Transmigrated: Stealing the CEO husband-Chapter 62: Opulence

[Ting

New Main Task: Have Gerald have a positive opinion of yourself

Timeline: 4 days

Penalty: Removal of rewards from inventory."]

Ariana cursed under her breath, adjusting the strap of her purse as she hurried after Gerald’s broad-shouldered form. "I think I owe you one," she muttered, her voice just loud enough for him to hear.

Gerald didn’t break his stride. "There is no need. I just can’t stand such immature squabbles," he replied coolly.

She rolled her eyes, catching up to walk beside him. "Still, I think I owe you. Without your appearance, I might have suffered real consequences."

He gave her a sideways glance, eyes amused. "I doubt it," he scoffed. "But if you insist..."

"I’m ready to do anything." Her voice was confident, but her heartbeat stuttered slightly. Something in the way he looked at her made her stomach tighten.

"If you insist, I could use some company to our family’s private islands. I have some tasks to handle there," he said casually, like he was offering her a lift across town rather than access to one of the most exclusive places on the continent.

Ariana stopped in her tracks. Her mind whirled.

Luiss.

The news would reach him—of that, she was sure. The man didn’t miss a beat when it came to tracking her movements. And she couldn’t afford to ruin her relationship stats with the male lead. Not now.

"What now?" Gerald asked, pausing a step ahead, his tone laced with mockery. "Afraid?"

A flicker of defiance danced in her eyes. "The person capable of instilling fear in me is yet to be born."

Gerald’s lips curled into a half-smile, sharp and taunting. "Well then. I expect you eight a.m., a day after tomorrow. Don’t be late."

Two days later

Gerald glanced at his watch again. Thirty minutes past eight.

"She chickened out," he muttered under his breath, signaling to the pilot to prepare for takeoff. Just as the engine’s hum began to rise, movement caught his eye—something small and fast approaching from the terminal.

A petite figure in a light blue dress was scurrying his way.

He paused. "Hold."

"President Gerald!" Ariana gasped as she reached the bottom of the airstairs, hair a little windblown, cheeks flushed. She bowed slightly. "I’m sorry. There was too much traffic on the way."

"We were about to take off." He offered his hand, assisting her up into the aircraft.

The moment Ariana stepped onto the airstair, the world outside dimmed behind the soft hydraulic hiss of the closing door.

Inside, it was like stepping into another realm.

The cabin opened before her like a suspended lounge in the sky. Muted elegance radiated from every corner. The walls were wrapped in dove-grey leather, curving overhead toward a ceiling traced with warm ambient lighting, casting a soft cinematic glow across the interior. It was quiet. Still. Expensive.

To her left, a cluster of deep charcoal armchairs were arranged in a sociable club layout, accented with polished chrome and anchored around a sleek, matte-black table. A glass of water rested on its surface, a single droplet sliding lazily down the side.

She walked forward slowly, taking in the plush, smoke-grey carpet beneath her feet. The luxury around her wasn’t ostentatious—it whispered of old money and careful taste.

A long graphite-textured sofa stretched along the wall, facing a hidden screen behind smoked glass. Toward the rear, the galley gleamed: brushed titanium and dark stone countertops, immaculate and quietly impressive.

The scent of clean leather mingled with something herbaceous in the air—vetiver, maybe—and the faint, grounding note of freshly brewed coffee.

He gestured toward a door that slid open without a sound, revealing a private bedroom. Crisp white linens. Dark wood trim. A bathroom behind frosted glass. It was minimal, but deeply indulgent.

It wasn’t just a jet.

It was a sanctuary in motion.

"Wow," Ariana breathed, unable to contain the awe in her voice.

"I hope I didn’t lose out to your president," Gerald said, arching a brow.

"You definitely didn’t," she replied without hesitation, still enraptured by the sheer, effortless luxury.

As they settled into their seats, the hum of the engines growing smoother with altitude, Ariana accepted a steaming cup of coffee from the flight attendant and sank into the chair’s embrace.

"You seem very comfortable in my presence," Gerald said, watching her over the rim of his cup.

"Should I not be?" she replied, raising an eyebrow. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

He leaned back, fingers tapping lightly against the cup. "To be honest... you shouldn’t. For the losses you’ve caused me, I have plenty of reason to do a lot of bad things to you."

"Yet you haven’t."

His expression flickered, caught between amusement and something unreadable. "Yes... I haven’t. Yet I haven’t."

Meanwhile, back at the city

Luiss was busy with some paper work totally engrosed in the documents. It was when Liam arrived carrying important news.

"She did what?!" Luiss’s voice cut through the air like a whip.

Liam stood stiffly. "Ms. Grey boarded President Gerald’s private jet. Our security team didn’t have orders to intervene."

"They didn’t stop her?"

"Sir, the directive was to protect from the dark. Not... romantic entanglements."

Luiss slammed his fist onto the oak table, rattling the glass. "Of course protection comes first," he hissed, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration. Something about the word romantic entanglement rubbed him the wrong way. "She asked for three days’ leave. I didn’t know she was going with him." If he knew this, he would have burdened her with two weeks’ worth of work so such dullness wouldn’t enter her head.

He turned sharply to his assistants. "Liam, clear my schedule for the next three days. David, arrange a trip to the Elaris Retreat."

"Sir... that’s Gerald’s turf. He dominates that island."

"I’m aware." Luiss’s voice dropped, cold and razor-edged. "There are still a few shareholders with access rights. Find them. Buy them out. I don’t care what it costs. Just do it."

He couldn’t afford to leave her in his presence alone for long.

No, his heart didn’t allow for this.

Back on the island

The jet descended in a smooth arc over a shimmering ocean, the waves glittering like scattered diamonds under the late afternoon sun. Ariana pressed her hand to the window, eyes wide with childlike wonder.

When they landed, the first place Gerald took her to was a hidden beach—one few visitors even knew existed.

The trail they followed was narrow and winding, half-swallowed by dense green undergrowth. The sun filtered through the canopy in golden shards, painting light-dappled patterns on Ariana’s skin.

And then, suddenly, the trees parted—and the world fell silent.

A secret beach opened before her.

A crescent of ivory sand curled gently between two weathered cliffs, their surfaces sculpted by time and salt. The ocean shimmered in hues of turquoise and sapphire, so vivid it looked unreal. Gentle waves lapped the shore with a rhythm that felt ancient. Timeless.

Ariana took a step forward, breath catching in her throat.

She slipped off her sandals, letting her bare feet sink into the warm sand. Sea foam fizzed softly around her ankles. Further down the beach, black rocks jutted up from the tide pools like stepping stones, the sun casting their reflections in shattered light.

No one else was there. No footsteps. No voices.

Only the hush of wind in the palms, and the occasional call of a seabird overhead.

She tilted her face toward the sky, eyes closed, and felt the sun kiss her skin.

"You seem to enjoy yourself a lot," Gerald said beside her, voice low.

"Moments like this are rare. Life is short. We should make the most of it, shouldn’t we?"

He looked at her, thoughtful. Then he closed his eyes, letting the serenity of the island soak into him. "You’re right."

Afterward, they dined at a local restaurant—though ’local’ was a generous term. The Anderson family had developed most of the island, installing luxury hotels, forest trails, and beach villas. A limited number of shareholders were allowed to visit, and the staff on-site lived discreetly in the service quarters.

The restaurant overlooked a small bay, candlelight flickering between them as the sunset bathed everything in gold and rose.

"Such a paradise on Earth," Ariana sighed. "Makes one wish to stay here forever."

"If you wish so, Ms. Grey can come here anytime."

"Are you serious?"

"One hundred percent," Gerald replied, his tone unreadable.

That evening, he led her to the owner’s villa.

It was a structure carved out of nature itself—minimal, elegant, and open to the ocean breeze. The room Ariana was assigned had wall-length windows that framed the ocean like a living painting. The sea glittered under the moonlight.

She sat on the edge of the bed, the scent of salt and jasmine in the air, and gazed out the glass.

Unaware that even now, a jet was roaring toward the island—carrying a man who was coming for her.

And he was not in the mood for diplomacy.