Roberts family, as he looked at the divorce agreement before him, his face showing a hint of dismay.

Scarlett Wallace nodded and replied gently, "Yes, Alex. I've made up my mind. Please deliver this paper to-"

Scarlett paused, realizing she hadn't seen her nominal husband since their wedding. It had been a year, and she had even forgotten his name. She smiled awkwardly at Alex and continued, "Please deliver it to Mr. Roberts."

Alex was about to urge Scarlett to reconsider, but when he saw the resolute determination in her gentle eyes, he changed his mind and accepted the divorce agreement.

Somehow, he couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic.

He sighed softly and said, "Please take care of yourself."

Scarlett nodded with a smile. As she walked out of the mansion with her suitcase in tow, she felt an unprecedented sense of relief.

Perhaps, compared to continuing this in-name-only marriage, divorce was the better choice for her.

From this point on, she was embarking on a new chapter in her life.

The twilight sky gradually shifted from a dark orange hue to darkness, but the Roberts Group's headquarters remained brightly illuminated.

The door to the top-floor meeting room swung open, and Elias Roberts, having just concluded a meeting, emerged.

Jude Green, his assistant, followed closely, ready to brief him on the next agenda.

"Mr. Roberts, there's a video conference in half an hour. Additionally, Mr. Kyle Wright has arranged a party to celebrate your return."

"Decline it," Elias interjected in an indifferent tone.

Jude lowered his head and replied, "Yes, sir."

After a brief pause, he hesitated. "Mr. Roberts, there's one more thing-"

Elias abruptly halted and cast a grave look at Jude. His deep voice turned icy. "Since when did you become so hesitant in your speech?"

Jude quickly continued, "Alex called and informed me that your wife has prepared the divorce agreement and has signed it."

He lowered his gaze, avoiding eye contact with Elias, feeling a bit anxious about mentioning that woman in front of him.

The atmosphere hung heavy for a moment. Just when Jude thought Elias wouldn't address the matter, he heard a chilling snort.

Jude had been working for Elias for years and knew that such a snort from Elias was rare and only occurred when he was in a particularly foul mood.

Realizing this, Jude broke into a cold sweat.

Elias raised his gaze and said expressionlessly, "Send me the agreement."

Jude nodded quickly, saying, "Yes, sir."

After a while, Elias received the divorce agreement. As he turned to the final page, his eyes landed on the signature, "Scarlett Wallace".

Squinting his eyes, Elias couldn't help but feel a touch of disdain.

Back then, this woman had married him for the sake of money. Now, she was suddenly proposing a divorce. What could she possibly want?

Elias casually perused the agreement, his gaze fixating on one of the terms.

It stated that Scarlett would relinquish all marital property. Additionally, there was a note indicating that the money she had borrowed from his family one year ago had been paid back, along with accrued interest.

Elias was taken aback. He hadn't expected Scarlett to repay the debt.

It made him wonder if he had misjudged Scarlett's character. Perhaps she wasn't the kind of woman motivated solely by money.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a ringing phone. It was a call from his grandmother, Ella Roberts.

Elias picked up the phone with a furrowed brow.

Ella's voice sounded anxious. "Elias! I won't allow you to divorce Scarlett!"

Elias squinted his eyes and responded with a hint of irony, "Grandma, you're remarkably well-informed."

The moment he received the divorce agreement, his grandmother had called to dissuade him from signing it. He couldn't help but suspect that Scarlett had orchestrated all this.

This woman was certainly something!

Ella paused for a moment before saying seriously, "That's not the point! Regardless, you can't divorce Scarlett! I don't know what's gotten into you. She is such a wonderful girl. Why don't you appreciate her?"

Elias set the agreement on the desk and explained, "Grandma, she's the one who wants the divorce."

Ella remained resolute and exclaimed, "Over the past year, you've been distant from her! No matter how strong she is, it's difficult for her to endure such an aloof husband!"

Elias rubbed his temples in frustration. He couldn't fathom why his grandmother was so fond of Scarlett. She had pressured him into marrying Scarlett in the first place, and now she was preventing him from divorcing her.

He sighed. "Grandma, why don't you ask me if I even like her?"

Ella replied with stubborn conviction, "You don't like her because you've never truly spent time with her. Scarlett is a wonderful girl. Once you get to know her, you'll surely come to like her."

Elias chose not to respond. Inwardly, he couldn't help but sneer at Ella's insistence.

Noticing Elias' reluctance, Ella continued her persuasion, "Elias, I'm begging you one last time. Take some time to get to know Scarlett, okay? I'm sure your opinion of her will change!"

"Get to know a woman like her?" Elias's tone was filled with unmistakable disgust.

Ella persisted, "Three months! I'm only asking you to maintain your marriage with Scarlett for another three months. If you still want to divorce her after that, I won't interfere! What do you say?"

Elias sighed inwardly. He couldn't bear to refuse his grandmother. After a few moments of thought, he reluctantly said, "Grandma, I can promise you this, but I want to make it clear that I'll never like an avaricious woman like her. My opinion won't change even if I spend three more years with her, let alone three months."

Ella muttered, "You're mistaken. Scarlett is not that kind of woman."

Elias didn't want to argue with her about Scarlett's character. Impatiently, he said, "That's enough, Grandma. I have work to attend to. Bye."

After hanging up, Elias glanced at the divorce agreement on the desk, a hint of gloom in his eyes.

"Scarlett, do you really think your scheme will work?" he mused.

A year ago, this woman had married into the Roberts family by any means necessary, driven by a desire for money. Now she was pretending to want a divorce, intentionally delaying it for three months. Was she hoping that by taking one step backward, she could take two steps forward and make him change his mind?

It was a clever plan, but she didn't understand him at all. He would never change his decision for anyone.

The following day, Scarlett went out for an interview.

According to the address she received, she arrived at a grand mansion that blended romance with solemnity in its decor.

The intricately carved patterns on the gate were exceptionally exquisite.

Scarlett looked around and realized that this mansion was even more luxurious and grand than the one she used to live in.

Today, she had come here to apply for the position of tutor, a job opportunity introduced by Ella.

Ella knew that Scarlett was a strong-willed person who didn't want to owe the Roberts family any money.

In the past year, she had introduced many part-time jobs to Scarlett, who, with her exceptional abilities, had managed to pay off her debt within a year.

The salary for this particular part-time job was significantly higher than any of her previous positions. Scarlett needed the money, and she had every reason to compete for this job.

She approached the gate, suppressing her nervousness, and rang the bell.

The bell's crisp chime resonated. Scarlett waited for a moment until someone came to answer it.

The person who greeted her was Jude. As he laid eyes on Scarlett, he was momentarily struck by her youthful beauty. However, he maintained his professional demeanor and quickly composed himself. He offered a polite smile. "You must be the candidate here for the tutor interview. Miss Wallace, right? I'm Jude Green, Mr. Roberts' assistant."

Scarlett replied politely, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Green."

Jude then led Scarlett to the backyard of the mansion, where he stopped and pointed in a certain direction from a distance. "Zayne is over there."

From their vantage point, Scarlett could see a swing in the middle of the yard, with a dazed child seated upon it.

Typically, children of that age were very lively and mischievous. But this boy sat there like a motionless puppet, gazing into the distance with vacant eyes. He appeared incredibly vulnerable, eliciting an instinctual desire in Scarlett to care for him.

Jude explained, "Zayne's situation is a bit unique. He has driven away six tutors before you, Miss Wallace. I hope you're mentally prepared."

Scarlett had heard about this from Ella before coming, so she wasn't taken aback.

She nodded and replied, "I understand. Before the class begins, may I have a tour of the mansion?"

Jude was somewhat taken aback. It was the first time he had heard such a request. Previous tutors had immediately gone to greet Zayne upon their arrival, making the effort to establish a connection with him. However, all of them had failed due to the boy's strong resistance.

After hesitating for a moment, Jude replied, "Of course, you can. But I have some other tasks to attend to, so I might not be able to give you a personal tour."

Scarlett didn't mind at all. She asked Jude about Zayne's favorite areas and then proceeded to explore those places on her own.

As she ventured through the mansion, she noticed scattered children's toys and some paintings hanging on the walls.

The paintings displayed inexperienced techniques but were bold and vibrant in colors. Each painting was carefully framed, with Zayne's name inscribed at the bottom.

It was evident that Zayne had a strong passion for painting.

Scarlett smiled and soon came up with an idea.

Returning to the yard, she arranged the art supplies she had brought with her and began to paint.

Bright colors flowed onto the canvas, gradually outlining the landscape of the yard.

Scarlett became engrossed in her painting.

Behind her, Zayne, who had been sitting on the swing, lost in thought, was suddenly captivated by the artwork taking shape before him.

His dull eyes seemed to light up in an instant, and he left the swing to approach Scarlett.

In the mansion's study, Elias was engrossed in his work.

Jude entered with the necessary documents and reminded him, "Mr. Roberts, the new tutor has arrived. Would you like to go and meet her?"

Rubbing his forehead, Elias responded indifferently, "It's unnecessary."

Considering that Zayne had already driven away six tutors, Elias had little hope for this new one.

Without saying more, Jude quietly left the study.

After a while, Elias finished dealing with the documents on his desk.

Seeing that it was close to dinnertime, he decided to check on Zayne's progress.

When he reached the backyard, a heartwarming sight greeted him.

A girl dressed in simple attire sat in front of an easel, her ponytail swaying in the breeze. The twilight cast a faint glow across the yard, illuminating her bright and captivating smile.

Beside her, Zayne sat with a paintbrush in hand.

Elias was genuinely surprised. Zayne rarely warmed up to outsiders, and he hadn't expected the new tutor to get along with the young boy so quickly.

The scene was so beautiful and heartwarming that Elias felt a softness in his heart.

He approached quietly, and it wasn't until his tall figure cast a shadow over the canvas that Scarlett looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

Elias found himself asking her in an unexpectedly gentle tone, "What's your name?"

It was a rare sight for Scarlett to encounter such an attractive man. She was left momentarily stunned.

As Elias made his appearance, Zayne eagerly threw himself into his father's arms.

The boy's behavior snapped Scarlett back to reality. Seeing how dependent Zayne was on this man, Scarlett realized that the person before her was undoubtedly Zayne's father.

She rose to her feet and introduced herself calmly, "Nice meeting you, Mr. Roberts. I'm here to apply for the position as Zayne's tutor."

At that moment, a sudden rumble emanated from Zayne's stomach.

Elias gently picked up Zayne and whispered, "Are you hungry? Let's go have dinner."

Zayne clung tightly to his father, burying his head on Elias' shoulder. It was evident that he was very attached to him.

Elias turned his attention back to Scarlett and said, "You're hired. My assistant will arrange the employment contract with you."

Scarlett was momentarily taken aback, then she smiled and nodded. "Certainly, Mr. Roberts. Thank you."

As Elias took Zayne for dinner, Scarlett settled in the living room and received the employment contract from Jude. She carefully reviewed its contents, with her gaze particularly fixed on the salary terms.

The compensation for this job was quite handsome, and the additional benefits were also appealing. Her responsibilities would involve tutoring and playing with Zayne.

After perusing it, Scarlett promptly signed her name on the contract and let out a sigh of relief.

With this job, she wouldn't have to worry about her grandmother's medical expenses anymore.

Jude accepted the signed contract from Scarlett and expressed his gratitude, saying, "Miss Wallace, thank you in advance for looking after Zayne."

Scarlett smiled warmly and replied, "You're welcome. I'll do my best."

In the evening, Scarlett bid farewell to Zayne and left.

In the study, Jude presented the employment contract to Elias, saying respectfully, "Mr. Roberts, here is the employment contract for the new tutor. Please review it."

Elias, engrossed in handling crucial documents, accepted the contract and placed it in the stack of paperwork on the side.

Unbeknownst to him, the new tutor he had hired shared the same name as the woman who had recently signed their divorce papers: Scarlett Wallace.

As night fell, the Aurora Bar was bathed in dim, enchanting lights. The pulsating music awakened the latent party spirit in everyone, and the air was saturated with the intoxicating scent of alcohol.

A few ice cubes tinkled into a half-filled glass of whisky, the crystal-clear ice bobbing up and down.

A glass of whisky and a glass of juice met, creating a pleasing clinking sound.

Justin White raised his glass and cheered, "Congratulations! Scarlett, you are on the brink of regaining your freedom!"

Scarlett happily took a sip of her juice and declared, "Let's also celebrate that I've found a new part-time job! A high-paying part-time job!"

Justin bent down, his laughter echoing through the bar, his stud earrings gleaming faintly.

Scarlett shot him a disdainful look and turned her attention to the people on the dance floor. She muttered with a touch of sourness, "I don't know what's so funny."

Justin's laughter continued, and he eventually managed to regain his composure. After a hearty laugh, he wiped away his tears, took a sip of wine, and addressed Scarlett, "Don't act like you can't find any other jobs."

Scarlett stuck her tongue out in response.

Leaning on one hand, Justin sighed. "I've invited you to join my studio countless times, but you always turn me down."

Scarlett wore a fake smile as she replied deliberately, "I don't work for a boss with a heart as dark as yours."

Justin couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh? Does that mean your current boss is a saint?" he teased.

Elias's image flashed through Scarlett's mind. She hesitated about how to characterize him when a cheerful voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

"Justin!"

Scarlett turned around to see a flamboyantly dressed man approaching with a warm smile. To her surprise, the man was followed closely by someone she had just met today.

She exclaimed in astonishment, "Mr. Roberts?"