The tyrannical boss had been plotting for a long time.

Manchester City Kindergarten. Lila was leading the children in finger games, and the children were laughing constantly, but she was distracted. The news clips rolling on the TV were still playing in her mind. The new CEO of Manchester City Oil had taken office, and the familiar yet unfamiliar face on the screen, dressed in a sharp suit and full of vigor, carried a calmness and oppressive aura that she couldn’t bear to look at—Ethan Hassan. That man, for whom she had given everything, yet was ultimately trampled into the dust by his family.“b***h,” she would never forget that humiliation. She stood on the balcony in a knee-length dress, crying and explaining, while Ethan's mother stood on the steps with a glass of red wine, mockingly staring at her: “You want to enter our family's door? "Dream on.” You think that by looking innocent and getting into a good university, you can seduce my son? We’ve seen this act too many times. Do you really think he’ll marry you? What do you think you are?” “You’re just a cheap commodity. You don’t deserve the Hassan family name.” She thought they would never cross paths again in this lifetime. But fate loves to twist things around. She worked as a kindergarten teacher in Manchester, having fled from him three years ago. And he had become the head of the city's most powerful capital group. Just as she was trying to calm herself down, her phone vibrated. [From the staff group] Principal Lucas: Notice! In thirty minutes, Ethan, the new CEO of Manchester Oil, will visit the kindergarten. All staff members are requested to wear their uniforms, line up neatly, and actively cooperate with the reception. Lila’s fingers grew cold. He’s actually coming here?! She suddenly remembered that although this kindergarten was licensed by the Education Bureau, it had indeed been invested in and acquired by Manchester Oil Group several years ago, serving as a welfare project for the children of company employees. She was now working at a kindergarten under his name. Her chest felt tight, and she instinctively stood up, only to hear a voice by the window exclaiming, “Oh my God! "Ava actually became Ethan’s secretary!” Lila paused, turned her head, and saw the teachers gathered around a phone screen, watching the news and discussing excitedly. In the video, Ava wore a well-tailored business suit, closely following Ethan, her expression respectful and composed. Ava, her former colleague and close friend, had mentioned months ago that she had switched jobs to Manchester Petroleum. Half an hour later.the red carpet was laid out at the school gate, and welcome banners were hung. Principal Lucas stood in the front row with a smile, holding a bouquet of welcome flowers. He personally selected Lila and a few other teachers to stand in the front row because they were well-dressed, had good English skills, and taught piano, making them the best representatives of the school's image. In the distance, a dark gray Bentley pulled up outside the school gate.The door opened.Ethan, dressed in a suit, stepped out, the sunlight glinting off his stern profile. His gaze swept over the crowd, settling on Lila. Lila froze in place, her fingertips trembling. Their eyes locked, three meters apart, without a single word of greeting. When Lila saw him walk in, she instinctively lowered her head. She wanted to hide behind the crowd, but her fingers twisted the hem of her shirt into wrinkles. The sound of his leather shoes under his suit pants grew closer with each step, each one seeming to follow the rhythm of her heartbeat, disrupting it, shattering it. She dared not look up at him. Ethan, however, merely glanced at her casually, his lips curving into a barely perceptible smile. His stride was composed, his expression serene, as if everything before him was already under his control. There was no surprise, no emotion, not even a hint of a “long-awaited reunion.” As if he were watching an old dream that had nothing to do with him. He looked at her for a second, turned his head, nodded to Lucas in greeting, and spoke casually, as if there had never been any past between them. But she stood there, like someone who had fallen out of a memory, forgetting even how to escape. Lucas didn't notice, greeting him with a cheerful expression: “Mr. Ethan, welcome! "We've prepared a reception dinner for you, and there will be a student presentation later.”“Thank you,” Ethan nodded. His voice was deep and steady, just like the first time she had heard him speak in the auditorium years ago—confident and captivating. Lila averted her gaze, struggling to control her emotions. Ava got out of the car next, giving Lila a meaningful glance, neither smiling nor frowning. The dinner was held in the kindergarten’s internal reception hall. The long table was occupied by school officials, the early childhood education director, and several outstanding teachers, with Lila also invited to attend. The feast was abundant, and the atmosphere lively. Ethan didn’t say much, occasionally glancing at his phone, but when he spoke, the entire room fell silent. “We plan to build a corporate-exclusive education center in the old city district, integrating kindergarten and elementary school management, and selecting teaching staff internally to participate in the establishment of the faculty.” Lucas immediately responded, “I fully agree! Our kindergarten has excellent teachers, like Ms. Lila. The children she teaches have won piano competitions, have pure English pronunciation, and are well-mannered. "She is a teacher we have been focusing on cultivating,” Lila blushed. She hadn't expected the principal to mention her name. “Alright,” Ethan set down his glass and tapped the table lightly, “then when our group's children enroll in kindergarten, we can prioritize her class.” “Of course,” Lucas hurriedly smiled, “that will require me." Lila to take good care of them.”“Come on, Lila, have a drink with Mr. "Ethan,” the director beside him said with a smile. “You'll be dealing with each other a lot in the future.” Lila stood up and picked up her glass. She walked up to Ethan and whispered, “Mr. "Ethan, here's to you.” Ethan took the glass but didn't drink immediately. Instead, he spoke softly: “Your name... reminds me of Lilac.” The air froze. Her eyes widened, and her throat tightened. Lilac was her original name, the nickname he had once whispered as he kissed her forehead. Later, she changed her name, burying her identity along with it, swearing never to look back. She lowered her eyelids: “I'm called Lila now.”“Is that so?” His gaze was faint. “But I remember Lilac’s eyes—they weren’t like that, avoiding mine.” She bit her lip and retreated back to her seat. The dinner table continued to buzz with lively conversation about group collaboration plans, piano studio expansions, and employee children’s specialized classes, but all she heard was a buzzing in her ears. She realized that after fleeing for so many years, she could never escape. At that moment, Lila's thoughts returned to three years ago. Three years ago, Lila had just received her admission letter to Jiangcheng University's graduate program. Yet she felt no joy at all. Her family was already in turmoil. Her parents had divorced when she was nearing the end of her undergraduate studies. Her father was addicted to gambling and had lost all the family savings, while her mother supported herself with odd jobs and raised her younger brother alone. Tuition and living expenses felt like a massive weight, crushing her to the point of suffocation. She scoured the day for part-time jobs: handing out flyers, tutoring, event hosting, telemarketing—but the money came in as slowly as a snail. Later, through a friend’s introduction, she stepped into that upscale bar called “Silver Egret” for the first time. She wore a rented black evening gown, her makeup awkwardly applied, sitting in a dimly lit booth, forcing herself to stay calm. She had only intended to be a waitress, but the manager stared at her for a long time before assigning her to be a host, saying the customer had specifically requested someone with a “clean-cut appearance.” She nearly burst into tears, but she had no choice. That night, she sat in the corner with a glass of wine, like an outsider thrown into this world, wearing a smile that didn't belong to her. Ethan was the quietest customer that night. He sat in the main seat of the private room, wearing a dark gray suit, with a silver ring on his left ring finger. His eyebrows and eyes were sharp, and his gaze was cold. He was the most revered person among the Middle Eastern customers. No one dared to say a word. The first time she saw him, she felt he didn’t belong here—too clean, too composed, like some higher being who had accidentally wandered into the human world. That night, the client pointed at her and smiled at Ethan, saying, “This one. Fresh. I like this type. "Let me take her.” Lila shuddered, her fingertips growing cold. She had prepared herself to be chosen, but to her surprise, Ethan didn’t even look up, merely saying indifferently, “She’s not suitable.” “Why not?” the client asked, growing annoyed. Ethan glanced at her, his tone cold yet unwavering: “Too thin, not passionate enough. If you want, I’ll have someone else brought in who’s more suitable.” Then he turned to the manager and spoke a few words in Arabic. Soon, the manager brought another girl over, who sat beside the client. He merely nodded at Lila, “Sit here.” She was both flattered and inexplicably anxious. She feared he was merely finding another way to humiliate her. But that night, he didn't touch her at all. He just had her accompany him while he drank, occasionally asking her a few questions. She kept her head down, never daring to look at him. He handed her a drink, and she dared not refuse, but he never let her drink anything strong. He only said, “People don't have to get drunk to leave an impression.” When the night ended, he stood up and left her a business card: “Next time, you don't have to be here.” She remembered the card was silver-gray with gold-embossed edges, printed with “Saudi Petroleum Manchester Affairs Department General Manager Ethan Hassan.” It was the most humiliating and complicated night of her life. And she never imagined that from that moment on, this man would become completely entangled in her life.