Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Nora Ainsworth touched her blow-dried hair. Thinking of his words, a blush slowly crept onto her face, and her eyes grew hazy. ”What more important things are there to do?”

He kicked off his shoes, climbed onto the bed, and pulled her tightly into his arms. His voice was quite hoarse. ”What do you think? In Grestin, I was holding myself back the entire time. Do you have any idea how much I’ve wanted to be with you since the moment I saw you?”

Nora Ainsworth snuggled deeper into his embrace and chuckled. ”Look at you, so impatient. You’re almost thirty, why are you still acting like a young buck?”

”It’s because of you. You’re always blushing like a young girl, so of course I have to match you. I need to keep my energy limitless so I can be with you forever and ever, don’t you think?”

”You devil.” She tapped his chest gently.

He laughed. ”A devil who’s only a devil to you is a good devil.”

”...”

In the early morning, just as the sky began to lighten, the doorbell of the Grant Residence rang insistently. The butler hurried to open the door. ”What is it?”

The captain of the Men in Black stood at the door. ”The Young Master sent me to inform the Madam as soon as it was light out. The Young Madam’s mother has been successfully rescued.”

Upon hearing this, the butler immediately nodded. ”Very good. I will report this to the Madam at once.”

The captain nodded. ”Also, the Young Master instructed that the Madam should not go over until eight o’clock. Everyone returned late last night and is quite exhausted.”

”Very good.”

The butler turned and walked toward the living room. After glancing at the clock on the wall, he waited for half an hour before going upstairs to knock on the door.

”What is it?” Mrs. Grant’s voice came from inside the room.

”Madam, someone from the Young Master’s side came in person to report that the Young Madam’s biological mother has been rescued.”

The moment he finished speaking, Mrs. Grant shot up from the bed, hastily put on her slippers, and opened the door. ”Really?”

”It is indeed true.”

”Then I must go over right now...” She turned to go back inside and change, but the butler quickly added, ”He also said you shouldn’t go before eight o’clock. They got home very late, and everyone is tired.”

Mrs. Grant froze, then turned her head. ”I understand. You may go.”

Closing the door, Mrs. Grant quickened her pace toward the wardrobe.

She opened the wardrobe and quickly picked out an outfit. After changing, she sat down to do her makeup. She dawdled until it was finally seven-thirty.

She came downstairs, impeccably dressed. Mr. Grant, just back from his morning exercise, saw her in formal attire and was rather perplexed. ”What are you doing so early in the morning?”

”Hurry upstairs and change. There’s no time to waste. Nora’s Mom has been rescued.”

Hearing this, Mr. Grant rushed upstairs. Ten minutes later, he had changed into a different suit.

The two of them hastily ate breakfast and had the driver take them to the upscale residential complex.

When they arrived at Quentin Grant’s front door, it was exactly eight o’clock.

A Man in Black opened the door and invited them in.

Just as she stepped into the living room, Mrs. Grant cried out, her voice thick with emotion, ”Faye!”

Faye Sinclair rose from the dining table and slowly looked at her, her eyes slightly red. ”It’s you...”

Mrs. Grant took a few steps forward, about to drop to her knees. ”It is, it’s me... Faye, I never thought we would see each other again. Please, forgive me. Forgive our whole family...”

Faye Sinclair quickly caught her, stopping her from kneeling.

”Don’t be like this. It wasn’t your fault that Nina was taken back then. I’ve had time to think it through.”

Mrs. Grant nodded tearfully. ”Thankfully, Quentin and Nora are together now. They even have two children. All that’s left is the wedding.”

Faye Sinclair took her hand. ”Come, sit down.”

Nora Ainsworth looked at Mrs. Grant but couldn’t say a word. ’Some things aren’t so easily forgotten.’

Seeing her daughter’s lack of reaction, Faye Sinclair could vaguely guess what was going on.

”Did you... do something to our Nora in the past...?”

Mrs. Grant sighed. ”Before, I didn’t know Nora was your daughter. Not only did Claire Sinclair impersonate you, but her daughter also pretended to be your child. She even showed me a fake Jade Pendant, claiming she was your real daughter. I’ve always felt so guilty about what happened to you and your daughter, so I doted on her, giving her whatever she wanted. But who knew she would hurt Nora time and time again? Even though I thought her actions were awful, I kept thinking she was your daughter, so I indulged her repeatedly. I am also greatly at fault for hurting Nora and Quentin.”

Hearing this, Faye Sinclair didn’t know what to say. After all, some emotional knots can only be untangled slowly, and some wounds need time to heal.

”Claire Sinclair is with Toby Dalton. As for Catherine Callahan, I know where she is.”

”Where?”

Nora Ainsworth looked at Quentin Grant. ”With Nicholas Ainsworth. She was placed there for a reason, of course.”

Quentin Grant replied calmly, ”Even though we know she’s Catherine Callahan, we have no direct evidence. If we want to deal with her, we’ll have to resort to underhanded tactics.”

Faye Sinclair waved her hand. ”Quentin, now that I’ve been rescued and Nora’s identity has been exposed, a meticulous person like Toby Dalton would never let Claire stay with the Ainsworth Family. She’s probably already returned to Grestin. Our first priority should be to ensure our family’s safety and prevent anyone else from being abducted. We also need to pay close attention to any news coming out of Grestin.”

Quentin Grant stood up and turned on the television. ”They promised me last night that they would issue a statement. Let’s check the news.”

He switched to a news channel. Sure enough, they were talking about it. Grestin was finally doing the decent thing for once.

Just as the news segment ended, Quentin Grant’s phone rang. He glanced at the number and held a finger to his lips, signaling for silence. ”It’s from the higher-ups.”

He then answered, ”Hello.”

”...”

”Yes, I understand.”

After hanging up, he immediately stood up and went upstairs. A moment later, he was walking back down, putting on his suit jacket as he went.

”Quentin, what is it?”

”They didn’t give details. Only that the president wants to meet with me personally.”

He looked toward the door as he walked. ”Get the car ready. We’re going to the Capital.”

Watching him leave, everyone knew what was happening. Forcing Grestin to issue a statement admitting its mistake was sure to get the attention of the top brass.

The only question was what, specifically, they wanted to discuss with him.

”Mommy, you haven’t given your babies any kisses since you got back.”

Nora Ainsworth wiped her mouth and gave her two little ones a kiss each. ”There, happy?”

Dylan Grant got down from his chair, climbed onto the sofa, and looked at his tablet. ”Mommy, Daddy’s popularity is soaring again. There’s a hashtag on Weibo that says, ’Quentin Grant: Rich, Handsome, Powerful, and Has a Heart.’ Dad’s whole operation—rescuing his mother-in-law and making Grestin admit its huge mistake—has caused another massive surge in his female fanbase.”

”What are you trying to say?”

”I’m saying, Mommy, you’d better guard your territory. Because right below it, there’s another trending topic called ’Nora Ainsworth Is So Lucky.’ A lot of women are jealous of you, hahaha.”

Sierra Ainsworth, sitting next to Dylan, leaned over to look at the screen and said with a chuckle, ”My brother-in-law is so charismatic. As his sister-in-law, I’m incredibly proud.”

Nora Ainsworth didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”No matter how charismatic he is, he’s already taken. All these female fans online are just making a fuss over nothing.”

”Mommy, Mommy!” Elmer Grant spoke up. ”Do you know what the new catchphrase is online?”

”What?”

”’If you’re going to marry, marry a Quentin Grant—he’s the gold standard. It takes a millennium to earn a man like him; meeting him means your prayers have been answered.’”

”...”

Nora Ainsworth looked at Mrs. Grant, who was talking with Faye Sinclair. ”Mom, why didn’t Jean come?”

Mrs. Grant paused for a moment. ”Nora, are you... talking to me?”

Nora Ainsworth hummed in affirmation. ”Of course I’m talking to you. Quentin told me about what happened between Jean and Nicholas Ainsworth. She must be going through a really tough time.”

”She’s alright. A few days ago, she went with me to the Azure Cloud Temple and we brought back some Prayer Scriptures. She’s been reading them in her room these past few days, and her state of mind is much more peaceful now.”

”Prayer Scriptures?” Nora Ainsworth frowned. ”Jean isn’t... thinking of...”

Mrs. Grant didn’t try to hide it. ”I’ll support her in whatever she wants to do. The head nun at the temple read her face and her palm. She said Jean is fated to be alone for the rest of her life, and that no matter how many times she marries, she will get divorced each time.”

Nora Ainsworth suddenly remembered the first time she met Jean Grant a few years ago. Her pride and confidence had seemed so innate, so natural. But after two failed marriages, she had become like this.

’It just goes to show,’ Nora thought, ’for a woman, nothing matters as much as marriage. A wrong marriage is like jumping into a pit of fire. Even if you climb out alive, you’ll be covered in burns, left with scars that can never be touched.’

”As long as she’s happy, that’s all that matters.”

Mrs. Grant was clearly in high spirits. ”Exactly. Faye, let’s have a big dinner together tonight. There’s so much I want to say to you.”

Faye Sinclair didn’t refuse. ”Alright. But first, we should go pay respects at Nora’s adoptive mother’s grave. If she knows what has happened in the afterlife, she will surely be gratified.”

”I’ll go with you.”

Nora Ainsworth nodded. ”Okay.”

The group arrived at Joel Chaucer’s grave.

Because no one had ever visited, the gravestone looked desolate, and weeds grew wild all over it.

Nora Ainsworth stared at the photo and name on the headstone, her eyes turning red. She could never forget the sight of her mother dying right in front of her. She could never forget her falling from over a dozen stories high, the torrent of blood. That day felt like yesterday.

Nora Ainsworth pulled out the weeds one handful at a time. She arranged the offerings and a large bouquet of carnations.

”Mom, forgive me. The number of times I’ve visited since you died... I can count them on one hand. But I’ve never forgotten you in my heart, that’s the truth. I’ve found my birth parents, and today I brought your two grandsons to see you.” She turned her head and looked at her two little boys.

The two boys stepped forward in unison and called out, ”Grandma!”

Then they knelt and kowtowed several times.

Faye Sinclair spoke up. ”I’m Nora’s birth mother. Although you took my Nora away from me, causing us to be separated for over twenty years, I no longer hate you. In fact, I’m very grateful to you now. Thank you for raising our Nora so well. Thank you for supporting her all these years, for seeing her through university, for filling the void I left in her life. You will always be Nora’s mother...”

Nora Ainsworth looked at the photo on the tombstone. The originally expressionless face in the picture seemed to smile at her. She stood there as tears streamed down her face...