Betrothed to a Billionaire

Chapter 6 Her mysterious husband

Ariana sat motionless while television light illuminated her face with the changing screen shadows in the darkened room. Jesse Ren, her supposed to be husband appeared on screen to face a towering skyscraper with numerous cameras flashing against him.

Her expectations about him disappeared completely.

He stood at a commanding height wearing a black suit that showcased his muscular shoulders and lean body while projecting an quiet aura of control. Jessie Ren scanned his audience with black eyes that revealed no emotion while keeping an expressionless face which caused Ariana to feel cold. The difference between Jesse and Antony emerged through his genuine power which naturally commanded respect rather than Antony's fake and insincere charm. His posture carried nothing but the sense of power with complete absence of arrogance.

Her hands gripped the chair armrest tightly while she listened to the broadcast.

"Jesse Ren the Ren Holdings CEO emerged from his secluded lifestyle to attend the Global Economic Summit in front of the public today. The influential business figure Mr. Ren maintains a limited public presence because he mostly conducts private meetings while making his mark in finance and technology and international trade. People try to understand his private life but information about his personal existence remains limited."

Ariana took the remote control to turn off the television screen. Everyone became startled by the complete absence of noise.

Jesse Ren.

The marriage certificate presented her with his name as her husband. Both her past and present lives connected her to the man she later discover as her husband Jesse Ren.

Why?

Ariana struggled to understand the situation by counting her heartbeats but her ears remained filled with loud noises. In her past life she blindly walked into Antony's trap because she lacked understanding that she was married to a man who outmatched Antony in every way. Why hadn't Jesse stepped forward? Why did he permit her marriage to be destroyed?

Had their marriage been nothing more than a meaningless transaction?

She began thinking about her situation while standing to walk across the room to her mahogany desk. She opened her family documents and took out the sealed envelope that she found earlier.

She opened the candle-sealed document while removing the paper from its protective coating. The beautiful handwriting in the document proved again that Jesse Ren was her legal spouse.

Her grandfather had arranged it.

"Her jaw tightened. Did her family know? Where did Jesse and the family decide to conceal this marriage information from her?"

She needed answers.

Ariana spend the few hours searching every source for information about Jessie Ren.

Media outlets praised him as the self-made billionaire who built his global enterprise before turning 30. Through his worldwide business network he gained market control with ruthless methods.

But his personal lives remains a mystery.

There were no records of romantic relationships, no scandals, no public appearances at social events. The only known fact was that he rarely stayed in one place for long.

"Then why was he tied to her?"

Ariana read through an outdated financial document by selecting it and reviewing the data. The document showed their families worked together on a significant investment project around ten years ago.

Her heart pounded.

Could this marriage have been part of a deal?

She sank into her chair while releasing her breath. The relationship probably never mattered to Jesse because of this scenario. He allowed the document to stay valid as he pursued his regular life activities.

A painful feeling rose within her at this moment—anger, frustration, resentment combined with displeasure plus a secret emotion she was avoiding understanding.

Had she been that insignificant?

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. It didn't matter.

His indifference toward her made no difference since she had changed. She was not the same woman , she is now different from the one she had been before.

 If he thought she will remain a pawn in this slient arrangements, thenhe was mistaken.

The night air around her was cold and chilly as Ariana left the private office where she had tried to dig further into her marriage certificate.

She had found nothing new. Someone carefully erased Jesse's name from official documents to block anyone from finding their relationship details.

As she walked towards her car, she felt a prickle down her spine as if someone was watching her.

She looked toward a shiny black vehicle that had parked on the opposite side of the street. The dark windows made it hard to see who occupied the vehicle yet its silent presence scared her.

She wanted to ignore the vehicle but instead paused to observe it. As if sensing her gaze, The car engine started and the car pulled away. The vehicle rolled away without hesitation in an unnatural manner and disappear into the distance.

Ariana hands curled into a fist.

 Who was it? Was it Anthony's people? Rachel spies or....

A thought stuck her.

Ariana spent her night at the window grimly pondering the mysteries that lingered around her mind.

The powerful man who legally tied her to marriage during years remained unknown to her though he controlled the world. 

Was it a coincidence or had someone kept it deliberately from her?

The vibrating phone interrupted her trail of thought as she was about stretched her hand to retrieve it from the desk surface.

A message.

Unknown number:Our meeting would be appropriate now that you have decided to search for me.

Ariana's breath caught.

The phone became a tight grip in her hands during her frantic mental activity.

He knew.

Jesse Ren learned about her search thus decided to meet her instead of hiding.

A fresh type of tension seized her body for the first time since her return to life. Her pursuit now highlighted more than search for answers.