“Ms. Summers, Mr. Quinn has already approved your resignation. He didn’t realize you were the one leaving. Should I let him know?”

Hearing the news over the phone, Yara Summers lowered her gaze. “No. It’s fine. Just leave it as it is.”

“You’ve been his secretary for four years. He values you the most and depends on you more than anyone. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

HR kept trying to persuade her, but Yara just smiled.

“Nobody in this world can remain dependent on one party forever. My parents aren’t well, and I need to go back to my hometown for a blind date and get married. Since Mr. Quinn has approved it, I’ll carry through with the proper handover process. I’ll be leaving in a month. Thank you.”

After hanging up, Yara Summers went back to packing her things.

She had lived in this villa for three years. She did not have many belongings, but they had piled up over time. She kept only the essentials and got rid of the rest.

As the room slowly emptied, she froze for a moment. A flood of memories came back to her.

Eight years ago, Yara, a girl from a modest family in a small town, got into Highton University. There, she became best friends with Yelena Quinn, the heiress of a wealthy family in Jadewood.

Despite coming from very different worlds, the two girls clicked instantly. They went to class together, ate together, shopped together, and spent every day together.

Gradually, Yara was drawn into Yelena’s world. She met her family and fell in love with her brother, Marcus Quinn.

But she kept her feelings to herself and never told anyone.

After graduation, Yelena went abroad to study.

Yara remained in Jadewood and applied for jobs. She became Marcus’ secretary just so she could see him often.

One day, something unexpected happened. Marcus was drugged.

Yara was about to call the hospital when he lost control and pushed her against the wall. He kissed her fiercely.

After a night together, she woke up and saw him sitting by the window. His strong features were shrouded in a cloud of smoke. He seemed calm and lonely.

When he heard her move, he turned and asked one question.

“Do you like me?”

Yara instinctively wanted to deny it, but he spoke calmly.

“You blush every time you see me. You remember all my rules and preferences. The moment you graduated, you came to work as my secretary.

“Don’t tell me it was all a coincidence.”

Every word made her face flush. It was impossible to tell if the feeling came from embarrassment or guilt.

As the silence hung in the air, he suddenly handed her a card.

“Last night was an accident. I have someone I like. I won’t return your feelings, and I can’t be responsible for you. Yelena told me you came from a middle-class family. The money on this card is enough to support you for the rest of your life. Forget all of this.”

Yara froze. Last night, she remembered him calling a name over and over in bed.

Quiana. Quiana Xanthe.

According to Yelena, Quiana was Marcus’ first love. He could never forget her.

He loved her so much that even after she broke up with him and moved abroad, with one rumored boyfriend after another, he still waited for her to come back.

Yara remembered Yelena once complaining about something.

“Everyone in the Quinn family is cold and detached. How did my brother become such a lovestruck fool? He has waited for her for years. He says anyone else would be settling for less, and he refuses to do that.”

Yara felt those words deeply. The memory suddenly gave her the courage to call out to Marcus before he walked out.

“I don’t want the money. I only want a chance. Mr. Quinn, please give me a try. If she never comes back, please be with me. Or… if she returns and you still can’t let her go, I’ll leave.”

Marcus paused for a few seconds at the sight of the love in her eyes. He said, “Do as you wish,” and walked away.

From that day on, she was his secretary by day and his lover at night.

They left traces of their reckless nights everywhere: the office, his car, the villa’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

Four years passed. No one knew about their relationship, and she accepted it without complaint.

A few days ago, on his birthday, Yara prepared many surprises. She wanted to celebrate with him.

But by midnight, he still had not shown up. Instead, she saw a post on his social media.

[The best birthday gift is getting back what was lost.]

Marcus, who never posted anything online, shared a photo of himself kissing Quiana under a sky of fireworks.

Seeing the photo, Yara’s face went pale, and her chest tightened.

She clung to one last shred of hope and called him.

Quiana answered the phone. She said hello several times, but Yara did not respond. Quiana called out to Marcus.

“Marcus, who’s this Yara? She called you and isn’t saying a word.”

A moment later, Marcus’ low, indifferent voice came through the speaker.

“She’s no one important. Don’t worry about her. Be good and go back to sleep.”

At that moment, Yara knew it was time for her to leave.

She packed her things and was about to leave when she ran into Marcus at the doorway.

Since they had been sleeping together, Yara stayed at his villa every night to make things easier. But she could no longer stay.

He saw her holding her things. His gaze lingered for a moment, but he did not stop her. “Have you found a place?”

“Yes. The same apartment as before. I told the landlord I would rent it for a month.”

Marcus frowned at her words. “A month? Why only a month?”

Yara was about to explain it, but Marcus did not seem interested. He said in a low tone, “I’ll drive you.”

She wanted to refuse, but he insisted.

“The snow is coming down hard, and it’s late. If something happens to you, Yelena will be upset.”

Yara had no choice but to get in the car.

They had done countless reckless things in this car before, but she could hardly recognize it anymore.

The seats had been replaced with cute covers. Plush toys were everywhere, and snacks filled every corner.

She could hardly imagine that someone as decisive and restrained as he would decorate a car like this.

Marcus saw her looking at him and explained, “Quiana likes these things.”

Yara understood what he meant. After a long silence, she said softly, “You finally got her back. Mr. Quinn, I’m happy for you.”

Marcus had not expected her to say that. His eyes darkened slightly, and he said nothing.

Halfway through the drive, Quiana called and said she wanted to build a snowman with him.

He pulled the car over. He wanted to head there right away, but he glanced at Yara and hesitated.

Yara understood what he was hesitating over and opened the door herself.

“Mr. Quinn, I’ll take a cab back.”

Marcus hummed in acknowledgment and got out to help carry her things.

Her hand slipped, and a suitcase fell to the ground. He bent down, and when the streetlight revealed the scattered items, he froze.

There were love letters addressed to him that she had never sent, photos she had secretly taken of him, and little things he had tossed that she had kept.

Her heart pounded as she frantically picked everything up.

“Sorry.”

Marcus said nothing. He got back in the car alone and sped off.

Yara waited alone in the snow for a long time, but no cab came.

She tried to carry her suitcase home, but a motorbike hit her.

A deep gash about 10 inches long ran down her lower leg, and blood flowed onto the ground.

She watched the motorbike speed off. Pain shot through her, and she stayed on the snow for a long while, unable to recover.

When the pain finally eased, she limped through the snow for four hours to reach her rented apartment.

After tending to her wound, she checked her phone and saw a message from Marcus sent after he left.

[Don’t throw yourself completely at someone again. There are plenty of men out there. Don’t pin all your hopes on me.]

Yara stared at the message for a long time.

At dawn, she went downstairs and set the entire suitcase on fire.

The burning love she had carried for eight years also turned to ashes.

Yara only had one thought.

‘Marcus, I’ll do as you wish.’

After the weekend, Yara went to the office on Monday as usual.

She took care of her work and went to inform Marcus that a meeting was about to start.

When she reached his office, she saw Quiana through the slightly open door.

Quiana was sitting in Marcus’s lap and feeding him a cookie she had eaten half of.

The normally germophobic man smiled as he took a bite. He kissed her fingers gently and said in a soft voice, “You said yesterday you wanted to try this place’s desserts. I waited in line for three hours this morning to get them. How is it?”

“They taste great, just like before. They’re just as sweet, but not too rich. You used to run all over town to get these for me. Now that you’re the CEO of the company, why do you still do it yourself? You could have a secretary handle it.”

Marcus rubbed her ankle lightly. His eyes were full of affection. “When it comes to you, I want to do everything myself. I don’t want anyone else involved.”

Quiana smiled happily. She hugged him and kissed him.

He held her in return and deepened the kiss. He was completely absorbed.

Yara felt her breath catch. A sharp ache spread through her chest.

She clenched her hands tightly. Her knuckles turned white, and her palms burned.

Time passed slowly. The meeting was about to start.

Yara calmed herself and knocked on the door.

“Mr. Quinn, the meeting is about to start.”

Marcus paused when he heard her voice. He was about to stand up, but Quiana pulled him back.

“I don’t want you to leave. Stay with me a little longer.”

Seeing her act so sweetly, Marcus’s heart melted.

“Postpone the meeting for two hours.”

This meeting involved a project with several of Jadewood’s largest corporations. It was crucial for the company’s future.

Yara knew how important it was, so she reminded him.

“The CEOs from Lane Corp, Gaber Corp, and Smith Corp are already waiting in the conference room.”

“Oh, Marcus, your secretary is so annoying. She really has no sense!”

Hearing Quiana complain, Marcus’s face turned cold.

“I said postpone it for two hours! Nothing is more important than Quiana!”

Yara felt a heavy weight in her chest, and she struggled to breathe.

In the end, she closed the door and turned away.

Everyone in their circle knew Marcus was a workaholic.

No matter how busy his personal life was, even after surgery, he always finished his work.

It was the first time he had risked offending business partners just to indulge a little coaxing and postpone such an important meeting.

Did he really like Quiana that much?

Yara lowered her sad eyes and forced herself to calm down. She walked into the conference room to apologize to the board.

The Quinn family was powerful. The CEOs had complaints but dared not confront Marcus. They took out their anger on her instead.

She did not argue. She kept her head down and endured the scolding.

Two hours later, Marcus finally arrived.

Yara dragged her sore, numb legs out of the conference room. Quiana stopped her.

“So, you’re Yara Summers? Marcus says you make great coffee. Everyone in the office looks tired. Go make a cup for each of them. Mine with ice, no sugar.”

Yara knew Quiana was only giving orders because Marcus indulged her. She did not dare turn down her request. She went to the break room.

It took her two hours to make over four hundred cups of coffee. She carried them out one by one.

Quiana barely took a sip before her expression changed. She lifted her cup and smashed it at Yara.

The hard mug hit Yara’s forehead and cut a deep gash.

She groaned softly, and her face scrunched up in pain. She held her wound and fell to the floor.

Quiana was not finished. She grabbed more cups and threw them at Yara over and over.

Yara’s body was covered in bruises. Broken ceramic cut her in many places.

Brown coffee soaked her completely and mixed with her blood as it dripped onto the floor.

It hurt her, but she could only curl up to protect her head and chest.

The office was silent. No one dared step forward. Everyone stayed far away and watched Quiana throw her tantrum.

The noise soon drew Marcus out.

He saw the messy scene and Yara lying on the floor, battered and bleeding. His brow tightened.

“What happened?”

Seeing him, Quiana immediately put on a pitiful expression. “Marcus, I asked your secretary to make me a coffee. I was not feeling well, and she put ice in it. My stomach hurts so much.”

Marcus’s face darkened as he looked at her teary eyes.

“You’ve worked with me for four years and can’t even do this right? Or are you deliberately making things difficult for Quiana because you don’t like her?”

Yara lifted her pale, battered face. She wanted to explain herself, but he did not give her a chance. He called his assistant.

“Yara has broken company rules. Deduct this month’s salary and quarterly bonus. Announce it to the entire company. She will be reviewed at next week’s meeting.”

After saying that, Marcus took off his coat, picked up Quiana, and left.

Yara watched him walk away until he disappeared from sight. The tears she had held back for so long finally fell.

She forced herself to stand. She ignored the pain, went to get a broom and a mop, and started cleaning the broken cups and spilled coffee on the floor.

A few kind coworkers came over to help. Their eyes were full of sympathy when they looked at her.

“I clearly heard her say iced, no sugar. How can she turn it around like that? Yara, did you do something to upset her?”

“Does she even need a reason? I’ve heard so many people say she’s arrogant and bossy. The moment she’s in a bad mood, she takes it out on someone. Lots of people in our circle can’t stand her. But Mr. Quinn spoils her, so no one dares to offend her.”

“Sigh. I’ve never seen Mr. Quinn care about anyone this much. Yara, you should be more careful from now on. We’re just ordinary people. We can’t compare to someone like her. She’s a rich heiress, and she has Mr. Quinn’s backing. Even if we’re being treated unfairly, we’re the ones who have to swallow it.”

Yara knew they meant well.

But their words stirred up too many emotions inside her. She could not say a single word.

In the past, there had been an issue with a contract she handled. It was clearly the client’s mistake, but they shifted the blame onto her.

When they accused her and put her under pressure, Marcus firmly took her side. He argued with them and cleared her name.

Quiana had dropped a casual lie, and he did not check the facts. He did not give Yara a chance to explain. He placed all the blame on her.

Yara had always worked hard and handled countless problems for him. In the end, did he have so little trust in her?

Or did right and wrong simply not matter to him? Did he only care about keeping Quiana happy?

The thought made her chest tighten with pain. The bitterness was hard to bear.

It took her a long time to finish cleaning up. After that, she dragged her exhausted body home.

She had just finished washing up when Marcus called again.

“Bring everything for Quiana's period.”

She prepared everything as quickly as possible and took it to his villa.

She had only been away for two or three days, but the simple and elegant villa had completely changed.

The peach tree that Marcus’ father had planted years ago was gone. In its place stood a garden of tulips. The black-and-white furniture had been replaced with pink and pale yellow, colors Marcus used to dislike. The display cabinets were filled with jewelry, designer bags, and expensive gifts.

It was obviously Quiana’s doing.

Yara looked around in silence. She walked to the bedroom, where the light was still on, and knocked on the door.

Marcus opened the door after a moment. He took the items from her hands and then looked at her.

After she washed off the coffee, the wound on her face looked even more alarming. He froze for a second.

“Was it that serious? Did you go to the hospital?”

Yara did not speak. She shook her head.

He rubbed his temples. His tone softened.

“Quiana wasn’t feeling well. She didn’t mean to take it out on you. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll balance out the salary deduction with your year-end bonus. Go to the hospital later. If it’s serious, take a few days off. I’ll approve it. You don’t need to go through the usual process.”

“There’s no need. At the end of this month, I’ll…”

Yara wanted to tell him she was about to resign, but he did not let her finish. He handed her a card and interrupted her.

“Be sensible. I still need you to help me organize a welcome banquet for Quiana. Get some rest and recover.”

The words remained in her throat.

She hummed in agreement, took the card, and left the villa.

The door had barely shut when she heard Quiana’s sweet, clingy voice from inside.

“Marcus, is the herbal tea ready yet? I want you to rub my stomach.”

“I’m coming. Just lie still and don’t move.”

His voice was so gentle and soft, it felt like a stream. Yara gave a silent laugh. There was a hint of self-mockery in her eyes.

She suffered from bad cramps, too. She had fainted at work more than once and had been taken to the hospital by coworkers.

Marcus had been aware. He had approved her leave, but he never visited her. He never made her herbal tea or brought her anything.

Back then, she thought he had been too busy.

But after what happened with Quiana, she understood. It was never a matter of his being busy. He simply did not care about her.

After leaving the villa, Yara went to the hospital to have her wound treated and bandaged.

She rested at home for a few days. The assistant sent her the banquet proposal.

Every detail was strict. The choice of flowers, the types of desserts, and even the servers’ uniforms all had specific requirements.

She only had three days. She pulled herself together and got to work.

After days of nonstop effort, the banquet she organized began right at 7 p.m.

Quiana stepped into the hall in a custom gown as everyone watched.

The guests quickly surrounded her and praised her endlessly. She looked thrilled.

“After all these years, Ms. Xanthe is still as graceful and stunning as ever. Even your welcoming party is so grand. Mr. Quinn’s devotion to you clearly has not changed.”

“I remember back in school when someone confessed to Quiana. Mr. Quinn found out and forced him to transfer. He tore up every love letter she received. When people gossiped about her, he went to confront them and beat them badly enough to send them to the hospital.”

“Everyone knows Quiana is Mr. Quinn’s first love and the apple of his eye. Look at the jewelry she’s wearing tonight. It must be worth tens of millions. That gown is custom-made and one of a kind. Mr. Quinn has never spared any expense when it comes to making her happy.”