7
I thought Asher forgot something.
But when I opened the door, Declan, with red eyes, barged in, pinning me against the wall.
He stared at me with bloodshot eyes, gritting his teeth,
“Adeline, how dare you betray me? Why were you hugging Asher?”
I was stunned for a moment, realizing he must have seen what happened with Asher.
I pushed Declan away, looking at him coldly.
“Are you following me?”
Declan pressed his lips, not speaking.
He looked like he wanted to charge at me, but I stopped him.
“Calm down, Declan. First, we have no relationship anymore, so there’s no betrayal. Second, why I hugged Asher is none of your business. Lastly, we’ve agreed not to disturb each other!”
This time he didn’t answer, not even showing any emotion. But his eyes, filled with a mix of grievance and pity, made me waver.
Five years ago, he was the same.
When I first joined the company, I worked overtime to familiarize myself with everything.
Declan got drunk alone in the office, and as his secretary, I brought him a bowl of hangover soup.
Unexpectedly, Declan hugged me, his eyes no longer dominant and sharp.
He kept mumbling, but I couldn’t hear clearly.
Looking back, he was probably calling Phoebe’s name.
After that day, my relationship with Declan grew complicated.
Until Phoebe returned, and things became clearer.
But now, I couldn’t understand this man anymore.
At that time, I had just started at the company and was working late into the night to quickly get up to speed with our operations. Declan was alone in the office, heavily intoxicated, and as his secretary, my only option was to bring him a bowl of
hangover soup.
11:32 AM
<
Unexpectedly, Declan suddenly embraced me, his eyes–once commanding and sharp–now looked pitiful.
He mumbled continuously, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying.
Thinking back, he was probably calling out Phoebe’s name.
After that day, my relationship with Declan gradually became more complicated.
When Phoebe returned to the country, things started to become clearer again. But now, this man confuses me.
He clearly wanted to draw a line between us, to end things definitively, so why is he still tangled up with me?
I tried hard to push Declan out of the apartment, but he stood there as if rooted to the spot. He had been drinking a lot, and the
strong smell of alcohol filled my nose.
When he spoke, the alcohol smell was even stronger “Adeline, are you trying to throw me out?
We’ve been together for five years, and now you’re kicking me out for someone like Asher, whom you’ve just met?” My body trembled slightly.
Adeline is my nickname. Declan rarely used it, only during our most intimate moments.
We have spent almost every night together for five years and are all too familiar with each other.
Declan knows my softest spot, but now, it feels like that weakness is a thorny honey. Consuming it would only bring pain.
My lips were bitten until they bled, and I looked at him with cold eyes. “Declan, I told you, we have nothing to do with each other
anymore. We’re done. This is my home now, and I want you to leave!”
He suddenly went into a frenzy, shouting hysterically, perhaps fueled by the alcohol. “I don’t agree! As long as I don’t agree,
we’re not done!”
“What do you want? Marry Phoebe on one side and keep things messy with me in secret?” His expression turned blank, and he
stopped talking.
In an instant, a mix of disappointment, sadness, pain, and grievance filled my heart.
I faced him calmly and said one thing.
“Declan, you know what? From today, I have no illusions about you anymore.”
This sentence was like a sword, cutting into him. His already red eyes became even more ferocious.
He took two steps back, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead.
“No way, Adeline, I know you like me, you love me. How could you give up so easily? Do you know, seeing you with that Zhou guy, my heart broke!”
I suddenly laughed, a laugh Declan couldn’t understand.
But I was laughing at my own foolishness. He had always known my feelings, but what was the result? It only brought me
scars.
Now, when he talks about heartbreak, it’s just because he sees me as his possession, unwilling to let me escape his control.
<
Now, when he talks about heartbreak, it’s just because he sees me as his possession, unwilling to let me escape his control. “Declan, that’s the old Adeline.
The current me has no love for you anymore.” His pupils contracted sharply.
I didn’t say anything more, just pushed him out of the apartment. Declan was reluctant to leave, so I had to threaten to involve property management or even call the police, and only then did he leave unwillingly.
But after that night, Declan only became more attentive to me, even directly approaching Asher Corporation.
After resting at home for two days, I returned to work at the corporation. I would voluntarily work overtime every night. Declan came late at night, bringing takeout bags and placing them on my desk.
“Adeline, look, it’s your favorite crawfish from that place in the north of the city.” I looked at him, my face cold, but it didn’t make Declan retreat a step.
As if he didn’t see my indifference, Declan deftly took out the crawfish, looking at me with a thick–skinned, flattering smile. “Adeline, eat while it’s hot; that’s when it’s the best.”
He called me by my nickname over and over, but it couldn’t stir any emotions in me anymore. Looking at the crawfish, I sighed. Five years, and he never really cared about me.
“Declan, you know, I never actually liked eating crawfish.” His smile froze instantly, and his hand, peeling the shell, paused.
After a while, he forced a smile.
“How is that possible? Adeline, you always ordered crawfish before.”
I interrupted him without hesitation. “That’s because I thought you liked it. But now it seems it’s because Phoebe likes crawfish, isn’t it?”
Fear suddenly appeared in his eyes, spreading all over, with no words to explain.
Just then, a third voice emerged in the office. Asher, holding a box of spicy hot pot, placed it in front of me leisurely.
He immediately turned to Declan with a sarcastic tone. “Mr. Shen, you’re quite leisurely. After landing such a big project, you
still have time to investigate my company.
But it seems Mr. Shen’s investigation isn’t accurate. This employee of mine likes spicy hot pot, not crawfish.”
In the end, Declan left with a grim face, looking a bit embarrassed. I didn’t pay much attention to Asher’s tone; my attention was already caught by the spicy hot pot in front of me.
I swallowed. Working late into the night had left me starving.
Just as I was about to ask Asher if I could have some, he suddenly handed me chopsticks, urging me, “Eat, or it’ll get cold and
won’t taste good.”
I didn’t have time to question how he knew my favorite spicy hot pot place. The hot, spicy, and numbing dishes were satisfying. After that day, Declan didn’t appear in front of me anymore.
But every day, he would text me from different phone numbers. Even my former colleagues were subtly trying to persuade me
to return to Declan Corporation.
<
They said Declan had given them strict orders to get me back. I was ecstatic when i heard this.
Until the next day, when I realized why Declan dared to ask me to return to Declan Corporation.
Previously, I had been accused of plagiarism, and the project client chose to collaborate with Declan Corporation and the White Family.
But their proposal couldn’t satisfy the project client, no matter what.
So, Phoebe shamelessly copied my proposal and intended to start directly. But my proposal was just a rough plan, not a complete one, leaving Phoebe with no idea where to start.
As the project’s deadline approached and the breach period neared, Phoebe could only have Declan invite me back to solve the issue.
When Declan came to find me, I was having dinner with the project client’s representative and Asher.
This time, the project client had actively sought me out, hoping to hear my understanding of the proposal.
After I explained everything, the project client’s representative apologized, saying they had believed Phoebe’s lies.
The fact that I could describe it in such detail clearly meant the proposal was my own work. Declan waited outside the restaurant until we finished. After not seeing him for a while, he looked noticeably more haggard than before.
“Adeline, won’t you come back and help me?” I listened quietly as he talked about how, after I left, nothing in the company felt right without me.
He quickly started reminiscing about our five years together, and I interrupted him. “Declan, this was your own choice. You chose to give up on me, so don’t blame others.”
He suddenly seemed to lose his spirit, standing there listlessly, staring at me with eyes full of longing and despair.
Seeing Declan’s unusual behavior, Phoebe suddenly appeared from somewhere, pointing at me with resentment.
“Adeline, coming back is already doing you a favor. Don’t think you’re the only one who can solve the project client’s problem!”
“Well, I’m sorry, but I just finalized a deal with the project client on behalf of Asher Corporation!“>
Just as I finished speaking, Asher and the project client’s representative came out of the private room.
As they passed by Phoebe, the project client’s representative let out a disdainful snort.
In the days that followed, I focused entirely on my work. I promptly delivered a satisfactory design based on the project client’s
requirements.
Asher rewarded me with a generous bonus, which I used to hire an internationally renowned specialist to treat my mom.
The day my mom woke up, Asher proposed to me.
Though I had gradually developed a fondness for him over these days, it didn’t mean I was ready to get married.
After turning him down, I didn’t expect him to visit my mom in the hospital every day, subtly expressing his grievances.
Within a few days. my mom scolded me.
Within a few days, my mom scolded me.
On the day we set the wedding date, Declan came to find me again. He forced a smile.
“Congratulations.””
nodded without saying anything, brushing past him.
Behind me, he mumbled about canceling the wedding with Phoebe, mentioning regret and realizing his true feelings.
But unfortunately, I have also understood my own heart.
The right person will always be waiting for you ahead.
