Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband
Chapter 148: Hello There

Chapter 148: Hello There

"Serena, it is a pleasure to see you."

"Sidney. What a pleasure to meet you... not."

Sidney smiled, unfazed by her acerbic tone. He had always known Serena had a sharp tongue, but he had never imagined that one day he’d be on the receiving end of it. Still, he found himself oddly okay with that—for now. There was a flicker of amusement in his eyes, though it did little to hide the bitterness brewing just beneath the surface.

"Have a seat," he said, pulling out a chair for her with a smooth, practiced motion, his gaze steady on her as if daring her to refuse.

"As if I wasn’t going to sit if you didn’t say that," she shot back. Ignoring the chair he had pulled out, she swept past him, her steps deliberate, and claimed the seat on the opposite side of the table. The leather creaked slightly as she settled in, leaving Sidney standing there, awkwardly gripping the back of the chair he had offered. For a moment, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by resignation. He should have expected that from her.

"It was just a courtesy, you know," Sidney muttered, slowly placing the chair back in its original spot. His movements were deliberate, controlled. "There’s nothing wrong with accepting the seat I pulled out for you."

Serena’s eyes gleamed with a sharp edge. "Next, you’ll tell me there’s nothing wrong with taking a bullet from you," she retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Thanks, but no thanks. I can pull out a chair just fine on my own. No need for pointless courtesies."

Sidney’s jaw clenched for a brief second, though he forced himself to keep calm. "You need to drop the attitude, Rena. Soon, someone else will be joining us, and it won’t look good if they think we’re on opposing teams."

Serena’s eyebrows shot up as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and staring at him with mock incredulity. "Ohhh, someone else is joining our little date? You should’ve warned me, Sidney. That’s not fair, you know. If you were bringing an accomplice, I should’ve had one too."

Her words were delivered with such exaggerated innocence that it stung more than the sharpest insult. Sidney managed a small, tight smile, though his patience was wearing thin. It was like trying to hold a rope that was fraying strand by strand, and Serena knew exactly how to pull on those loose threads.

"I’ve always thought we were accomplices," Sidney said, his voice softening as he leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as if trying to recall better days. "Remember, Rena? How we used to sneak books out of the restricted section of the library? Partners in crime?"

Serena stiffened, her hands clenched into tight fists under the table. She remembered those days all too well. But the next time Sidney tried to bring up their shared past, she vowed she’d punch him in the face. For now, she let the memories slip by, unwilling to let him see how much his words affected her.

Instead, she latched onto the one piece of information that stood out. "So, who have you ’invited’ to join us tonight?" she asked, her voice laced with mock sweetness. "Do I have to please

The inflection in her voice was unmistakable, and it hit Sidney like a slap to the face. His patience finally snapped.

"That is an insult—to you and to me," he growled, his voice low but charged with barely-contained anger.

Serena, unfazed, tilted her head slightly. "Nope. It would only be an insult to me if I actually did it," she replied coolly. "As for the implication that you’re trying to sell me out... well, not physically, you aren’t."

Sidney’s hands gripped the edge of the table, his knuckles whitening as he fought to keep his composure. "If only you would step back for a moment and listen," he said through gritted teeth, "you’d know that I would never harm you."

Serena gave a short, humorless laugh, crossing her arms over her chest. "We’ve had this discussion already, Sidney. You’re just repeating yourself at this point. What are you, a wannabe drama writer, trying to create cliffhangers for an audience? Stop dragging this out and just come out with whatever it is you’re planning."

Sidney’s expression darkened, and his voice dropped an octave. "I’m planning for a contingency," he bit out, his words sharp and deliberate.

Serena stilled, one eyebrow arching in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

"I’ve invited an investor," Sidney began, "I can see you’re interested in taking over Nvidia. But if you go through with that, then, as per the terms of the will, you will lose the company you started. All your hard work—gone. You wouldn’t want that, would you? To see everything you’ve built sold off like this, disappearing into someone else’s hands? Isn’t that the reason why you are hesitating?"

He paused, watching her face carefully for any flicker of emotion, but Serena’s expression remained unreadable and so he pressed on, "According to the terms, the lawyers have already been instructed to auction your company off once the waiting period is up. It’s just a matter of time before the process begins. The moment you sign off on the Nvidia deal, your company gets swept into the wind, sold to the highest bidder. And we both know that bidder won’t care about the legacy you’ve worked so hard to create."

"In this case," he continued, lowering his voice slightly, "we’ll let Mr. Ji invest in the company for now. He’s reputable, with solid financial backing, and he’s already expressed interest. Later, once all the matters related to Nvidia have been resolved, you can quietly buy your company back from him. He won’t lose out on the deal, and you’ll be in control again without the auction coming into play. But first, we need to convince him that he won’t be at a loss. We need him to believe that his investment will yield significant returns."

"Alternatively, if you decide to give up Nvidia for now, even then I can find a way for you to gain control of Nvidia. There will be an IPO later and Mr Ji can be used there. It is upto you and you can discuss the specifics with Mr Ji, just now..."

"You understand the stakes here, Serena," he added, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "You stand to lose everything. This is the best way to protect what’s yours."