Chapter 13

Upon arriving at the company.

Mr. Yu’s steps were somewhat unsteady as he got out of the car.

A light rain began to fall from the sky.

I was supposed to hold the umbrella for the client.

But Ethan naturally opened the black umbrella himself and held it over my head first.

Mr. Yu was taken aback.

Yet I didn’t appreciate it.

I gently pushed Ethan away and walked straight towards the office building without looking back. My job was only to pick up the client, not to attend the subsequent meetings. Why linger?

Near lunchtime, Mr. Yu approached my workstation, his demeanor starkly different from how he was at the airport.

“Um, Avila, Mr. Sterling mentioned you deleted him from WeChat? He asked me to tell you he has something he wants to discuss with you.” He rubbed his hands, looking somewhat uneasy.

I looked up: “Your meeting is over?”

“Yes, yes, it’s over!” Mr. Yu nodded eagerly.

We exchanged glances, the atmosphere awkward.

He seemed like he was reporting to me…

When the boss personally delivers a message, you can’t ignore it.

I went to find Ethan, and he was alone in the office.

“Mr. Sterling, what do you need to talk to me about?”

“Let’s discuss your sudden departure.” He leaned against the desk, his gaze calm.

“I didn’t leave without notice. I sent you a message before I left.” I replied calmly.

“I know. I’ve read those few words repeatedly for a year, almost memorized them.” His tone carried a hint of helplessness.

Ethan and I hadn’t parted on bad terms. So I felt it was basic courtesy to inform him before leaving.

The message was essentially thanking him for his generosity, saying my view of him had changed. But ultimately, we were not from the same world, and couldn’t force it.

“I’ve thought about it for a year, and there’s one thing I couldn’t understand, so I had to ask you in person.”

“Which part?”

“You said we are not from the same world… but how are we not? We breathe the same air, look at the same sky, we are clearly in the same world.”

“You know I didn’t mean it literally.” I said calmly.

“No, I don’t. Please tell me.” He stepped forward, his eyes slightly lowered, looking at me intently, a complex light in his gaze.

“The gap between us is too large, our values and lifestyles are completely different.”

“I can adjust my values, and my lifestyle can accommodate yours. I won’t make you feel burdened. What I don’t understand is, why wouldn’t you even want the opportunity to work by my side? The platform and position I can offer you are far better than here.”

“Because I don’t want to live under your name.” I looked directly at him.

Ethan quietly waited for me to continue.

“Staying there, any position I get, others will think it’s because of your connections.

“Any achievement I make, others will think, ‘Oh, it’s because she has Ethan Sterling backing her.’

“I don’t want to live that kind of life.”

“I see…” Ethan showed a knowing smile, “It’s pretty much what I guessed.”

“If you already guessed, why did you still come to ask me?”

“Because a year has passed. I thought you have already proven your abilities to everyone, including yourself.” His gaze carried admiration and a seriousness that had settled over time.

I was a bit surprised: “You specifically waited a year before coming to find me?”

“Yes. As soon as you left, I found out your address and company, I could have come anytime. But I held back. I didn’t want to interfere with your choices. At least for this year, work and life, love and independence, you could experience and decide for yourself.”

“…The director of Sterling Group actually has the patience to wait a year?” I raised an eyebrow.

Ethan paused for a moment, his eyes becoming deep: “Actually, more than a year.”

More than a year? What does that mean?

I was about to ask further when the office door was pushed open.

“Avy, want to grab lunch?” Lucas saw there were two people in the room and quickly explained, “A colleague said you were in the meeting room, I didn’t know Mr. Sterling was here, hope I didn’t interrupt your conversation?”

“No, Lucas, you came at the right time.” I immediately walked over to Lucas, deliberately showing some closeness, hoping Ethan would take the hint and back off.

But I guessed wrong.

Ethan didn’t even furrow his brow, calmly asking:

“Are you two together?”

“No,” Lucas quickly replied, his smile a bit stiff, “We’re just colleagues.”

“Good.” Ethan looked at me, his gaze sharp and determined, “I want fair competition.”

I countered, “What if we were together?”

Ethan looked at me, a confident smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

“Then I would still win you over.”