“Summer, your resignation has been approved by Kieran, but he didn’t seem to notice it was *you* leaving. Should I remind him?” Hearing the news over the phone, Summer slowly lowered her gaze. “No, it’s fine as it is.” “But you’ve been his secretary for four years. You’re the one he’s most satisfied with, the one he can’t do without. Are you really sure you don’t want to reconsider?” Ms. Albright pleaded earnestly, but Summer just smiled. “No one is indispensable in this world. My parents aren’t in good health, and I’m busy heading back home to settle down, maybe finally find someone. Since Kieran approved it, I’ll follow the procedure and hand over my work. I’ll be gone in a month. Thanks.” After hanging up, Summer continued to clear out her belongings. She had lived in this villa for three years. She didn’t have too many things, nor too few. Aside from the essentials, she was throwing everything else away. As she watched the room slowly empty, she felt a momentary lapse, and countless memories surged forth. Eight years ago, Summer, an ordinary small-town girl from a modest background, got into the University of Northwood. She quickly became best friends with Isla, the heiress of the powerful Thorne family, a prominent name in Newport City. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, the two girls instantly clicked. They were inseparable, attending classes, eating meals, and shopping together every day. Slowly, Summer was drawn into Isla’s circle. She met her family, and that’s when she fell for Isla’s older brother, Kieran. But she buried this secret deep in her heart, never telling anyone. After graduation, Isla went abroad to study. Summer stayed in Newport City, applying for jobs, and eventually became Kieran’s secretary, just so she could see him regularly. Until one unexpected incident, when Kieran was drugged. Summer was about to call for an ambulance, but he, unable to control himself, pushed her against the wall, his kisses raining down upon her. After a passionate night, she woke to find him by the window. His sharp, defined profile was partly obscured by the lingering cigarette smoke, making him seem both composed and utterly alone. Hearing her stir, he turned around, asking only one question. “Do you like me?” Summer instinctively wanted to deny it, but he spoke calmly. “Every time you see me, you blush. You remember every single preference and pet peeve I have. The moment you graduated, you came to work as my secretary…” “Don’t tell me all of that is a coincidence.” Every word he uttered made her face flush even deeper, whether from shame or guilt, she couldn’t tell. In the dead silence, he suddenly handed her a card. “Last night was an accident. I love someone else, I won’t reciprocate your feelings, and I can’t be responsible for you. Isla mentioned your family isn’t wealthy, so the money on this card should be enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Just forget everything that happened.” Summer was stunned. Only then did she remember that last night, in bed, he had been repeatedly calling out a name. Seraphina, Xu Qingyao. According to Isla, Seraphina was Kieran’s unforgettable first love. He loved her so deeply that even when she broke up with him and went abroad, even with a string of rumored boyfriends, he insisted on waiting for her to come back. Summer remembered Isla once complaining. “Our Thorne family is usually so cold and unfeeling, how did my brother turn out to be such a hopeless romantic? He’s waited all these years, saying that anyone else besides her would just be settling, and he refuses to settle.” She deeply resonated with those words. Remembering them now, she suddenly mustered her courage and called out to Kieran, who was about to leave. “I don’t want your money. I just want you to give me a chance. Kieran, please, try being with me. If she doesn’t come back, or even if… she does come back, but you still haven’t moved on from her, then on that day, I will leave on my own.” Facing her eyes, which were filled with love, Kieran paused for a few seconds. He simply said, “Suit yourself,” and left. From then on, Summer was his secretary by day and his private bed partner by night. Their countless scandalous moments were left in his office, his Maybach, and even against the villa’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Four years passed. No one knew about their hidden relationship, and she accepted it, content in her role. Until a few days before his birthday. Summer had prepared many surprises, wanting to celebrate with him. But by midnight, she didn’t see him. Instead, she saw an Ins post. “The best birthday gift is to find what was lost.” Kieran, who never posted on Ins, had shared a photo of himself kissing Seraphina under a sky full of fireworks. Seeing that picture, the color drained from Summer’s face, and her heart clenched. She clung to one last sliver of hope and called him. It was Seraphina who answered. After Summer said “hello” several times without a reply, Seraphina called out to Kieran. “Kieran, who’s this Summer calling you, not saying anything?” A moment later, his deep, soft voice came through the speaker to Summer. “No one important. Don’t worry about it, honey. Go back to sleep.” In that moment, Summer knew it was time for her to exit the stage. She packed her belongings, planning to leave, but ran into Kieran at the door. Since they used to sleep together every day, Summer stayed in his villa for convenience. But now, she couldn’t stay any longer. Seeing her holding her things, his gaze tightened slightly, but he didn’t try to stop her. “Found a place?” “Yeah, my old rental. I talked to the landlord, just for a month.” At that, Kieran’s brow furrowed slightly. “A month? Why?” Summer was about to explain, but he seemed uninterested, stating flatly, “I’ll drive you.” She wanted to refuse, but Kieran insisted. “The snow is too heavy, and it’s late. If anything happened to you, Isla would be upset.” Summer had no choice but to get in the car. They had been intimate countless times in this very car, but now, she almost didn’t recognize it. The car was filled with all sorts of cute stuffed animals. The seat covers had been changed to Hello Kitty, and snacks were everywhere… Summer could barely imagine that a man as decisive, stern, and self-controlled as him would decorate his car like this. Perhaps noticing her gaze, Kieran offered an explanation. “Seraphina likes these things.” Summer understood what he meant. After a long silence, she replied softly. “You finally got her back, Kieran. I’m truly happy for you.” Kieran hadn’t expected her to say that. His eyes darkened slightly, and he said nothing more. Midway, Seraphina called, saying she wanted to build a snowman with him. He pulled over, wanting to rush to her, but then hesitated, looking at Summer beside him. Summer knew what he was worried about and opened the car door herself. “Kieran, I’ll take a taxi home.” Kieran grunted, getting out to help her with her things. Her hand slipped, and the box fell to the ground. He bent down, and under the streetlight, his body stiffened for a moment as he saw the scattered items on the ground: love letters with his name on them that were never sent, candid photos of him taken at who knew when, and things he’d casually discarded that she’d secretly picked up and kept… Summer’s heart pounded, and she frantically gathered the items. “I’m so sorry.” Kieran said nothing, just got back in his car, and sped away. Summer waited alone in the snow for a long time, but no taxi came.
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