CHAPTER 11: CHAPTER 11: LEAVING

Holly walked into the small kitchen next door with a takeout bag.

Expressionless, she poured the porridge into a small pot and casually stirred it after turning on the stove.

The ceramic spoon made a crisp sound as it hit the pot wall.

Holly glanced at the time, estimating that Zion Pence’s meeting was almost over, then carried the pot into the CEO’s office.

When Zion Pence pushed open the door and walked into the office, he saw Holly’s back as she was bending over to serve the porridge.

The skirt’s cinched design outlined her slim waist, his gaze swept over her back and forth, but his eyebrows furrowed even tighter.

Zion suddenly recalled the whispers he had overheard from his subordinates earlier:

"I never expected Secretary Crowe to have such a great figure..."

"Yeah, she usually dresses so conservatively, it’s kind of a waste..."

"..."

Those blatant compliments pierced his temples, like needles pricking his heart, reminding him of those college boys who coveted Holly.

It was as if a treasure he had cherished for years was now being admired by others!

He stared intently at Holly’s back.

When Holly turned around with the porridge, she met Zion’s brooding gaze.

She pretended not to notice, "Meeting’s over? Come on, have some porridge!"

Zion squinted his eyes and strode over to her, his voice cold as ice, "Don’t dress like this again."

Holly hung her head with a cold smile, but when she looked up, she had on a puzzled expression, "What’s wrong?"

Zion’s gaze flickered, masking his gloominess, "This kind of outfit doesn’t suit you."

As he spoke, he tried to wrap his arm around her waist, his words tinged with nauseating possessiveness, "Go back to wearing your usual business suits."

Holly deftly turned aside, avoiding his touch, saying nothing, just placing the porridge in his hand, "Have some porridge first."

Zion, caught off guard, wanted to react, but the aroma of the porridge halted him.

He took a sip, and the warm porridge soothed his churning stomach.

Zion contentedly enjoyed it, realizing that Holly was like this bowl of porridge to him—bland yet indispensable.

While Mia Chapelle... she was merely a dessert after a meal.

With the porridge finished, he sighed contentedly, "Holly, your cooking is always so good."

His tone was affectionate, as if those harsh words earlier weren’t from him.

"Really? If you like it, have some more," Holly turned to serve him another bowl, though her fingers gripping the spoon handle were almost white.

As expected!

At that moment, Holly recalled the kitchen light still on at three in the morning, remembered her fingers getting burned while first learning to cook porridge...

But in Zion Pence’s eyes, it was no different from takeout.

Yes, what Zion enjoyed wasn’t her thoughtfulness but the thrill of having complete control over her.

In his eyes, they were never equals.

It was just that she realized it too late...

Zion drank two bowls of porridge in a row.

A full belly brings desire.

He noticed Holly standing still, patted the empty spot on the sofa beside him, gesturing for her to come over.

Holly didn’t move, getting straight to the point, "I want to take some time off."

Zion’s brows tightened, a reflex made him blurt out, "What about the company if you take leave?"

The moment the words left his mouth he realized his slip and hurriedly corrected, "I mean, what will happen to me if you take leave? I’ve grown used to having you around these past five years."

As he spoke, he reached out to hold her hand.

Over the years, Holly had managed all the big and small matters of the company, saving him a lot of effort. Moreover, they had an upcoming partnership negotiation that Holly had personally secured after several attempts.

Holly lowered her eyes to hide the sarcasm within them.

The words a man says without thinking are the truest to his heart.

Holly, under the guise of adjusting her hair, avoided his outstretched hand, her heart cold, but her face showing signs of fatigue, "Assistant Mia and Secretary Lynch are doing well, not to mention Assistant Alden’s oversight, nothing will go wrong."

At the mention of ’Assistant Mia,’ Zion’s expression flickered slightly.

Holly didn’t miss this reaction, she deliberately massaged her temples, "Perhaps it’s been too exhausting to prepare for the wedding lately, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed at work..."

Zion’s thoughts were slightly stirred.

No wonder Holly’s been acting strange lately, she must be tired.

He showed a caring smile, "It’s been tough these days, take some time off to relax. You can also use this time to prepare for the wedding."

"Then I’ll finish my tasks this afternoon and leave," Holly seized the opportunity.

"This afternoon?" Zion’s voice rose an octave, "So soon?"

The words of refusal were on the tip of his tongue, but recalling the earlier comments about Holly from subordinates, a wave of unspoken anger surged in him.

He nodded slightly with a subdued face, "Alright."

After finishing her tasks and leaving the office, Holly took the elevator down.

Watching the elevator numbers decrease, Holly smiled.

This time, she was the one who pressed the down button.

She had chosen to end this relationship first.

....

After leaving the company, Holly drove to Lunar Lotus Studio.

This was a ceramics store she had opened with her junior, Celia Stiles, four years ago.

At that time, after graduating, she became Zion Pence’s secretary. With a busy schedule and Zion’s opposition, she gradually forgot the feel of clay in her hands and once her passion.

Until a year later when she met the newly graduated Celia.

Celia came from a poor family and was fined by city inspectors for selling her handmade ceramic pieces on a street stall.

Even though she was so small, she fiercely protected those ceramic pieces in her arms.

Holly didn’t know why she wanted to help her back then, but she did.

Later, she secretly invested money, partnered up with Celia, and together they opened Lunar Lotus Studio.

Lunar Lotus Studio had two floors and a backyard, located on the newly developed The Thirteenth Lane in Beldon four years ago.

With government and cultural tourism development over the years, it attracted many tourists, and the shop’s business flourished.

But over the years, her mind was always on Zion Pence, so she rarely visited, leaving it all to Celia to manage.

Holly looked up at the wooden sign engraved with ’Lunar Lotus Studio’ and exhaled deeply before pushing the door open.

The hanging ceramic bell at the doorway chimed.

Celia, who was cleaning the potter’s wheel, reflexively turned her head at the sound and jumped to her feet when she saw Holly.

"Senior!"

She crossed the rows of potter’s wheels like a rabbit, bouncing to Holly’s side.

Celia’s ear-length short hair bounced slightly, and her rounded eyes widened under her bangs.

She sprinted over but hesitated when noticing the clay on her hands, twisting her fingers and blushing.

"Senior, you look so beautiful today..."

Holly looked down at her misty blue dress.

It was the one she deliberately wore today to provoke Zion Pence.

She smiled softly, reaching out to ruffle Celia’s fluffy short hair, teasing her, "What’s that? You think I’m not usually pretty?"

"No, no, of course not!" Celia waved her hands anxiously, her bangs bouncing.

"Senior has always been beautiful, it’s just..." her voice quickly died down, "but President Pence doesn’t like you coming here, right?"