I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 240

Arianna almost lost her words. She never expected the person who had stepped in to help her would turn out to be the CEO of The Thompson Group.

After that, Samuel Thompson came by the branch office a few more times. Arianna always kept her distance, just watching quietly, because back then her job title didn’t really give her any reason to get close. But from that moment on, Samuel started to take up space in her heart.

Arianna knew there was no way anything could ever happen between them, so she tried to keep her feelings buried deep. She reminded herself over and over that it was just a harmless crush.

Then one day, The Thompson Group held an awards ceremony, and Arianna was chosen as one of the top employees. There was a dinner at headquarters that night. A few people made snarky comments about her, calling her just a low-level sales manager from a branch. Samuel overheard everything and, without hesitation, removed those people from the list of honorees.

Arianna had always handled things on her own, never expecting anyone to stand up for her. But Samuel kept showing up, helping her out, defending her when she least expected it. He was the big boss, one of the most powerful men in Cabinda, second only to Alexander Ramirez.

Her heart started beating faster for him, and after that, there was no stopping it. She fell for him, completely and hopelessly, but she kept those feelings locked away where no one could see.

Maybe fate was being kind, or maybe it was just playing a cruel joke. Arianna worked hard, kept moving up, and eventually got transferred to headquarters. She ended up closer to Samuel than ever before.

That’s when she realized he seemed to have someone else in his heart. And that someone was her best friend, Natalie Watson.

Natalie was from a wealthy family and had become a big name in the industry, now the VP of Billy Firth Asia Pacific. Her status and background made her a perfect match for Samuel.

Arianna felt crushed, but she wasn’t jealous. If Natalie and Samuel could be happy together, she wanted that for them, too. So she started listening to her mom and agreed to meet people through blind dates. She told herself, if you want to forget someone, the best way is to fall for someone new.

Steven Wright was handsome, kind, and thoughtful. Arianna thought maybe he was the one. Even though she didn’t love him yet, she kept convincing herself he was a great guy, and choosing him would be the right move. She was sure she’d fall for him, eventually.

But in the end, Steven just wasn’t the right person.

Natalie put the pieces together. Arianna had liked Samuel for a long time.

“M... Mr. Thompson...” She stumbled over her words, then managed a shy greeting.

Samuel walked over, smiling like nothing was out of the ordinary. “I didn’t expect to see you both here for dinner.”

He really was unshakeable, the kind of man who could stand toe to toe with Alexander Ramirez, as if he hadn’t overheard a single thing.

“It’s our first time here,” Natalie said, giving Arianna a quick look, noticing how nervous she was. “Do you want to join us?”

Even though Arianna was tense, Natalie could see the hope flicker in her friend’s eyes.

Samuel checked his watch. “Sure. I have another dinner meeting here in half an hour anyway.” He pulled out a chair and sat down.