Chapter 1 — Kissing the CEO by Mistake, Winning the Ideal Husband

The wedding banquet hall shimmered brilliantly, resembling a shattered galaxy of light. Countless iridescent colors cascaded from the glowing crystal chandeliers, washing over a sea of jubilant, animated faces. I, Van, serving as the sole bridesmaid for my dearest friend Tu Tinh, sat holding a champagne glass, listlessly stirring the bubbles just to kill time. Tu Tinh, linked arm-in-arm with her groom, moved gracefully through the bustling crowd to toast the guests, smiling as brightly as a blossoming sunflower. As for me, I desperately wanted to find a quiet corner and play dead.

Bridesmaids and groomsmen, stop sitting around! Let us play something thrilling!

Before I could identify who shouted the suggestion, a band of revelers dragged me straight into the center of the hall. The music hammered relentlessly against my eardrums, strobing lights flashed overhead, and I found myself ringed by flushed, wine-heated faces. My scalp tingled as my corporate-honed instincts screamed that trouble was afoot. Sure enough, after a few agonizingly tedious rounds of passing a flower ball, that fateful object landed straight in my lap. Catcalls and piercing whistles echoed across the venue. One groomsmen flashed a sly, wicked grin. The ultimate challenge! Kiss the most handsome man present in this entire room! My mind short-circuited. I darted a desperate glance around; the groomsmen looked like a collection of defective factory seconds, while the groom's friends consisted mostly of potbellied, balding middle-aged men. I had zero desire to kiss any of them. I had clearly been thrown to the wolves for public execution.

Come on, Van, stop dragging your feet! Tu Tinh refused to show any mercy, eagerly fueling the chaos to extract maximum entertainment.

I swept my gaze across the chaotic throng, operating like a radar locking onto a target. And then, I saw him. Seated in the darkest, most secluded corner of the hall where the ambient light barely reached, he seemed entirely detached from the surrounding revelry. The man sat motionless on a plush sofa, long legs crossed, holding a glass of amber liquor without drinking a single drop. His black suit was impeccably tailored; lacking a tie, the top two buttons of his shirt were casually undone, exposing the sharp, striking lines of his collarbone. The dim illumination merely sketched the formidable contours of his face—a high-bridged nose, thin lips, and a jawline that looked as though it had been chiseled by a master sculptor. Just sitting there quietly, he radiated an untouchable, chilling aura that stood in stark, absolute contrast to the buoyant warmth of the party. Beautiful. It was a beauty that transcended mere facial features, cutting straight down to the bone. My heartbeat violently skipped a beat. That was him. After all, if he was supposed to be a groomsman—well, it would be an absolute crime for someone that devastating not to be one. Alcohol and pride waged a fierce civil war in my head, but ultimately, alcohol claimed victory. Saving face was paramount. I drew a deep breath, waded through the thick crowd, and under a barrage of stunned, electrified gazes, marched straight toward that shadowed corner. Every step felt like walking on clouds, my courage evaporating with each stride. He seemed to sense my approach, slowly lifting his head. A pair of eyes, deep and cold as a winter lake, locked intently onto me. That penetrating stare instantly unnerved me, causing my footsteps to stutter. Yet, with the entire room watching my back, retreat was no longer an option. If I was going to play, I would play until the bitter end! I clenched my teeth, leaned forward, and planted both hands against the arms of the sofa on either side of him, trapping him in an unmistakable cage of my own making. He raised a single brow, his expression completely unreadable, watching me in silence as if curious to see what absurd stunt I would pull next. The proximity was intoxicatingly close. So close that I could detect the crisp, woody scent radiating from his skin, mingling faintly with the aroma of fine liquor. My heart hammered like a war drum against my ribs.

Close your eyes.

I heard my own voice trembling as I issued the command. A flicker of genuine amusement danced across his dark eyes before he actually obeyed, lowering his lids. His long, thick eyelashes cast delicate shadows across his eyelids. Deprived of that piercing gaze, I managed to reclaim a tiny fragment of my scattered sanity. Leaning in, my lips brushed lightly against his in the fleeting manner of a dragonfly skimming water. Soft. Cool. Time itself seemed to curdle and freeze. My mind went utterly blank, leaving behind only the sensation of that touch. One second. Two seconds. I suddenly jolted backward as if struck by a high-voltage current. Too terrified to face his reaction, I whirled around and bolted, plowing blindly through the sea of wide-eyed, slack-jawed onlookers until I locked myself inside the safety of the restroom. Splashing freezing water onto my face, I stared at my furiously flushed reflection in the mirror, wishing the floor would open up and swallow me whole. What on earth had I just done?! As the initial shock subsided, a towering wave of mortification crashed over me. I had no idea how much time had passed when the restroom door suddenly banged open. Tu Tinh rushed inside, grabbing my arms with a look of unprecedented panic.

My ancestral heavens! Do you have any earthly idea who you just kissed?!

Stunned into a daze by her violent shaking, I offered a weak, pitiful response: Just... the groomsman. The most handsome one.

Groomsman my foot! Tu Tinh shrieked, her voice cracking entirely. I only arranged six groomsmen for you! Was he among them?!

I froze, frantically clawing through my muddled memories. It seemed... he genuinely hadn't been.

Then... who on earth is he? A cold, heavy dread began to pool in the pit of my stomach.

Looking on the verge of tears, Tu Tinh leaned in close to my ear and whispered in sheer, unadulterated despair:

He is my husband's deeply secretive, never-before-seen big boss! Chief Executive Officer Tham Moc!

Tham Moc. The name struck my consciousness like a dropped tactical bomb. I felt every single muscle in my body lock up and turn to ice. The man capable of sending shockwaves through the entire business empire with a mere flick of his wrist? The legendary tycoon rumored to possess billions in net worth and a ruthlessly cold demeanor, who had remained entirely hidden from the public eye for thirty years? And I—a lowly, insignificant corporate grunt—had just casually waltzed up and kissed him? My knees turned to jelly, threatening to buckle beneath me.

Can... can I still buy a one-way ticket to escape this planet right now? I squeaked, my voice trembling uncontrollably.

It is already too late... Tu Tinh looked even more desolate than I did. My husband said... it sounds like CEO Tham is furious.

My entire world collapsed into absolute ruin.