My Blind Date Accused Me to Protect His Thief Secretary, So I Taught Them Both

As a field photographer for Global GeoScope, I once rescued several critically endangered Golden-Spined Mountain Toads during an assignment deep in the mountains. They were incredibly rare, even possibly priceless.

At that time, I hadn’t even made a formal report them to the Ministry of Endangered Species Conservation when they were stolen by my blind date’s secretary. Worse, they were thrown straight into a boiling hotpot!

When I saw the toads being eaten, I sucked in a breath of shock. I was just opening my mouth, but the secretary turned on me and shouted as her face was covered in an angry red rash,

“It’s because of those frogs I got these rash! You wild woman! You poisoned me because you’re jealous I’m prettier than you!”

I bit back my anger and tried to reason with her. “Let’s be clear here! You literally stole my toads and went ahead cooking them. Now you’re trying to flip it on me?”

She sneered. “Oh, come on! They're just a few gross frogs. Do I need to tell you if I cook some of them? So petty over worthless frogs!”

“Just you know, this face of mine represents the Cole Tech! I spend millions every month to maintain my beauty! Ugh! You think you can afford to ruin my face?”

I gave a cold laugh, pulled out my phone and calmly dialed the emergency response line for the Ministry of Endangered Species Conservation.

“Sir, reporting an incident. There's an illegal poaching and consumption of protected Golden-Spined Mountain Toads. I'd estimate it's value worth around forty-five million crowns.”

After making my report, I said, “Looks like a storm's coming. The Mighty Coles are about to go bankrupt!”

——

After wrapping up my field assignment, I planned to settle the endangered toads at the endangered species sanctuary as soon as possible. I didn't expect my mom to call, that's why my plan got delayed.

Mom insisted that I meet someone named Gavin, said he was the eldest son of the powerful Cole family. She swore up and down that this blind date would absolutely impress me.

I agreed. Well, reluctantly.

Honestly, I was already working out what excuse I’d use to slip away early.

I swear I only got separated so briefly with the toads. I went to an aquarium store, buring a thermal carrier for the toads. Yet somehow, in that short moment, the toads were gone. It got stole and ended up boiling in a hotpot out of my wildest expectation!

Now, Gavin’s secretary, Cassey Blinks, was sitting across from me, clutching her red and blotchy with a spreading rash face. All the while she kept on screaming accusations.

“Aria picked this restaurant! She must’ve poisoned me! She put something in the hotpot! Mr. Cole, you have to stand up for me!"

Her outburst instantly caught the attention of the nearby diners.

“Poison? Wait—actual poison?”

“Jesus, look at her face… that’s not just an allergy.”

“Ugh, classic jealous girl drama. Bet it’s over that guy—her boss? Looks like he walked off a magazine cover.”

All eyes bounced between me and Cassey, then finally landed on the man next to her.

Gavin, the so-called ideal match my mom had arranged, sat there in a custom-tailored suit, looking painfully out of place in this mediocre hotpot restaurant.

At the moment, he was looking at me with a frown, “Aria, care to explain what happened to Cassey’s face? And what exactly were you carrying in that box?”

The way he spoke, calm, aloof, like he was presiding over a corporate meeting rather than a personal meltdown, made me want to laugh.

We were both here because our parents insisted. I hadn’t forced anyone into anything. And if I wasn’t mistaken, he saw exactly what happened when Cassey reached into my bag, took the container and tossed those rare golden toads straight into the bubbling hotpot.

Gavin said nothing abut it though. He did nothing and just let that incident happen.

If I hadn’t randomly opened Cassey’s livestream while I was out buying the carrier, I never would’ve known that the creatures I risked so much to rescue had ended up in her stomach.

I swallowed my anger and tried to stay calm. “Explain? Mr. Cole, maybe your secretary should first explain why she took my property without asking. Do you have any idea what those toads actually were—”

Before I could finish, Cassey shrieked, “Don’t you dare accuse me! I didn’t take anything from you! Those were just some frogs I bought from a street vendor!”