The Last Time I Loved Him (Autumn and Ryan)

Chapter 9

The banquet was a resounding success.

After wave upon wave of sycophantic greetings and flattery, I officially joined the Smith Group as its youngest CEO.

"I just wanted to see the fountain. Why are you two always following me?"

Jacob and Jack had become my constant shadows at the office.

"Mia, look! This musical fountain has colored water! You once said fountains shouldn't always be transparent, so I designed this!" Jacob announced proudly.

Not to be outdone, Jack countered, "No, Mia, look closer! At the end of the music, the water forms the shape of a four-leaf clover - I had it specially designed just for you! Isn't the four-leaf clover your favorite?" The rooftop on the 50th floor now had this delightful fountain.

It turned out the they two remembered my preferences after all.

I stared at them for a moment. Indeed, they were tall, handsome, and came from an impeccable family background. It was no surprise the women at the company were utterly infatuated with them.

"So, Mia, whose design do you like better?"

"That goes without saying-it's mine, of course!"

But those women didn't know that, with me, these two were just childish brats.

The intern who used to assist me rushed over breathlessly:

"Ms. Smith, Mr. Spencer... um, both of you there's a man kneeling outside, insisting he must see Ms. Smith."

Ethan's company had crumbled, but I had ensured this intern landed a decent job.

The brothers' smiles vanished as they replied coldly, "Throw him out. Ms. Smith isn't someone just anyone can meet."

Even their stern demeanor seemed to captivate women. The intern blushed deeply.

"He's already been thrown out. But he said if we didn't let him see her, he'd stay kneeling outside the building until he died. It's... it's been three hours now."

I stood up. Someone was willing to kneel for hours just to see me?

"Who is it?"

The intern hesitated nervously, as though afraid of my temper.

"It's... Ethan."

Let him give up: "Bring him up."

Hearing this, Jack and Jacob stood beside me, composed yet watchful. They never pried into my past, but whenever I needed them, they stepped up without hesitation.

Sometimes I wondered-did they see me as a sister? Or was there something more?

Ethan walked in, and as soon as he saw me, he knelt down.

When did he start kneeling so much? I wasn't used to talking to people this way.

"Look, Mia, a four-leaf clover ring!"

He carefully took out a ring from his pocket, holding it up to me eagerly.

Oh, right, I had forgotten he still had this.

"This is your favorite design! I bought it!"

The four-leaf clover ring -it was indeed the one I had designed years ago. Did he get it back from Alice?

I tilted my head, amused.

"Mia, I asked the store manager. The

ring and necklace were both

designed by you, weren't they? You purposely set the price at just ten thousand when they're worth millions! You wanted me to buy them, didn't you?"

"Mia, I understand now. I know how you feel. Let's get back together, okay?"

Yes, I did love four-leaf clovers once.

But I'd already made a new set -more dazzling than before.

I took the old ring from him. Ethan, thinking I had forgiven him, began to rise.

"Mia, you've forgiven me! We can -"

Before he could finish, I tossed the ring and my old necklace into the fountain.

Ethan froze for a second, then dove into the fountain in a frenzy.

What a shame. I wouldn't waste another moment on him.

"Get him out of there," I ordered.

Soaking wet, he stood before me, utterly disheveled.

"Mia, are you testing me? Let me find them. If I do, we can get married, right? I'll do anything. I've thought about you every day, Mia. About everything you've done for me over the past ten years."

The brothers finally lost their composure. They stormed over, each delivering a swift kick.

"Damn it! Married? Marry your damn self! You think you can just call her name like that?"

"Don't you dare talk about what she's done for you!"

Even the intern gawked, stunned by their outburst. She probably hadn't expected them to act this way.

I burst out laughing.

"Alright, don't be so violent, okay?"

Turning back to Ethan, I said flatly, "Ethan, let's call this our formal goodbye. Stop causing a scene.

Don't make me lose all respect for you. We're never getting back together. Let's never see each other again."

With that, I signaled the bodyguards to escort him out.

From that moment on, every

5

security guard at the company knew-if they ever saw Ethan again, they didn't need to hold back

QUMS

If he got hurt, the Smith Group would take responsibility- offer a reward.