Early in the morning, Ava woke up with a splitting headache. The maid at home was very thoughtful and brought her some medicine. Ava felt much better after taking the medicine. She was about to take a shower when she heard the maid resentful: “Sir was called away by that bitch outside. He came back last night, saw Madame drunk like that, and still drove off.”
Ava then learned that Ethan had come back the previous night. The maid remembered something else: “Oh, madam, Sir had Lawyer Castell’s coat sent to be dry-cleaned, and he asked us to deliver it to Lawyer Castell’s personally. Sir still has some conscience after all, knowing to care for you.” The maid had no idea about Ethan’s tricks, thinking it was just thoughtfulness.
But Ava understood—it was Ethan’s possessiveness acting up. She wasn’t feeling well, so she rested at home for two days, taking time to visit her grandmother.
On Monday, there was a shake-up at Ronin Group. A major project of the group had gone wrong, and all evidence pointed to Ava’s dereliction of duty. After a board meeting, Ava was suspended from all duties and had to move out of her vice president’s office that day.
32nd floor, Vice President’s Office. Ava stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, quietly looking out at Newglory’s bustling skyline. Behind her, Annie pushed open the door and whispered: “Ava, the Amerasia Initiative has been handed over to Lily.” Annie was furious, but Ava remained calm. Now, she didn’t want Ethan anymore.
Fame and status had also become things of the past. She would take what was rightfully hers and leave with dignity, stepping out of Ethan’s world. Whether his feelings for Lily were deep love or compensation, it had nothing to do with her.
Ava was about to speak when her phone on the desk rang. She walked over to answer it—it was Ethan’s father, asking her to come to his office. Ava agreed.
In the afternoon, she took a car to where Victor Sinclair worked. Victor didn’t work at Ronin Group; he had his own business, seemingly elegant but actually biding his time to pave the way for his son.
Late October. A gust of autumn wind blew, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus. As soon as Ava got out of the car, Victor’s personal secretary came over. She was a beautiful woman, smiling at Ava and leading her to an elegant tea-house door.The secretary slid open the door and said respectfully: “Victor, Ethan’s wife is here.”
Victor was tasting tea. Upon hearing this, he looked over and said warmly: “Ava, come in and have a cup of tea with me.” Ava took off her shoes, bent down, and entered the tea-house.
Victor probably knew about the personnel changes at Ronin. He poured tea for Ava casually, talking a lot about the group. He truly admired Ava—with her around, Ethan’s position was secure. But sometimes, ability was a double-edged sword. A fierce beast with fully grown wings might become a disaster. On this matter, father and son surprisingly agreed, though Ethan’s approach was more radical.
Victor was affable: “Ava, I’ve always admired you. Have you and Ethan been having problems lately? If it’s because of that Lily, it’s not worth it! She’s just a little girl.”
Ava smiled faintly: “No.”
She wasn’t foolish enough to escalate her conflict with Ethan. There wasn’t much kindness in the Sinclair family. Victor was slightly surprised. He admired Ava even more—this child really knew how to keep her composure.
Victor hesitated for a moment, then voiced his concern: “The Amerasia Initiative is a collaboration with Laurent Family. Ethan has a hot temper; I’m afraid he’ll cause big trouble for the group if he takes over.”
Ava understood what Ethan’s father meant. She replied calmly: “Don’t worry. Nominally, Assistant Lily is in charge of the project, but actually, Ethan is personally overseeing it. Assistant Lily won’t have a chance to stir up trouble.”
Victor felt a little awkward at having his thoughts seen through, and said a few words to ease the mood. When Ava left, it was already dusk. In the sky, the setting sun was fragmented. Victor’s secretary stood by the car, bowing to say goodbye to Ava. The woman’s smiling face was like a perfect puppet, and Ava suddenly felt she looked familiar…
Before dark, Ava returned to her office. She started packing up—some things were handed over to others, some were thrown away directly. Annie cursed Ethan,vowed that when they got their jobs back, they’d definitely teach a lesson to those who’d switched sides at the first sign of trouble. Ava only smiled faintly.
There was a knock on the door. Ethan stood at the entrance, impeccably dressed, as handsome and striking as a magazine cover idol. He sent Annie out; Annie secretly called him a bastard under her breath. Once Annie was gone, Ethan walked in, his deep eyes fixed on Ava. Everything felt different when they met again.
Still considering their past ties, Ethan softened his tone: “Lily was never our problem. Ava, if you’re willing, I’ll call a shareholders’ meeting next month to let you return to Ronin Group.”
At that, Ava let out a soft laugh. Truly ridiculous!
She’d broken off with him, had a breakdown that night, gotten drunk in the middle of the night—but in her husband’s eyes, it was all just childish tantrums. He even thought he was being generous, that she should be grateful to him.
Unfortunately, she no longer cared for any of his promises. How could he think she’d still be willing to work for him, to live with him? Just the thought of his tenderness toward Lily made her regret her wasted youth.
Ava walked up to Ethan and reached out to straighten his shirt collar. In the past, she’d always done this for him before banquets. She’d repeated this gesture hundreds of times.
Ethan leaned down naturally, making it easier for her to adjust his collar. They were so close that his warm breath fanned over her face. Looking at Ava’s features up close, Ethan couldn’t help recalling the alluring sight of her in bed that night. They’d been married four years, had been intimate many times, but he’d never seen her like that before. Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed—an indescribably sexy movement.
When Ava finished, she gently brushed her fingers over the fine fabric, a hint of nostalgia in her touch. Six years of love, four years of marriage—all over. Last time, Ethan!
She looked up, staring quietly at him, and said softly: “No need. I don’t want to come back.”
Ethan froze.
Ava walked past him, carrying a small box toward the door. She realized that after four long years, there wasn’t much she could take away from Ronin. At the entrance, she tilted her head slightly, her voice tight with restraint: “Ethan, I’m leaving.”
A strange feeling jolted through Ethan. He sensed she was different. But he couldn’t say how. He stood in Ava’s office, watching her walk toward the elevator, watching her figure fade from sight. In that moment, Ethan didn’t realize—Ava had just said her final goodbye. She was leaving Ronin, leaving his side, and she would never come back…
