“Okay, okay, I'll go now." Donna scurried out of the room, clutching the signed contract tightly.

Horace followed closely behind, leaving only three people in the meeting room.

Theodore maneuvered his wheelchair closer to Tyler, his face darkening with a scowl that seemed even more menacing than before. It was clear that he was in no mood to go easy on the younger man.

Ariana's heart sank at the sight, her mind racing with worry over what was to come next.

Ariana's heart raced as she stepped forward to block Theodore's view, her nerves on edge as she braced herself for what could be an unpleasant encounter. But she refused to let Tyler be the target of his wrath.

Theodore raised his eyebrows and looked at her quietly, waiting for her to speak first.

Ariana cleared her throat and spoke politely.

"Good day, Mr. Theodore Anderson. 1 have long heard of your remarkable reputation in the business world. Thank you for your help just now.”

Ariana then gestured toward Tyler, urging him to greet the powerful man.

Despite his obvious nervousness, Tyler muttered a curt greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Theodore Anderson, I'm Tyler Brewer."

Theodore raised his eyebrows, his piercing eyes boring into Tyler with a cold glare.

However, he remained silent, giving away nothing of his thoughts or feelings.

The silence that followed was deafening. Ariana felt the urge to break it, so she searched for a topic that could steer the conversation away from the awkwardness.

“What brings you here today, Mr. Anderson? Is there something amiss?"

Theodore's lips curled into a faint smile as he cast a discerning gaze over Ariana's form. He found her attempts at pretending not to know him amusing, and decided to play along.

He responded with a cold edge to his voice, "Don't pry into matters that don't concern you."

Ariana's mouth gaped open in shock. She couldn't believe he had spoken to her in such a manner after such a long time.

As Ariana looked into Theodore's eyes, she saw a glint of mischief lurking in their depths, and she suddenly realized that he was making fun of her.

She was the one who pretended to not know him, and she now found herself in an uncomfortable position.