When Hearts Collide: From Ashes to Love

Marian hesitated and hesitated again at the top floor of Yutou Tower, taking deep breaths to steady herself. Finally, she mustered up her courage.

Politely, she knocked on Aaron's office door. Only when she heard the low "Come in" from within did she dare to push the door open.

Aaron gestured to the sofa beside him, indicating for her to sit. Marian nervously sat down, her knees tightly pressed together. She quickly sorted out her mental draft, then looked up at him.

From this angle, she appeared much smaller compared to Aaron, who exuded the air of someone in power. The thought made her even more uneasy.

The last time she felt this nervous was when presenting to Julian's father.

"Mr. Fu," she began carefully, "a small product request came up today. This wasn't part of the initial discussions, but Manager Mao insists it needs to be done. We believe it's possible to implement the request, but… um… we would need Yutou to approve additional funding."

She finished speaking and rubbed her hands nervously.

Although the suggestion had been her idea when discussing solutions with Julian, she was well aware it was a flimsy one. The contract had already been finalized—requesting extra budget at this point would likely enrage most clients.

She silently prayed Aaron wouldn't explode with anger or slam the table in frustration. Not that she had ever seen him do so—his authoritative demeanor was usually enough to command attention. Still, if he did lose his temper, how would she handle it? Beg for forgiveness?

While Marian's mind played out such dramatic scenarios, Aaron, in just a few moments, had pieced together the situation. Clearly, the issue stemmed from miscommunication between Sinsoft and Mao Quan'an.

He also recalled the face he'd glimpsed briefly at the café earlier. As he suspected, those who didn't focus on their work tended to create problems—and then shift the blame to others.

Placing his pen down, Aaron raised an eyebrow. For the first time, he fully realized how capable Marian was.

"So, was this Julian's idea, or yours? Do you think that because we're former classmates, I'd disregard Yutou's interests to help you?"

His tone was cold and sharp, cutting right to the core.

"Marian, do you really think you can use vague language to obscure whose fault this is? You're overestimating yourself."

Marian's face turned red, then pale. She had anticipated a refusal but hadn't expected him to be so ruthless. Stammering, she replied, "I didn't mean that—I was just seeking your opinion. If you think it's not feasible, then… then I'll discuss it with Mr. Xu."

She had faced tougher, more unkind clients before, their scathing words often going in one ear and out the other. But today, Aaron didn't even raise his voice, and yet she felt inexplicably wronged.

Suppressing the bitterness in her chest, Marian fell silent.

The large office descended into a tense silence, the kind where even the sound of a pin drop could be heard.

After a moment, Aaron rubbed his temples and said, "Go back for now. Let me think about it. I'll get back to you in a few days."

Marian nodded, her steps quick and slightly unsteady as she left the room. From Aaron's perspective, it looked like she had fled in shame.

He sighed softly. Had his tone been too harsh? But all he did was state the truth.

Yi Ming entered cautiously after escorting Marian out, noticing the open door. "Mr. Fu, your external client meeting is about to start. Will you be attending on time?"

Aaron leaned back fully in his ergonomic chair, his tone calm. "Was my tone too harsh with Marian just now?"

Caught off guard by the question, Yi Ming hesitated. Why was the boss suddenly asking about this?

After gauging Aaron's mood, which didn't seem as bad as expected, Yi Ming carefully replied, "If it were me, I'd say your tone wasn't harsh at all. But Ms. Lin is a woman, and women tend to be more sensitive. Perhaps it was a little heavy for her."

Aaron scoffed lightly. "Maybe other women are sensitive. Marian? She's as tough as they come."

After a moment's thought, Aaron instructed, "After the meeting, discreetly check on the progress of the fund project. See what Mao Quan'an's thoughts are—but don't let him know Marian came to me."

Yi Ming silently clicked his tongue. The boss is clearly going out of his way to help Ms. Lin. Say the harshest words, do the kindest deeds—is this still the cold-faced King of Hell I know?

That evening, Marian returned to the hotel and ran into Liang Meiqi, who had just finished her shower. Their gazes briefly met before Liang quickly looked away.

After setting down her bag, Marian leaned against the dresser, arms crossed, watching Liang apply her skincare. Liang, unfazed, pretended not to notice.

Finally, Marian broke the silence. "Meiqi, it's after work hours. Let's talk honestly. You know I didn't approve that request—why did you lie?"

Marian was genuinely baffled. Why had Liang suddenly turned so hostile toward her?

Placing a sheet mask on her face, Liang turned sideways, her pale face looking ghostly in the dim hotel lighting. "If it's not work hours, then I'm not obligated to answer you. You're not my boss."

She then lay on the bed, scrolling through short videos. The loud laughter from the videos grated on Marian's nerves.

If that was the case, Marian thought, there was no point in pretending. She'd report the entire incident to Julian tomorrow.

As Marian entered the bathroom, Liang smirked, swinging her legs triumphantly. What right does Marian have to compete with me?

She felt confident that Mao Quan'an would side with her and that Julian, whom she had already preemptively emailed with complaints, would likely believe her sob story. Marian would soon find herself isolated, forced to leave the project.

The thought filled her with glee.

The next day, things seemed normal on the surface. Marian continued her work, and Liang lingered in the café, hoping to "coincidentally" bump into Aaron. But the tension between them was palpable to the rest of the team.

Julian finally arrived and called both of them in, one at a time, to understand the situation. He spoke to Liang first, then to Marian.

When Marian sat down, her first question was, "What did she say? Was there really a need to cry?"

Julian shrugged helplessly. "What about Aaron? What did he say yesterday?"

Marian clenched her hands tightly, recalling Aaron's words. With a bitter smile, she replied, "He told me I was playing games and overestimating our old classmate ties."

Even after a night, his hurtful words still stung.

She had thought she'd grown past her tendency to dwell on past wounds, but in front of Aaron, she found herself reverting to her old self—a version of herself she despised.

Julian sensed her sadness and tried to console her. "That's just how Aaron is. He's harsh with everyone. I'll talk to him later."

As they left the meeting room, they ran into Mao Quan'an.

Marian raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Mao, didn't you have an appointment out of the office today? Why are you back so soon? Was it because someone tipped you off?"

Mao's face darkened, and he ignored her, turning to Julian instead. "Mr. Xu, we chose to work with Sinsoft out of trust. But your employees have been extremely disappointing—always shifting blame. It's highly unprofessional."

Marian held her tongue, unwilling to give him more ammunition.

As she passed Liang's desk, she caught sight of the smug smile on her face and sighed quietly. This is the reality of the workplace—fragile relationships where friends one moment can stab you in the back the next.

It was a good thing she had never had unrealistic expectations of her colleagues.