Chapter 109: Chapter 107: He Loves Her More Than He Imagined (3)
His eyes shone with excitement as he grasped her hand. "Nora, if you’re willing, I can give you a simple, happy life. We could watch the sunrise together, come home and cook dinner together at sunset. We might even have two cute kids who’ll call you ’Mommy’ and me ’Daddy.’ The girl would look like you, and the boy would look like me—"
He trailed off, noticing the woman before him was tearing up at his words, her eyes growing red.
"Nora, what’s wrong?"
She shook her head, pulling her hand from his and stuffing it into her coat pocket.
"The scene you just described... I’ve imagined it in my head so many times." Her gaze grew distant. "I’ve seriously thought about it, but I always felt like it was just a fantasy—something I could never have."
He turned her around to face him, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"Nora, if you won’t even take a single step toward love, how can you know you can’t have it? It doesn’t matter what kind of woman other people think you are. To the person who loves you, being with you is the pursuit of a lifetime."
Her expression suddenly changed. She hid her sentimental side and reverted to her usual tone. "Leon Lynch, you should head back. Look at the time. The meal you treated me to tonight was delicious. I’ll treat you next time, okay?"
Leon Lynch sighed. "Alright, I’ll head back. You get some rest. But before that, could I get a goodnight hug?"
Nora Ainsworth didn’t hesitate. She moved to give him a quick hug, but he opened his arms wide and pulled her into his embrace, holding her tight.
Downstairs, a pair of eyes inside a car stared at the embracing couple, wishing they could physically tear them apart with their gaze alone.
He spun the steering wheel, looked away, and drove off.
’I was just passing by,’ he told himself.
Time seemed to stand still for a few seconds. Then, she easily pushed him away. "Alright, that’s enough. Hurry back and be careful on the road. I won’t see you out."
Leon Lynch gave a helpless smile. "Okay. Goodnight."
*
「The next day at noon.」
Nora Ainsworth had just gotten out of class when she saw Mrs. Lynch standing not far from the classroom.
"Nora Ainsworth, I need to talk to you about you pestering my son." Her voice wasn’t loud, but since class had just let out, many students overheard her. They all wore expressions of dawning realization.
"Can we talk at the coffee shop across from the school?" she asked calmly.
"Whatever."
The two walked to the coffee shop, one after the other, and sat down at a table by the window.
Nora Ainsworth spoke first. "Whatever you have to say, just say it."
Mrs. Lynch took a shallow sip of her coffee and said bluntly, "I want you to break up with my son. Name your price. You should know, it’s already taking a great deal of effort for me to sit here and talk to you this calmly."
Nora Ainsworth had expected this. Sure enough, that was exactly what she said.
"You’re overthinking it, Mrs. Lynch. I have no intention of marrying into the Lynch Family. Leon Lynch and I are just ordinary friends."
Mrs. Lynch replied smugly, "Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. And don’t think saying that will make me believe you’ll stop pestering my son so easily. To be frank, even if Leon is willing, I will never approve. Someone from a family like yours is completely unworthy of being the Young Madam of the Lynch Family. I’ve already started arranging blind dates for him with suitable girls, so you’d best give up this idea right now."
Nora Ainsworth nodded in agreement. "I’ve never debased myself by clinging to him shamelessly. You can rest assured. Like I said, I couldn’t care less about the position of Young Madam of the Lynch Family. And with a mother-in-law like you, I wouldn’t want to marry into the Lynch Family anyway."
"Couldn’t care less? I’m afraid it’s more like you can’t climb that high. If I see you two meeting again, don’t blame me for getting nasty and forcing you to drop out of school!"
"Don’t be so aggressive, Mrs. Lynch. Perhaps your actions will backfire. What if I actually agree to be with your son? Tell me, wouldn’t that make you even more deliriously happy?"
"You—"
"My time is limited, so I can’t talk any longer. In the future, Mrs. Lynch, you should save yourself the trouble."
She stood up, paid the bill, and left. Mrs. Lynch, holding her breath in frustration, let out a cold snort and left with her handbag as well.
**
Nora Ainsworth didn’t have classes in the afternoon, so when Chloe Marshall invited her to visit a film set, she figured she had nothing better to do and went.
The scene was being filmed in an elevator at a hotel.
Nora Ainsworth arrived a bit early. When she learned that filming hadn’t started yet, she went to find Chloe Marshall and Ethan Ellsworth in their hotel room.
She checked the room number. ’This should be it,’ she thought. She was about to ring the doorbell, but the door swung open with just a light touch.
She walked right in.
The scene before her left her stunned. It was Nicholas Ainsworth!
The crucial thing wasn’t that it was him, but what he was doing.
He was half-reclined there with his eyes closed, and a woman was beside him.
"Had enough of a look?"
Nora Ainsworth, however, let out a scornful laugh as if she didn’t know him. "You left the door open on purpose, didn’t you? Weren’t you hoping someone would walk in and watch?"
Nicholas Ainsworth coldly grunted at the woman by his legs, "Get out!"
The woman got dressed while he wrapped a bath towel around himself. The temperature in the room was quite high; after standing there for just a moment, Nora Ainsworth actually started to feel hot.
The woman left, and Nora Ainsworth was about to turn and leave as well, but he called out to her from behind.
"How did you know I was here?"
Nora Ainsworth pointed back over her shoulder. "Me? How would I know where the General Manager of Ainsworth Group Enterprises would be?"
"Then how did you so coincidentally end up in my room?"
"I was looking for Ethan Ellsworth. I’m here to watch him film."
Nicholas Ainsworth threw on some clothes, his expression suddenly darkening. "Watch him film? You know him well?"
"We’re acquainted."
"What’s your relationship?"
Nora Ainsworth got annoyed. "Why the hell should I tell you? You can keep on with your... fantasies. I won’t disturb you."
"Stay where you are!" He got up and moved closer to her. "Nora, are you that desperate to leave the moment you see me?"
Nora Ainsworth retorted, "And what, exactly, should I be desperate to do?"
He smiled leisurely. "I was actually thinking of asking you to dinner tonight. How about we go now instead?"
"No. I’m busy tonight."
"What about now?"
"Didn’t I just say? I’m busy now, too," Nora Ainsworth refused firmly.
His eyes darkened. "You have time to find Ethan Ellsworth and watch him film, but you don’t have time to eat with me? Is it because of what happened just now—"
Nora Ainsworth knew what he was referring to and immediately cut him off. "Don’t overthink it. I have no opinion on that matter. Thinking too much will only lead to pointless worries."
She offered a beaming smile. "I’ll be heading out now."
"Hold on!"
She broke into a run.
He actually chased after her.
