While Ninian was preparing the documents Conan needed for the meeting, her stomach spasmed in pain.

If it were in the past, she would have just endured it.

But this time, without any hesitation whatsoever, she turned on an app that would help her make a reservation in a hospital.

She wanted to take leave and visit the doctor.

When Conan was in the meeting, he found himself unable to focus on it.

All he could think about was Ninian. His eyes were fixed on her, but Ninian never looked at him.

Once the meeting ended, it was time for lunch. He wanted to ask her to go out for lunch with him, only to realize that she was no longer in the office.

“Where’s Ninian?”

“Didn’t she tell you? She took leave for the afternoon.”

“Where did she go?”

She took leave? She had been working with Conan for years, but she had never taken leave before.

Even when she was sick and nearly fainted, she still continued working.

Why would she suddenly take leave and not tell him?

“I don’t know. Let me check where she went.”

At the hospital, the doctor told Ninian that her stomach had grown weaker due to her not having any proper meals.

That made sense. Over the years, she had worked hard for Conan, and she had almost forgotten how it felt like to sit down and have a proper meal.

After her visit to the doctor, Ninian did not hurry back to the company. Instead, she sat down beside a window in a cafe.

The afternoon sun was bright and warm. As she leaned against the window, she took her time sipping coffee.

It had been a long time since she had relaxed and drunk coffee while admiring the view.

She had practically drained herself working for Conan over the years.

And funnily enough, her efforts were nothing to Conan. Still, it was about time for Ninian to live for herself.

Her phone started vibrating. Ninian looked down and saw that it was a call from Conan.

She just glanced at it but did not answer.

Her lack of response seemed to have made Conan anxious because he kept calling her.

Ninian found it annoying and turned her phone off.

“You turned off your phone?! How dare you, Ninian?!”

When he realized that she had turned off her phone, Conan nearly smashed his phone.

Ninian had never turned her phone off over the past seven years she was with him. What happened this time?

Ninian ended up in the cafe for the entire afternoon. For the first time, she felt as if she was the master of her own time. When the sun went down, she turned on her phone and found that she had a bunch of missed calls and countless WhatsApp messages.

[Where are you?]

[I’m waiting for you at your place. Come back now.]

[Ninian, I’m giving you half an hour. Come back right now.]

The last message was sent at 3 p.m. It was already 6 p.m.

Ninian sneered at Conan’s message. Judging from the words alone, she could tell just how mad Conan was.

She took a stroll outside, ate some food she liked, and took her sweet time going back home.

It was dark inside. She bent down to change into her indoor slippers. Once she turned on the lights, she saw Conan on her couch.

The sight of Ninian coming back so late made Conan furious.

“Where did you go? Do you have any idea just how long I’ve been waiting for you?”

No one had ever dared to make him wait for so long, Ninian was the first person to do so. Not to mention, this was also the first time she had done something like this.

Ninian ignored him. She went to the kitchen countertop and poured herself a glass of water.

In the past, she was the one who waited for him.

So long as Conan said that he was going to visit her, no matter how long it took for him to arrive, she would always sit on the couch to wait for him.

If he said that he was going to visit at 10 p.m., then she was going to eagerly wait for him starting from 6 p.m.

If he said that he was going to visit the next day, she would change the sheets, air out the blankets, and change the covers before putting them back on the bed.

But she was exhausted and no longer wanted to wait for him.

“Ninian, I’m talking to you. Didn’t you hear me?”

He grabbed her hand, and his eyes were burning with rage.

But Ninian remained calm. “I had some business to attend to. You could have gone back if you didn’t want to wait for me.”

“What’s with you? You’ve been acting strange all day.”

“It’s nothing.”

Ninian moved past him and wanted to go upstairs.

But the anger Conan had been keeping in check for so long finally exploded. “Ninian, remember your place. No one has ever made me wait for so long. Don’t you forget, you’re just my—”

“Your what?” she interrupted him. “Friend with benefits?”

Conan was stunned. “You heard what I told them that night?”

Conan finally understood why Ninian was acting so strangely. “I was just running my mouth off. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then, who am I to you?” Ninian stared at him.

Conan fell silent. He found himself unable to say anything.

“I’m tired. Go back.”

For the first time, she rejected his advances. Ninian just went back to her room, took a hot shower, changed into her pajamas, and got ready for bed.

Downstairs, Conan leaned against his car and smoked, but he did not leave even after a long time had passed.

Ninian ignored him. She drew the curtains, turned the lights off, and soon fell asleep.

The next day, before Ninian even woke up, her phone rang.

“Ninian, check the news! Conan canceled the engagement his grandmother set for him! Is it because of you?”

Ninian shot out of bed and turned on the TV.

Conan was indeed telling the reporters that he was going to cancel the engagement because there was someone even more important to him.

Her heart skipped a beat. As Ninian stared at Conan’s firm gaze, she felt a little excited.

“Congratulations, Ninian. You’ve finally won over Conan’s heart.”

After she hung up, Ninian found herself unable to calm down even after a long time had passed.

She wanted to call Conan and ask him what he meant. Did he really cancel his engagement for her?

But before she could even call him, she received a message from Conan.

[Come to Morre Hotel at 8 p.m. tonight. You’re attending a banquet with me. Dress up nicely.]

When she saw the message, Ninian finally smiled.

Conan seldom asked her to attend banquets. In the past, no matter what functions he went to, he seldom brought her along.

But this time, he actually asked her to attend a banquet with him.

She sent a message to her best friend, Robin Underwood, who got excited for her.

[Is Conan going to propose to you? Ninian, all that waiting has come to fruition!]

Ninian pursed her lips, and she started to look forward to this.

She told herself that this was the last chance she was going to give her relationship with Conan.

Since Ninian seldom attended banquets, she did not have many gowns.

She went to the shopping mall and bought a gorgeous gown worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Then, she hired a makeup artist and stylist to make herself pretty before she arrived on time at the entrance of Morre Hotel.

She had heard some things about the banquet tonight. It was an auction meets banquet for the upper-class society, and all the people who attended were celebrities.

As she stood at the entrance, Ninian sucked in a deep breath before she walked into the lobby.

When she arrived at the majestic banquet hall, she found plenty of people inside. It was full of life.

Despite the swarm of people, Ninian immediately saw the man who had been occupying her thoughts.

Delight rose in her heart, and she walked over, only to hear someone say something.

“To think that Mr. Stone would bring a plus one this time.”

“I heard that the woman he loves the most has finally returned to the country.”

“I see. That’s why he told the press this morning that he’s canceling his engagement with Jennifer Jones. So, his crush has returned.”

Ninian’s smile froze. His crush? What crush?

Then, Conan turned around, along with the woman beside him.

Ninian saw a woman with a face strikingly similar to hers, and she was smiling while she held Conan’s hand.

At that moment, Ninian felt her blood freeze.

Who was she? Conan’s crush?

Ninian had been with Conan for seven years. Why did she never know that he had a crush?!

Her heart spasmed in pain. She wanted to leave, but Conan called out to her. “You’ve arrived, Ninian.”

“Ninian Springs? Conan Stone’s secretary?”

“She looks so similar to Rose Charlemagne!”

“Don’t you know? She’s just a replacement. I heard that during the years Rose wasn’t around, Conan Stone got a replacement. It must have been Ninian Springs!”

Everyone stared at her while they talked about her.

Those words kept pouring into her ears, and Ninian felt as if someone had seized her throat. She could not breathe.

“Hello, Miss Springs.” Rose went over to Ninian and sized her up. “I’m sorry, I heard from Conan that you don’t like such banquets, but I really wanted to see you, so I asked him to invite you over.”

She saw the provocation in Rose’s eyes, and Ninian clenched her fists.

“You wanted to see me?”

So, Conan did not cancel the engagement for her. It was because his crush came back.

He wanted Ninian to doll herself up for the banquet because he wanted his crush to see what her replacement looked like.

She felt as if someone had driven a knife into her heart, and Ninian felt her legs giving out. She was about to collapse.

“I heard from someone that you look like me. Conan, do you think we look alike?” Rose raised her head and asked Conan sweetly.

Conan smiled and said nonchalantly, “It’s just a coincidence. She can’t compare to you.”

At his words, Ninian’s heart hurt so much that she staggered backward.

She turned around and wanted to leave, but Rose stopped her.

“Miss Springs, I haven’t toasted you for taking care of Conan in my place for so long. He’s really picky, so you must have had a hard time with him.”

She gave off such a high-and-mighty air because she was the one Conan truly liked, while Ninian was just the side hoe.

People’s gazes fell on her, and they looked at her as if she was a joke.

Ninian forced a smile. “That’s my job. I was being paid for it, so it’s not hard for me.”

“You must have done plenty of other things besides work, right?” Rose raised her voice and chuckled in a magnanimous fashion. “But I’m back now. You don’t need to do certain things in my place anymore.”

Ninian looked at Conan, who stood expressionlessly in place and did not even spare her a single glance.

It was as if all that was happening had nothing to do with him.

Ninian nodded in disappointment. “Alright. I understand.”

She turned around to leave but ended up knocking into an attendant who was holding flutes of red wine.

Red wine spilled on her and ruined her expensive gown.

Rose was shocked. “Are you okay, Miss Springs? Your gown is ruined! I’ll have an attendant bring you a new one. We can talk once you change.”

“There’s no need.”

Compared to the kind and generous Rose, Ninian felt as pathetic as a loser.

When Conan saw that Ninian’s gown was dirty and that she nearly fell, he wanted to help her, but Rose had grabbed his hand before he could do it.

“Conan, since Miss Springs doesn’t need my help and the auction is about to start, let’s head in.”

Conan nodded and retracted his hand. He just gave Ninian a look. “Go back and change. Don’t catch a cold.”

They then left without sparing her another glance.

The people around her left as well, but Ninian remained rooted to the spot. She did not move even after a long time had passed.

At that moment, she was completely disappointed in Conan.