Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

”Monty, since Dorothy won’t come to you, you can slowly crawl over here.”

The python really did slowly, slowly crawl forward, as obedient as a little lamb, its head pressed to the ground and its eyes shut tight.

”Go on, touch it.”

Dorothy Ellsworth was still terrified and didn’t dare to reach out.

Dylan Grant sighed helplessly, grabbing her hand and forcing it onto Monty’s body.

The moment her hand touched it, Dorothy’s fear began to fade. After a long while, she wasn’t scared at all. In fact, she even started playing happily.

Just as Herman Hawthorne was about to reach the hospital entrance, he received a call from Quentin Grant.

”I’ve called around. Not a single one said they have a patient named Zoe Ellsworth.”

Herman Hawthorne was certain. ”She must have used a fake name. I’ll search every hospital, one by one.”

After hanging up, he, Ethan Ellsworth, and Chloe Marshall split up to check three different hospitals. When they found nothing, they rushed to other hospitals.

When they regrouped, all three had failed to find any sign of Zoe Ellsworth.

”Could she have gone to a small clinic?” Chloe Marshall wondered. ”If so, it’ll be really hard to find her. There are countless small clinics in Alveria.”

Herman Hawthorne looked down and tried calling Zoe Ellsworth’s phone again, but as before, no one answered.

His expression was terrifyingly dark. ’What if she really goes through with getting rid of the baby? What if something happens to her?’

Countless women have had complications during abortions.

The baby was secondary; the mother’s life was what mattered.

He didn’t want this incident to cause a lifelong, irreparable regret. That wasn’t what he wanted.

”I’ll go check the places she usually hangs out.”

He drove away. Ethan Ellsworth looked at Chloe Marshall. ”Let’s head back first. Zoe isn’t that stupid. She wouldn’t just casually get rid of the baby. Besides, it’s her first child. I believe she knows what she’s doing.”

Chloe Marshall couldn’t help but worry. ”I’m just afraid she might do something rash.”

”Let’s wait for now and see if Young Master Hawthorne can find her.”

The two of them took a car back to the upscale residential complex.

The first place Herman Hawthorne thought of was none other than Seductive Lips.

Zoe Ellsworth loved going there; she went even more often than he did.

He hoped to try his luck.

When he arrived, he went straight to Ruby to ask.

Unexpectedly, he’d guessed right.

She really was here.

Standing at the door to her room, Herman Hawthorne found he couldn’t bring himself to knock for a moment.

He stood there, staring at the room number for a long while.

Only then did he ring the doorbell.

The door opened. He had expected her to be drinking, but surprisingly, she hadn’t touched a drop.

He stepped forward, entered, and closed the door, all in one smooth motion.

Just as he’d seen, there was no alcohol on the table, only soft drinks.

”So you really are here.”

Zoe Ellsworth leaned back on the sofa and said lazily, ”From the sound of it, you’ve been looking for me elsewhere.”

”That’s right.” He stood in front of her, then brazenly leaned down to meet her gaze, their faces barely a hand’s breadth apart.

”I went to the hospitals. With your brother and sister-in-law, we went to all of them.” As he said this, his voice was laced with an unidentifiable emotion.

Zoe Ellsworth was unperturbed. ”Are you afraid I got rid of your child? Don’t worry. Even if I did, countless other women would be lining up, one after another, eager to have your baby.”

”No. I’m afraid of something happening to *you*. Yes, many women want to have my children. Some would even do it for a bit of money. But I don’t want that. I only want *you* to have my baby. A child that looks like both you and me—our child.”

Zoe Ellsworth looked a little uncomfortable. ”I’m going home. You should go, too. Every extra word I waste talking to you feels like ten minutes of my life thrown away.”

’Is being with me so unbearable?’

”Well, that’s too bad, because your brother asked me to take you to Young Master Grant’s place.”

Zoe Ellsworth shoved him away and stood up. ”What for? Why are we going to Quentin’s house?”

”To eat. A welcome-home dinner. Let’s go.”

She pulled open the door and walked out, with Herman Hawthorne right behind her.

Once in the car, he drove toward the upscale residential complex. When they arrived in front of Quentin Grant’s place, he didn’t get out. She tried to, but found the door wouldn’t open.

”What are you doing?”

He looked at her and said seriously, ”Promise me you won’t get rid of the baby.”

”And you said it wasn’t about the baby...”

”Believe it or not, my first concern is you. Promise me. I need to hear you promise me.”

Zoe Ellsworth turned her face away. ”And what if I don’t?”

”Then you’re not getting out of this car.”

”Fine, I won’t. I’ll call my brother right now and tell him you’re holding me here.”

Herman Hawthorne countered, ”And what if I take your phone away?”

Zoe Ellsworth had no choice but to say, ”Fine, then I’ll just sit here.”

”Is it so hard just to say you promise?”

Zoe Ellsworth denied it. ”It’s not that it’s hard. It’s that I feel I have no need, nor is it possible for me, to make such a promise to you.”

Herman Hawthorne lifted his wrist to check his watch, then unlocked the door. ”Get out.”

The two of them appeared at the living room doorway together. Nora Ainsworth stood up and waved to Zoe Ellsworth. ”Zoe, come sit! It took our big boss to find you. You have no idea, we were all worried sick just now.”

Chloe Marshall chimed in, ”Yeah, your brother even said you wouldn’t be so foolish. Where did the big boss find you?”

”At Seductive Lips,” Zoe Ellsworth said as she took a seat.

Ethan Ellsworth gave Herman Hawthorne a thumbs-up, then stood and poured some wine. ”Come, let’s toast to Young Master Grant and his family, for their eternal harmony and everlasting happiness.”

Everyone else stood up to clink glasses. Quentin Grant couldn’t resist teasing, ”And I wish for all of you who should be getting married to get married, and for those who should be having kids to keep having kids.”

Everyone looked at each other and smiled.

The reunion dinner was exceptionally warm and pleasant.

Because Zoe Ellsworth was pregnant, she drank very little, but the others drank quite a lot.

On the way back, Ethan Ellsworth drove with a drunk Chloe Marshall and her daughter, while Zoe Ellsworth and Herman Hawthorne were in the back seat.

Whether intentionally or not, Herman Hawthorne’s head kept falling onto Zoe Ellsworth’s shoulder.

Zoe Ellsworth would poke his head away, but it would quickly fall back.

After this happened a few times, she got annoyed.

She slapped Herman Hawthorne so hard his face hit the car window.

Ethan Ellsworth saw what happened in the back seat through the rearview mirror and had to stifle a laugh.

He knew Herman Hawthorne’s tolerance for alcohol; even after drinking so much, he wouldn’t be this drunk.

The only explanation was that he was doing it on purpose.

Zoe Ellsworth saw Herman Hawthorne’s face pressed tightly against the window, completely still.

Several minutes passed.

’Did I actually knock him out?’ she couldn’t help but think.

So, she leaned in to check on him. But just as she did, he suddenly flipped over.

Zoe Ellsworth was stunned by the sudden movement. By the time she realized what was happening, she tried to push him off but couldn’t.

Remembering that her brother, sister-in-law, and niece were in the front, Zoe Ellsworth felt like Herman Hawthorne had utterly humiliated her, leaving her with no face to show.

”Damn it, get off!”

”No.”

”Fuck!”

”That’s exactly what I have in mind!”

Zoe Ellsworth didn’t dare shout anymore, silently letting him do as he pleased.

By the time the car stopped at the Ellsworth Residence, he had already groped her from top to bottom.

Because he was straddling her, Ethan Ellsworth in the front couldn’t see what he was doing.

The family of three in the front tactfully got out of the car.

Instantly, only the two of them were left in the car.

In the darkness, his eyes were exceptionally bright. His breathing grew heavy and ragged in her ear, carrying a searing heat.

”Herman Hawthorne... My brother, sister-in-law, and niece were right there, and you actually... Have you no shame...?”

He actually laughed. ”Shame is worthless. I don’t want it. I only want you.”

”I can see you’re not drunk. Drive yourself home. I’m going back to sleep.”

As she tried to get out of the car, he forcibly held her down. ”Let’s sleep together.”

”I don’t want to sleep with you.”

”But I do...” he continued doing as he pleased.

A shiver ran through Zoe Ellsworth. She glared at him. ”Herman Hawthorne, we’re in front of my house! What the hell are you trying to do?”

”Zoe, I’m drunk,” he murmured, his head resting on her neck.

”I thought you were drunk at first, too. But now I see the drunkenness is just an act, and being a pervert is your real goal! You want to sleep with me, don’t you?” she said, cutting straight to his motive.

”Since you put it that way, it would be rude of me to refuse.” Herman Hawthorne picked up a remote from the front seat.

The car windows instantly locked and the curtains drew shut. He pinned both of her hands and kissed her like a raging storm.

Zoe Ellsworth’s mind went blank, and her voice softened considerably.

”Don’t... the baby...”

”I’ll be very, very gentle... Zoe... let me...”

Zoe Ellsworth was practically burning with frantic anger, but she couldn’t get out. She felt like this was just like her shitty life—if you can’t fight it, you might as well lie back and enjoy it...

Seeing her fall silent, Herman Hawthorne slowly pulled off her pantyhose with both hands.

It had been so, so long since he had been with her. Herman Hawthorne restrained himself, his movements truly gentle, terrified that the slightest misstep would hurt her.

Their intimate struggle ended quickly.

He pulled her pantyhose back on for her and sat beside her.

Just as he was about to say something, her cold, emotionless voice cut through the car. ”Open the door.”

Herman Hawthorne froze for a moment, then took out the remote and unlocked the door.

She got out.

He got out as well and followed behind her.

Zoe Ellsworth’s hands clenched into fists. She spun around. ”Why are you still following me? Herman Hawthorne, I, Zoe Ellsworth, will just write off what just happened as being bitten by a dog. But I’m not going to get bitten by a dog every time. You remember that. We are divorced. Even though I’m carrying your child now, that only means you’re the biological father, and nothing more. Our divorce was ninety percent your fault. Don’t you dare bring love into this. I’m not a three-year-old. You didn’t love me for years, and now you suddenly love me the moment we’re divorced? So, if you want me to believe you, then show me that your heart is one hundred percent mine. If it’s not, then stop bothering me. I’m still young. Even if I’m a widow, I can still find love again, you know?”