Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

The scent of shampoo from her hair filled Ethan Ellsworth’s senses, along with her faint, pure fragrance.

He had to admit, after loving Jean Grant for so many years, he wasn’t sure if he still had the capacity to love.

Nor was he sure if he had truly let go of more than a decade of affection.

Chloe Marshall tilted her face up slightly and said in a low voice, ”Boss Ellsworth, you should get some sleep.”

He answered, ”Yeah, it’s time for bed.”

He got up and picked her up. Pulling back the covers, he took off his shoes and held her close. ”Tonight, let’s just do what we did that night at my place, okay?”

Chloe Marshall snuggled in his arms. ”Mm.”

”Boss Ellsworth, is this... really okay? After all, your mom isn’t here.”

He let out a laugh. ”I’m not going to do anything to you. What’s there to be afraid of? Besides, don’t you want me to hold you?”

”I want to pretend otherwise, but... Boss Ellsworth, I don’t want to do that anymore. Being held by you makes me feel so warm inside. It’s a really good feeling.”

He smiled. ”Go to sleep. We have to be up early tomorrow.”

The two of them slept in their clothes, staying that way until morning.

After Nora Ainsworth finished getting ready that morning, she noticed Leon Lynch hadn’t come by like he usually did.

She stepped outside, but he wasn’t waiting at her door.

She found it a bit strange but didn’t dwell on it. She went downstairs for breakfast and then to the film set. When she returned at noon and still hadn’t seen him, she tried calling his phone. Leaving without a word was bound to make a person worry.

She called several times, but it just said the phone was off.

Nora Ainsworth went back to the hotel and knocked on the door to room 804. When no one answered, she returned to her own room, took out the spare key Leon Lynch had once given her, and opened his door.

’Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever been inside Leon Lynch’s hotel room.’

The room was spotlessly clean.

’Leon Lynch must be a very tidy person.’

His computer was on the bedside table, and his clothes were still there. It was clear he hadn’t left.

’But where did he go?’

’Did he go back to the city?’

Nora Ainsworth was still wondering about it when, just as she was about to leave, her phone rang.

She pulled it out and saw it was an unknown number.

She felt a sense of unease.

”Hello?” She decided to answer anyway.

”Is this Nora Ainsworth?”

She answered, ”Speaking. Who is this?”

”Who I am isn’t important. What’s important is that Leon Lynch is now in the hands of the Valiant Club. The question is, are you coming to save him?”

Nora Ainsworth’s heart clenched. ”Of course I’ll save him. But I need proof that you really have him.”

Just then, she heard a muffled groan. It was Leon Lynch’s voice. Nora Ainsworth said frantically, ”Don’t you dare touch him! Just tell me how much money you want!”

”Money? HAHAHA!” The man on the other end roared with laughter. ”We don’t want money. We want you to come here in person. Nora Ainsworth, you’re going to trade places with him. I’m dying to see if you’ve got the guts to come.”

Nora Ainsworth gripped her phone tightly. Without a second thought, she said, ”Fine, I’ll go!”

Following the Valiant Club’s instructions, Nora Ainsworth arrived at a villa in a residential complex. Four guards armed with knives stood at the gate.

When they saw her, the four burly men didn’t say a word, simply letting her through. ”Get in.”

Nora Ainsworth went inside and was led by one of the men down to a basement. Standing on the stairs, she saw Leon Lynch. His hands were tied, and his mouth was covered with duct tape, making it impossible for him to speak.

”You’ve got some nerve, coming here all by yourself.” A bald, middle-aged man clapped his hands slowly.

”Why did you kidnap him?”

The bald man was blunt. ”We had our reasons for grabbing him.”

”Just tell me. What will it take for you to release Leon?”

”I’ll give you two choices. First, you let us all take turns with you. Second, we have an arms deal with Quentin Grant. He’s already said that if you go and beg him, he’ll agree to the deal. If he does, we’ll release Leon Lynch completely unharmed.”

”And what if I refuse both?”

”Then do you think you’re getting out of here today? We’ll take you by force until you’re dead, and he won’t be leaving either.”

”This was Quentin Grant’s idea. I know it was.”

The bald man laughed. ”What do you know? If he wanted to take you by force, do you think he’d bother with all these tricks? He would’ve just had you abducted.”

Nora Ainsworth knew in her heart that Quentin Grant’s words last night had just been a prelude. What he wanted was for her to go to him and beg.

”I’ll take the second option. I’ll go beg him.”

”Good. Go on, then. I’ll be waiting for his call.”

Nora Ainsworth was allowed to leave. As she walked down the street, her heart was a tangle of indescribable emotions.

’Begging Quentin Grant... to be honest, it isn’t that difficult. All I have to do is swallow my pride and dignity. It’s nothing.’

’But I know that since Quentin Grant is making me come to him personally, he won’t agree that easily.’

’But right now, even knowing he’s doing this to torment me, I have to go.’

’I know it’s a trap, but I can’t just walk away.’

She went to the entrance of the upscale apartment complex and rang the doorbell, but no one answered. Finally, after she had rung it several more times, the head of one of the Men in Black poked out. ”I’m sorry, Miss Ainsworth, please stop ringing. The Young Master has given orders that no women are to be allowed inside.”

”When will he be back?”

”We’re not sure about that. He usually comes back at night; it just depends on the time.”

”I understand.”

Nora Ainsworth knew she would never be able to get into the Grant Group building. After a moment’s thought, she took out her phone and quickly dialed the familiar number.

”We promised we’d never be apart, now I want to ask you, were those just empty words...?” The ringback tone played in her ear. Nora Ainsworth listened until it finished, then immediately dialed again.

Still, no one answered.

’He’s not answering my calls.’

She had no choice but to return to the fourth-floor apartment across the street and sit on the balcony, staring blankly at the sky. It was gloomy, and the air was cold and dry. It felt like it was about to snow.

She had no scenes to film that afternoon. The shooting schedule had changed; scenes that were originally filmed during the day had mostly been moved to the evening, or to a single block in the morning. It was completely different from before.

She waited all afternoon in a daze. Winter days were always short. By five o’clock, dusk had already fallen.

She went downstairs so she wouldn’t miss him when he returned.

She crouched in front of the main gate as the sky grew darker and darker, but still, she saw no sign of Quentin Grant’s car.

She felt something cold land on her skin. Nora Ainsworth looked up. It was really snowing. ’The first snow of the winter.’

She lowered her head, watching the snowflakes slowly accumulate on the ground, gradually turning it white. The snow fell heavier and heavier, blanketing her in a layer of white as well.

Soon, if not for her visible eyes, one might have mistaken her for a snowman crouching there.

Her legs were numb from the cold. She lifted her head; still, no one had come back.

Time passed. A little after ten o’clock, she finally heard the sound of an approaching car. It drew closer and closer. Nora Ainsworth stood up, watching as it pulled to a stop not far from where she stood.

The person in the driver’s seat was him.