Maybe because he was still upset about yesterday’s matter, Lucian went to the company earlier that morning without waiting for me.

When I reached the company, I happened to see him inside the office with Stella, talking happily.

Stella sat halfway on the office table, while most of her body almost rested against him, yet Lucian showed no intention of moving away from her.

My steps stopped for a moment. I waited outside for quite some time, but in the end, I still knocked on the door.

After hearing the knock, Stella softly cried out and quickly tried climbing down from the office table. However, because she could not keep her balance, she stumbled and fell into Lucian’s arms.

Lucian quietly calmed her down a few times. When her cheeks became red because of what he said, he finally gently let her go.

Watching that close scene made me suddenly think about the beginning years of the company.

At that time, although everyone already knew I was the girlfriend who helped him build everything from the ground up,

Lucian still did not want to publicly reveal our relationship. To avoid suspicion, he even announced that I was no longer allowed to casually enter and leave his office.

If there was a work report, I even had to book an appointment and send an application a day before.

Even after going in, I still could not remain there for over ten minutes.

But now, as I looked at Lucian with a smile on his face, I finally understood.

So from the start until the end, the thing he wanted to avoid was not suspicion, but me.

I smiled bitterly at myself, then placed the resignation form I was holding onto the desk and waited for his signature.

Still, Lucian did not even glance at it. Instead, he frowned and asked, “Didn’t I tell you to file it early? Why didn’t you submit it this time?”

I parted my lips, wanting to tell him that after today, I would be leaving.

I came today to hand in my resignation and pack my belongings as well.

But before I managed to speak, he suddenly looked like he felt sorry for me. He lifted his hand and pushed my resignation paper aside.

“Okay, I’ll review the documents later. Go outside first.”

I hesitated again and again, wanting to tell him that it was not a work file, but my resignation document.

But after seeing Stella weakly rest against Lucian once more, I held the words back.

Soon after, I stepped out of the office, returned to my workspace, and began arranging my things.

I did not have many personal belongings. A single bag could fit all of them.

During these eight years, I had kept giving everything to him and the company.

I had turned into someone completely different from who I used to be.

Still, it was good that I would leave soon.

Right after I finished packing, Lucian walked out of the office.

The moment he saw me, he walked straight toward me, his voice sounding heavy.

“Ciara, let’s talk.”

He probably already noticed my resignation application.

I smiled lightly, my voice distant. “President Lucero, there is nothing for us to say anymore.”

“Nothing to say anymore?” Lucian nearly bit out the words. “Ciara, do you still think you are that outstanding graduate everybody wanted back then?”

“Once you leave Syntra Technology, where do you think you can go?”

“This field is very small. Everyone already knows you belong to me. Without me agreeing, let’s see who has the courage to employ you!”

I stared at him while pain slowly passed through my heart.

After the eight years I spent beside him, this was the way he looked at me.

At least I should thank him for finally showing his true feelings before I walked away.

I ignored his angry shouting, held the box in my arms, and walked out of the company.

Behind me, I could still hear Lucian’s furious yelling and Stella’s soft voice pretending to calm him down.

But none of those things mattered to me anymore.

That night, after arriving at the rival company, I remembered there was still one file left at Syntra Technology.

So I took a taxi back.

Inside the company, only Lucian’s office still had the lights turned on.

I walked near the door and was about to knock, but voices speaking inside suddenly reached my ears.

They were Lucian’s other business partners.

“Lucian, are you really going to ignore Ciara now? What if she truly leaves for another company?”

My hand holding the doorknob suddenly stopped.

Right after that, Lucian’s careless voice came from inside.

“You still can’t see how she is? She’s mad because I gave Stella the general manager role. She’s purposely making a scene and acting difficult!”

“Let her quit. I’d like to see what company dares hire her without me agreeing to it. In the end, won’t she still return and obediently work her way up from the bottom?”

Stella laughed sweetly. “Oh, this really is my fault. A lot of people at the company are asking if Ciara left because of me.”

“But the pointer stopped on me first. How could anyone know that would happen?”

Lucian’s other partners quickly agreed. “Stella knows how to think about the whole company. Ciara’s different. Even after following you for eight years, she still only knows how to create problems without reason.”

My hand slowly let go of the doorknob.

Maybe because Lucian believed I wouldn’t really leave, he signed the resignation paper very fast.

That actually made it easier for me to start at the new company.

On only my second day at the new company, I signed an important client.

During the next few days, I stayed busy with work the whole time.

Of course, I also didn’t know that, on the other side, Lucian was quietly staring at my chat window.

Counting the days, Ciara hadn’t contacted him for three days already.

Before this, that had never happened.

Even though Ciara had some attitude, it usually came fast and disappeared fast, too. There were barely any times when they stayed upset with each other for three days.

Lucian’s partner opened my social media, enlarged the photo, and passed the phone to him.

“Lucian, look, this is Ciara.”

“She’s even working during the weekend. So hardworking?”

Lucian followed where he pointed and looked.

In the photo, the computer was surrounded by large piles of documents, with crowded notes written everywhere.

Right away, he thought about Ciara’s proposal, which was only halfway finished.

He didn’t think much of it and breathed out through his nose.

“Not sure where she got that office, but it does look pretty good.”

“Let her keep throwing a fit. No matter how amazing the proposal turns out, when she returns, she’ll still have to begin from the bottom.”

The partner stared at the photo, then looked at Lucian, whose face looked cold, and unexpectedly tried to ease the mood.

“Lucian, what’s the point? Ciara followed you for eight years and contributed so much to the company, but you still won’t give her a higher position?”

Lucian interrupted him in a cold voice. “You really can’t give her too much freedom.”

“If I’d given her a chance earlier, who knows how much trouble she would’ve made? If I ignore her, she’ll naturally finish the proposal and come back herself, won’t she?”

“Women still need to be controlled.”

The partner gave an awkward smile and stopped talking.

One day before the company officially opened to the public, Lucian arranged a meeting with an important client.

This client was someone he had tried to work with a few months earlier, and only now did things finally improve.

Lucian did not dare waste time and quickly rushed there.

While on the way, his phone's notification sound continued ringing nonstop.

Lucian opened the messages and saw they were from the brothers’ group chat.

[Lucian, look. Is this Ciara? Why is she really attending the ribbon-cutting event? Did you actually agree to promote her?]

The attached picture was a post from a mutual friend’s Instagram.

At the ribbon-cutting event, Ciara wore formal clothes, and her expression looked calm and proper.

When Lucian saw the picture, he frowned.

The first thing he thought was that these past few days of ignoring her still hadn’t made Ciara understand.

She even dared to secretly arrange a ribbon-cutting event at the company behind his back?

He opened the voice recording and spoke in an annoyed voice, “I never agreed to this, so what promotion is she having?”

“None of you should go. Let her stand there alone and lose face.”

Lucian pictured Ciara staying alone at the ceremony, while nobody came to congratulate her.

A small feeling of satisfaction rose inside his heart.

He felt this counted as punishment for Ciara getting angry with him these last few days.

If he didn’t need to meet a client today, he would’ve definitely hurried back and stopped the ceremony immediately.

The road was crowded with traffic, and it looked like there was some celebration happening in front.

The driver went to ask about it out of curiosity, then returned and said, “It’s the rival company nearby. They hired a new partner with a big offer, so they’re celebrating the person joining.”

Partner.

Lucian suddenly thought again about that night when Ciara said she was about to become a partner.

At that moment, a few more messages quickly appeared in the brothers’ group chat.

[It’s been over half an hour already, Lucian. Aren’t you going to see your Ciara yet?]

[She’s still one of the company’s old employees, and she stayed by your side for so many years. It’s only one position anyway. If she wants it, just give it to her. Can you really watch her stand downstairs by herself, looking embarrassed?]

[@Lucian, reply.]

Looking at the nonstop messages in the group chat tagging him again and again, Lucian’s fingers at his side slowly curled tighter.

He opened the briefcase. Inside was an appointment letter and two tickets for an island vacation.

That night, after celebrating with Stella and going back home, he heard Ciara say she wanted to become a partner. For some reason, he also prepared this appointment letter.

He began picturing how hopeless Ciara would feel, then he would appear with the appointment letter in his hand. He wondered how surprised her face would look at that moment.

At the thought of it, Lucian slightly lifted the corners of his lips.

Pretending to sound bothered yet helpless, he reluctantly replied in the group chat.

[Alright. After I finish discussing the project, I’ll go back.]

After the traffic slowly cleared up, Lucian finally arrived.

Right when he was about to leave the car, the client suddenly called.

“President Lucero, sorry about this. I already signed a deal with Ciara’s company today. Maybe we’ll work together another time if there’s a chance.”

Lucian gripped the phone, every word slowly coming out through clenched teeth.

“Ciara’s company? Where did she get a company from?!”

The client sounded surprised. “Huh? President Lucero, you really didn’t know?”

After that, he smiled like he suddenly realized something. “I see. President Bernard likes keeping a low profile.”

“You know about Novelle Capital, right? I heard she joined not too long ago.”

Novelle Capital.

The strongest competitor of Syntra Technology.

Lucian suddenly cut off the call. His chest rose heavily, and his temples kept pounding.

He never expected Ciara would truly leave and even go to Novelle.

How could she?!

“Turn back!” Lucian yelled at the driver. “Go back to the company! No, head to Novelle!”

The driver got frightened by the angry look on Lucian’s face and hurriedly turned the wheel around.

Outside the window, the road became crowded again.

Lucian watched the long line of cars outside, and his patience slowly disappeared.

Still, the phone continued ringing without stopping.

Lucian annoyedly tapped the screen and realized the messages were still from the brothers’ group chat.

[Lucian, where exactly is Ciara’s ribbon-cutting ceremony? I just reached the company building and didn’t see any event?]

[Wasn’t our company’s ribbon-cutting event always held here? Why can’t I find Sister Ciara anywhere?]

The messages inside the brothers’ group kept coming one after another.

Seeing that he was not replying, some friends once again found a mutual friend’s Instagram post and forwarded several photos to the chat.

[Sister Ciara is still at the ribbon-cutting event, right? Why can’t I find her?]

[Hold on, why does this place not look like the entrance of Syntra Technology?]

[@Lucian, where exactly did Sister Ciara go? Say something!]

Lucian casually tapped open a photo.

The ribbon-cutting event had already ended. Ciara held a glass of champagne while greeting the visitors, a calm and proper smile resting on her face.

This was not some opening event she arranged herself. It was a welcome event specially prepared by Novelle Capital to welcome their new partner officially joining!

He was still proudly pleased with himself, believing he could make her “look embarrassed by herself,” but he did not realize that he was the real fool left unaware, happily fooling himself!

Lucian gripped the phone hard, and the strong feeling of things slipping away suddenly took over his heart.

He no longer bothered pretending to stay calm or angry and hurriedly left the group chat screen.

With shaking fingers, he found Ciara’s number and immediately called it.

A cold woman’s voice came from the phone.

She had really blocked him!

The feeling of losing control inside his chest became stronger and stronger, while Lucian’s breathing slowly grew heavier.

He knew Ciara’s nature had always been good.

If not, she would never have stayed beside him without any name or status for eight whole years.

Blocking people was also something she had never done before.

After thinking about it, Lucian once again started complaining about her in his heart.

She had already endured it for eight years, so why was she suddenly making trouble now?

He did not have time to think too much. During the stop at the red light, he borrowed the driver’s phone and called Ciara’s number.

This time, the phone kept ringing for quite a while.

Just as Lucian thought she would not pick up, the call finally went through.

“Hello?”

Her familiar voice came from the other side, quiet and calm.

That voice felt like hot oil being thrown straight into Lucian’s chest.

“Ciara, Ciara,” he said one word at a time, almost biting the words out, “you’d better explain this clearly to me. What is happening with Novelle Capital? And what exactly is going on with today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony?!”