Chapter 16 Zidane Watson
"Wow, beautiful." Someone exclaimed, jolting Xander out of his daze.
There stood a man in a black suit, and beside him was a gorgeous woman dressed in a white gown. Crystal's attention also shifted to the newcomers.
"Isn't it Zidane Watson?" A woman exclaimed.
"Yes, it's him. He is so handsome in person as well." Another woman replied.
Zidane Watson was a well-known personality, and everyone had seen him on the news or television, if not in person.
"By the way, who's the woman beside him?"
Crystal looked at the woman but chose not to say anything.
"Mr. Watson is unmarried. She might be his girlfriend. She's gorgeous." The other woman guessed.
Xander clenched his jaw as he heard what they said. His gaze was focused on Ariadne. He could not help but admire how beautiful she was.
Ariadne and Zidane walked down the hall, talking to each other. They paid no attention to the gazes directed at them. Anyone can tell they have a close bond.
"Oh, here they are. Excuse me." Mr. Hart approached the newly arrived couple.
He said something to them, causing them to look at Xander and the others who were standing with him.
They approached them.
"Good evening, Mr. Wright." Ariadne greeted the older man first, followed by the others before introducing them to Zidane. She deliberately avoided Xander.
Zidane greeted everyone with a friendly smile before focusing on Xander.
"Hello, Mr. Blake. We met finally. I had been looking forward to this meeting for a long time." Zidane extended his hand.
Xander looked at the hand for a moment before shaking it.
"Good evening." He responded.
"Miss Crystal, good evening." Zidane took her hand and kissed it. Crystal blushed.
"You are a real beauty."
"Thank you." Crystal said.
"I hope the party is enjoyable and that you like the arrangements."
"Yes, it's impressive."
"Ariadne arranged everything. How could it not be impressive?" Zidane looked at Ariadne with a sly smile, causing her to shake her head.
"I had helpers. But thank you everyone for attending this party. We are grateful."
"Hello, Mr. Watson." A man joined them.
"Oh, hello, Mr. Volcov. We meet again."
"Who's this lovely lady with you?" He pointed to Ariadne.
"Oh, she is one of the most important members of Watson Group, Ariadne Miller." Zidane placed his hand on Ariadne's back and proudly introduced her. "She was the head of our design department at Purple City. Now, she has been transferred to Zavion City as the CEO."
"Oh, nice to meet you, Miss Ariadne Miller. You are not only beautiful, but also talented."
"Thank you." Ariadne replied politely, shaking his hand.
Xander gazed at Zidane's hand on Ariadne's back. His fingers tighten around his drinks. He was furious inside.
As the conversation continued, a staff member approached Zidane and said something to his ear.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to address the cause of this party. Please excuse us. We will be back soon." He took Ariadne's hand and left the group.
After a while, the lights went out, leaving the hall almost dark except for a few twinkling lights. The stage then illuminated, drawing everyone's attention.
Zidane walked to the center of the stage where a microphone was installed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today to celebrate Watson Group's first contract in Zavion City. We are pleased to announce that we are collaborating with Blake Corporation on the project Grace Children's Hospital. We...." Zidane continued his speech, while Ariadne and Mr. Hart stood by the stage, both smiling.
"...and now I would like to invite the person who is responsible for this success to the stage. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Miss Ariadne Miller, our architect, interior designer, and CEO." Zidane concluded his speech by introducing Ariadne to the guests.
Crystal clenched her teeth as the audience admired and applauded Ariadne. She could not believe that the woman who had no confidence and used to remain in a corner in parties like this, was now the center of attention. And this was no ordinary party; the country's most prominent businessmen attended the party, and they all praised her.
Ariadne went to the stage. Zidane gave her a side hug and walked off the stage, leaving her in the center.
"Thank you eveyone for accepting our invitation and making this evening special with your presence. Today, we are celebrating our collaboration with Blake Corporation. First and foremost, I would like to thank Mr. Blake, Mr. Wright and Mr. Hugh for giving us the opportunity to work with them. I believe we will create history together... Zavion City is my home town and I love this city. I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to contribute to this city. The people here are extremely talented. The city has experienced rapid development over the last decade. Zavion City is best known for it's technology and medical sectors. However, some other fields appear to have been overlooked in our city. I am an architect and designer. I had to go abroad for higher education in design because Zavion City lacked adequate facilities in that field. Again, for my career, I had to stay abroad because there were not enough good opportunities here. I was fortunate enough not to face any difficulties. However, many people who are extremely talented and wanted to study design were unable to do so because they could not travel abroad. And there are many talented architects and interior designers who were unable to make a name for themselves due to lack of opportunities. They have to be content with whatever they can get in this city. Those who study or work abroad face numerous challenges simply due to their status as outsiders. As a mother, I would never want my children to go through something like that. Many famous businessmen are present today. I would like to request that they all look into this matter. I hope that in the near future, no one needs to travel abroad to study design or find a better job in that field. At the moment, for big projects, business owners hire the best architects or interior designers from abroad because our city lacks them. I am hopeful that this issue will be resolved in the future, and that Zavion City will grow in all areas. With this positive attitude, let's enjoy this evening. Thank you." Ariadne joined Zidane after she finished her speech.
They greeted the other guests together. And, as before, Zidane introduced Ariadne to everyone. Xander kept his gaze on Ariadne from time to time.
"Miss Miller made a very good point. In our city, design is not given much consideration." Mr. Hugh said as he sipped his drink while standing beside Xander.
"Yes. I agree with her. Zavion City should develop in all areas. She is a very thoughtful woman." Mr. Wright also expressed his thoughts.
Xander listened to them quietly while drinking wine. After a while, he excused himself and stood alone in a corner, while Crystal chatted with some of the businesswomen. However, after a while, she left the women's group and rejoined Xander when she saw Zidane and Ariadne approached him.
"You two are very close to each other. You look like a loving couple." Crystal pointed to Ariadne and Zidane.
"Oh, I would be the luckiest person, if this ever happens." Zidane smiled and gave Ariadne a wink. Ariadne glared at him.
"Haha... We are friends, and very close ones. She has been with us for almost four years, so we know each other very well." Zidane gave Ariadne a sideways hug that made her smile. He was always playful.
"Our company has made significant progress in architectural design since Ariadne joined us. She is special to me. But, hey, I didn't know you are from this city." Zidane added, looking at Ariadne.
"She is not just from this city; she is also my sister." Crystal said, causing Ariadne to furrow her brows.
"Huh... really?" Zidane was completely surprised to learn this.
"This means she is Aron Miller's daughter. Whoa, so you are a heir of Miller Group." Zidane gave Ariadne an accusing look. "You did not tell me a lot of things, Aria. Why didn't you join your father's company?"
"I had no interest in business at the time. You know how much I enjoy design." Ariadne replied, explaining her reasons.
"Yeah, I know. By the way, you don't intend to leave our company and join Miller Group in the future? Do you?" Zidane teased her.
Crystal's face paled upon hearing this. She never wanted Ariadne to have a place in Miller Group. She wanted all power and attention for herself.
"Don't worry I won't." Ariadne rolled her eyes.
"Thank god." Zidane faked a relieved sigh. Everyone started to laugh while Xander seemed irritated.
"Why didn't you come home, Ariadne?" Crystal asked.
"I didn't have time" Ariadne answered.
"Please come when you are free. Dad wants to meet you."
"Yeah, sure." She smiled dismissively.
"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom. You carry on. I will be back shortly." Ariadne excused herself and headed to the restroom.
.
After finishing her business, she checked her face in the mirror. She was alone in the restroom. The door opened and Crystal walked in. She approached Ariadne with a murderous gaze. As she stood in front of the mirror, Ariadne noticed her.
"Hi, Ariadne. We didn't get to talk in private." Crystal looked at her through the mirror.
However, Ariadne didn't respond.
"Why did you return, Ariadne?"
"It's my home town, Crystal. Shouldn't I return?" Ariadne matched her glare.
"Then why did you leave?"
"I don't think I need to explain anything to you." Ariadne fixed her lipstick.
"Don't try to be smart. If you have returned for Xander, forget it. He hates you, and will never love you. We will marry soon." Crystal blurted out, enraged, causing Ariadne to pause.
"Huhh... are you still on it? Don't worry, I am not interested in him." Ariadne shrugged.
"Oh, really?"
"Really." She looked straight into Crystal's eyes.
"Good. Because even if you try, you will never be able to defeat me. Don't forget how I humiliated you five years ago. He will always choose me. You will get nothing but embarrassments. It's best for you to stay away from him. I know you want to get closer to him through this project..."
"Don't speak like a fool. You're a businesswoman yourself. I will do everything that will benefit my company." Ariadne cut her off.
" If you say so, but if you try anything else, the consequences will not be good for you." Crystal warned her.
In other circumstances, Ariadne would have teased Crystal, but she didn't want any trouble or unwanted attentionon during her stay in Zavion City.
"Crystal, I have moved on and no longer want Xander. It's up to you to believe me or not. I don't give a crap about you. I have no time to waste on these things."
Ariadne walked out of the restroom after saying those words.