To experience ordinary life, I concealed my identity as the leader of the internationally renowned assassin organization Night Rose.

In my first year of internship at the Grant Corporation, I was promoted to Chief Secretary by the company’s crown prince, Adrian Grant.

For three years, Adrian acted as both boyfriend and boss, doting on me recklessly.

But he never once took me back to the Grant estate to meet his family.

I later discovered that his family simply looked down on me.

After all, the Grants were a powerful underworld dynasty,

and in their eyes, I was nothing more than a fresh college graduate.

Concerned about the talk that might arise from our disparity, I planned to reveal my true identity to him.

But Adrian suddenly began to disappear.

Until his ninety-ninth night out,

I stumbled upon a half-finished wedding plan in his studies.

The bride was the daughter of the Banks family in Southport, and the groom was Adrian Grant himself. It turned out he had already accepted the arranged marriage while claiming to love me.

So, I made a choice of my own, without telling him.

I slipped on the blood-red ring that symbolized the Red Rose once more.

Since his heart already belonged to someone else, it was time for me to leave.

——

On the other end of the phone, the organization’s deputy spoke respectfully:

“Captain, when will you be back? Headquarters is overwhelmed, and several branches are awaiting your instructions.”

Thinking of my boyfriend, he cautiously added:

“What about the president of Grant Corporation? Do you want us to send someone to protect him? You haven’t revealed your identity to him yet, have you?”

“No… I’ll break up with him.”

When I mentioned Adrian Grant, my voice was as cold as ice. “I’ll handle everything here within three days.”

That night, Adrian didn’t return to the company’s penthouse, but I didn’t care in the least.

The next day at work, I went straight to the Human Resources Department to submit my resignation.

After finishing the paperwork, I treated a fellow intern, with whom I was close, to dinner. Knowing I was leaving, someone joked, “Zara, you resigned so suddenly. You’re not really going home to inherit a multi-billion-dollar fortune like in those TV dramas, are you?”

I smiled faintly. “More or less. I do have some family matters to attend to.”

Everyone froze for a second, then burst into laughter.

They assumed I was joking and didn’t take it seriously.

I laughed along with them, offering no further explanation.

After dinner, I dragged my suitcase back to the apartment.

When I opened the door, Adrian was actually home.

Seeing me enter with my suitcase, he frowned, puzzled, and asked, “Are you going on a business trip?”

I didn’t bother making excuses. I nodded casually and dragged my suitcase toward the bedroom. “Wait a minute.”

He quickly stepped in front of me. “Didn’t you say you loved your internship at the company and how fulfilling every day was? Why are you suddenly going on a long trip?”

I looked up into his eyes, a faint smile playing at my lips. “Because there’s something more important waiting for me.”

“What is it?”

“Trade secrets.”

Hearing that, Adrian thought I was joking again and smiled indulgently.

“When did my little intern become so mysterious? You’ve worked so hard—you deserve a good rest.”

“Zara, you know, even if you don’t work, I can definitely support you.”

“I don’t need anyone to support me!” I replied coldly. “I’ve never been anyone’s vassal.”

Adrian froze for a moment, then tried to explain.

I interrupted, “Why are you back so early today?”

“I’ve been really busy lately and haven’t really spent any time with you. I was worried you might be overthinking things, so I specifically turned down all the social engagements today.”

Adrian Grant reached out to wrap his arm around my waist and kissed me on the cheek. “Baby, where do you want to go? Today I’m completely yours.”

His expression was gentle, his eyes filled with intoxicating affection.

In the past, I would have been completely melted by him like this.

After all, he’s the president of Grant Corporation, controlling the commercial lifeline of Harbor City, and his schedule is always packed.

The fact that he could set aside an entire day just for me shows that I’m truly important to him.

But now, as I looked at his face, all I could think about was the detailed wedding plan.

Was it work or the wedding planning that was too busy?

How could he manage to choose a wedding dress with another woman while still talking sweet nothings to me and claiming I was his only love?

Those sarcastic words circled my lips, but I swallowed them back.

Forget it, there are only a few days left.

Soon, I would vanish completely from his world, as if I had never been there.

I declined his invitation, my eyes scanning the photos of us together in the living room.

“Adrian, let’s clean up the room. A lot of things tend to collect dust over time, so just throw away what needs to be thrown away.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you, my wife.”

Adrian smiled and brought the trash bag, assuming I was just trying to tidy up.

But slowly, he realized that what I was clearing out were all the precious memories of our lives.

The limited-edition perfume he gave me on our first date.

The ceramics we made together on our first anniversary.

The photo booth picture we took at the amusement park.

The birthday gift he handpicked for me…

I threw them all into the trash bag with a blank expression.

Adrian’s smile gradually faded, and his eyes grew tense. It wasn’t until the limited-edition necklace he’d just given me yesterday was thrown into the trash that he finally lost his temper.

“Zara, did you hear something you shouldn’t have heard?”

“What? Are you hiding something from me?”

I stopped what I was doing and stared at him quietly, still clinging to a last glimmer of hope.

If Adrian had confessed everything at this moment, I might have considered forgiving him.

Alas, he didn’t.

Adrian avoided my gaze, not daring to meet my eyes.

After a long silence, he finally took my hand, his voice a little hoarse.

“Zara, no matter what rumors there are, just remember: you’re the only one I love.”

I chuckled softly, my heart completely cold.

I’d arranged a farewell dinner with a few close colleagues.

Unexpectedly, at the restaurant entrance, I ran into the two people I least wanted to see.

It was Adrian Grant and his fiancée, Rebecca Banks.

The moment he saw me, Adrian hurriedly released his hand from Rebecca’s shoulder. I asked expressionlessly, “Why are you here?”

Adrian’s eyes flickered. “The Grant and Banks families have a collaborative project, and we’re meeting here to discuss the details.”

After dinner, we were about to leave.

Adrian offered to take Rebecca and me home.

No one had expected the accident to happen at this moment.

A dump truck, out of control, hurtled toward us from the side. The driver desperately slammed on the brakes, but it was too late.

There was only a loud crash, and the car's body shook violently.

The car window shattered instantly, and I was thrown hard to the side by inertia.

In my blurry vision, Adrian Grant was holding Rebecca Banks tightly, using his body to shield her from the shattered debris.

He even whispered to her, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

My forehead hit the sharp glass, and blood immediately gushed out, staining half my face red.

As consciousness faded, I suddenly remembered the car accident a year ago.

That was when we had just confirmed our relationship. It was the same intersection, the same sudden oncoming truck.

My seat, facing the direction of the truck’s impact, was mine.

In that critical moment, Adrian swung the steering wheel without hesitation, allowing his side to bear the greatest impact.

The front of the car was severely deformed, and he was trapped in the driver’s seat.

Blood soaked his white shirt, but he managed to maintain consciousness and gently stroked my cheek. “It’s okay, I’m glad you’re safe.”

The firefighters took a long time to free him.

That time, he nearly lost his life to me.

But now, in the same car accident,

the difference was that the person he instinctively wanted to protect was no longer me.

I woke up in the VIP ward of a private hospital. Adrian Grant sat beside me, looking at the bandage on my forehead with a complicated expression.

“Zara, the situation just now was too critical. I must ensure Rebecca Banks doesn’t get hurt. You know, the partnership between the Grant and Banks families is crucial to the future of the entire group. If she’s disfigured, this project will fail.”

“You can be angry, or blame me; I accept it. Just don’t ignore me like this.”

I lay quietly, unresponsive.

All my emotions died the moment I saw Adrian protect Rebecca without hesitation.

My chest felt empty, as if something important had been emptied out, leaving only the howling cold wind.

Adrian continued his explanation, then suddenly, as if a thought occurred to him, a glint of light in his eyes. “By the way, Zara, your birthday is next week. I’ll give you a gift in advance, how about it? Whatever you want, money is not a problem.”

Hearing this, I finally slowly turned my head to look at him. “Then please book me a plane ticket. I’ll fly to Crestfall the day after tomorrow.”

“Crestfall?” He frowned. “You’re going back home?”

I nodded gently without saying anything more.

Adrian didn’t ask any further questions. He immediately took out his phone and booked a flight right in front of me.

After booking, he said,

“The company has had an important project to deal with recently, so I may not be able to accompany you. You should go back and see your family first. I’ll pick you up when I’m done with this.”

“A plane ticket is no big deal for a birthday gift. When you come back, I’ll definitely give you a big surprise.”

“This gift is enough,” I closed my eyes, my voice as soft as a feather. “It’s more precious than anything else.”

The day I left, I woke up earlier than usual. Six hours before my flight, I dragged several large suitcases one after another to the gate and was about to call a taxi when Adrian suddenly appeared.

Seeing the suitcases lined up at the gate, his expression changed instantly, and he took two steps at a time to block my way.

“What do you mean?”

My expression was calm: “Didn’t I tell you I was going back home?”

But this explanation clearly didn’t convince him.

“It’s just a trip home, so why bring so much luggage? Are you planning to move?”

I shrugged: “Girls always need to pack extra clothes when they go out.”