Chapter 107: Chapter 105: He Loves Her More Than He Thought (Part 1)
"Nicholas Ainsworth told me." He glanced back at her. "Will you be able to make it to class on time?"
Nora nodded. "Barely. My grades have never been the best, but they’re good enough. I just want to graduate normally, find a stable job, and then life will be perfect."
"So you don’t have any more specific plans for your future?"
Nora looked out the window. "I’m really enjoying my life as it is right now. As for romance, I’ll let nature take its course."
The car stopped in front of a restaurant.
The two had just gotten out of the car when, by a stroke of bad luck, they ran into Mrs. Lynch.
"Leon, what are you doing bringing her here?"
Leon was casual about it. "We’re here to eat. Mom, you should head back after you’re done."
Mrs. Lynch glared at Nora. "You little menace, when are you going to let my son go? Have all the other men in the world died? Why must you keep clinging to our family—"
"Mom!" Leon’s expression turned cold. "I was the one who sought Nora out. I’ve told you before, stay out of my business. Go home first. I’ll come back after I eat."
Mrs. Lynch shot Nora a vicious glare before turning and leaving.
The two entered a private room and ordered from the menu. Leon said, "When we spoke on the phone a few days ago, you never mentioned what happened that day at the East Gate. To be honest, I’ve been thinking about it, and I still want to know. How exactly did you escape?"
Nora gave a pained smile. "I was lucky. I ran into the police, and they managed to rescue me. You went to the East Gate?"
"I did. I waited there for a long time but only found a film crew shooting a car crash scene."
Nora asked in return, "A film crew?"
Seeing that he wasn’t lying, she understood everything with crystal clarity.
"So it was a film crew. I thought it was a real car accident," she said slowly.
Leon noticed she looked pale and said, "You’ve gotten thinner again recently. Nora Ainsworth, can’t you just eat a little more?"
"But I always eat until I’m full." She propped her chin on her hands on the table. "This is just how I am. What can I do about it?"
He chuckled. "I’m going to fatten you up in the future."
"I’m not a pig. You can’t sell me for money."
Leon looked at her tenderly. "No amount of money could ever make me sell you."
Nora stood up. "I can’t stand you. I’m going to the restroom."
She got up and left. Just as she pulled the door open, she collided with a waiter carrying hot soup. Her hand was splashed by the scalding liquid.
The waiter apologized profusely. "I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry."
Nora shook her head with a smile. "It’s alright."
She looked down at the blisters already forming on her wrist, walked into the restroom, and turned on the tap to run cold water over it.
But when she lifted her head, she saw a man next to her, answering nature’s call. Her face instantly went pale.
"You—what are you doing in the women’s restroom?"
Quentin Grant pointed expressionlessly to the men’s urinal. "Do women’s restrooms have these?"
Nora’s mind went blank. With a trembling hand, she pointed at the object that had just brought her complete humiliation. "Excuse me, sir. I’m in the wrong restroom."
The moment she turned, Nora couldn’t ignore the coldness and distance in his demeanor. It was as if they were complete strangers.
She fled the restroom, escaping in such a disheveled state.
When she saw the sign that confirmed she had indeed just walked out of the men’s restroom, she wanted to scream.
’I must be losing my mind,’ she chided herself, filled with regret. ’How could I have been so blind?’
After calming herself down outside for a moment, she pushed open the door to the private room and went inside.
The food had already been served.
"Hurry up, it’s getting cold."
Nora mumbled an "Mm-hmm." Seeing her looking so gloomy, Leon uncharacteristically started telling jokes to cheer her up.
The meal ended half an hour later. She walked out the door first while Leon went to pay the bill.
As she reached the entrance, her gaze naturally fell upon a figure in a black trench coat.
Her steps slowed involuntarily.
Standing beside him was Catherine Callahan. Today, Catherine was wearing a red trench coat, her long, wavy hair draped over her shoulders, making her look like a guileless young woman.
She was saying something, but Quentin Grant seemed not to hear her, showing no reaction.
While Nora was lost in thought, Leon came out with the receipt.
"Let’s go."
He reached out and took her hand. Nora didn’t resist, and they walked toward the entrance together.
As they passed by Quentin Grant, Nora remembered his coldness in the restroom and straightened her back, whispering to Leon with a broad smile.
Catherine Callahan spotted her. Thinking Quentin Grant hadn’t seen her, Catherine said nothing, merely staring at Nora’s retreating figure.
It wasn’t until she looked up at Quentin Grant that she saw his gaze was still fixed in Nora’s direction, unmoving.
Catherine Callahan was a little angry, but her tone remained steady. "Quentin, if your mother hadn’t told you to have a meal with me, you wouldn’t have agreed. I always feel like you can’t get Nora Ainsworth out of your head. I feel like you still care about her a lot."
He lowered his gaze. "When she was here, you wanted nothing more than to destroy her. Now that she’s gone, you’re going to be jealous of a ghost? Catherine, there’s no need. She can’t compare to you at all."
’Even if she could, she wouldn’t measure up. What’s the point?’
Catherine Callahan deliberately avoided looking at his face and just said softly, "I hope this ghost is truly just a ghost. I never used to envy couples who were in love with each other. But now, I’m suddenly realizing that it’s not easy to truly win someone’s heart."
"It’s getting late. Let’s go back."
He started down the steps without her.
Catherine Callahan followed him, getting into the passenger seat. She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong, but she felt a deep sense of unease.
Just as Quentin Grant was about to put the car in gear, she suddenly turned her head and kissed him unexpectedly.
He instinctively recoiled.
He pushed her away.
Catherine Callahan’s head hit the glass window with a THUD. She looked at him, and tears instantly streamed down her face.
"You can be with her so easily, so why can’t you be with me—?"
He averted his gaze, his lips moving slightly before he finally said, "From now on, stay at least an arm’s length away from me."
It wasn’t a rejection, but it was crueler than one. It wasn’t an explanation, yet it was more devastating than a killing blow.
She hunched over, sobbing muffledly. He watched her trembling shoulders and released the hand that was about to turn the key in the ignition.
Finally, he pulled her into his arms.
"You and I can’t have a future together. What’s wrong with being friends? At least we can be in each other’s lives forever. We’ll never break up... as long as you behave."
"But I don’t want to be your friend! I want to selfishly have you all to myself. Quentin, let’s just pretend none of this ever happened. Let’s get back together. I won’t hold anything against you, as long as you’re still with me."
