Chapter 110: Chapter 108: He Loves Her More Than He Imagined (4)
Nora Ainsworth saw him chasing her, so she kept looking back as she ran forward. In the end, she successfully crashed into a human wall.
"Nora Ainsworth!" Nicholas Ainsworth was panting, exhausted.
Seeing that she had stopped, he strode forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Why are you running? I haven’t finished what I was saying to you."
Nora Ainsworth glanced at the human wall she had just run into and cursed her rotten luck. ’How do I manage to run into him everywhere?’
’What in the world!’
She turned around and said to Nicholas Ainsworth with a beaming smile, "Mr. Ainsworth, you’re the General Manager of Ainsworth Group Enterprises. Do you want the media to catch you like this and make you a lifelong disgrace?"
Nicholas Ainsworth looked down and saw he was only in his underwear, which left him too furious to speak.
He wasn’t angry about anything else, but rather that she had caught him in such a compromising situation. The humiliation he felt in front of her was a blow to his pride that he couldn’t easily overcome.
"Is Mr. Ainsworth trying to make the headlines?" Quentin Grant said coolly.
"It was purely an accident." Though extremely displeased, Nicholas Ainsworth maintained his composure.
He immediately turned and went back. Luckily, no one else passed by.
In an instant, only the man and woman, once so familiar yet now like strangers, were left in the hallway.
Nora Ainsworth looked up, offering a smiling apology. "I’m sorry, sir. I bumped into you."
Quentin Grant’s expression was composed. "It’s alright. Bumping into me can be compensated. I remember once saving a woman from drowning at the beach and even giving her a ride. She said she would repay me, but I never heard from her again. You look a lot like her. I wonder if you’re the same person?"
Nora Ainsworth’s eyes widened. ’Is he playing innocent while trying to settle old scores?’
’But what about all the times he’s bullied me for no reason? How are we supposed to settle that account?’
"I also remember a wolf in sheep’s clothing who took advantage of me countless times and, like a tyrant, caused me great mental and physical distress. You look an awful lot like him. I wonder if you’re the same person?"
Quentin Grant’s long eyelashes fluttered. He looked at her with a half-smile. "In that case, perhaps we should get a closer look to make a proper judgment."
He took out a key card, opened the door to the suite next to them, and then turned his head. "Come in."
Nora Ainsworth’s mind was screaming at her, ’Don’t go in! Don’t go in!’
But her feet, as if controlled by someone else, moved in his direction.
The door was slammed shut with a BANG.
Immediately after, she was forcefully pushed onto the large bed, and his tall figure loomed over her.
Her ragged breaths were sharp in the quiet room. "What... what are you trying to do?!"
His hand caressed her hair with surprising gentleness. "What could I possibly do?"
Nora Ainsworth felt her composure fraying under the pressure of his intense, masculine presence.
"From now on, don’t go out after 7 p.m. No matter who calls to ask you out at night, don’t go. I hope you remember the lesson from the last two times you were hurt. Don’t let yourself fall into a trap for a third time."
He opened the door and walked out.
Nora Ainsworth was lost in thought, a sense of caution instantly rising within her.
When she left the room, she got a call from Chloe Marshall. After confirming the room number, she didn’t make a mistake this time.
Ethan Ellsworth was getting his makeup done with Chloe Marshall attending to him. Nora Ainsworth noticed that besides Chloe, Ethan also had a male assistant and a female agent with him.
"Nora, you’re here?" she called out softly.
Nora Ainsworth nodded. "Chloe, I see Ethan Ellsworth has several assistants now?"
"It used to be just me, but then two more came."
Nora Ainsworth nodded in understanding.
She sat down next to Ethan Ellsworth. "Young Master Ellsworth, the trip here was anything but smooth."
He grinned mischievously. "Did you run into Young Master Grant?"
"How did you know?"
He gave a smug smile. "Actually, Young Master Grant was at work. I was the one who tricked him into coming over."
"What do you mean by that?"
Ethan Ellsworth seemed rather excited. After the makeup artist was finally finished, he said enthusiastically, "I put my acting skills to the test. I called Young Master Grant in a shocked and frantic voice and told him you were in trouble at the hotel. I only managed to say that one sentence before he hung up. Five minutes later, he was here."
Nora Ainsworth was in disbelief. "Young Master Ellsworth, you—"
Ethan Ellsworth waved his hand dismissively. "Hey, I was just testing to see if he still cares about you. I didn’t expect him to actually have something of a conscience where you’re concerned."
Chloe Marshall chuckled softly. "Nora, Boss Ellsworth isn’t finished with the story. He hasn’t said how he explained things when Young Master Grant arrived."
Nora Ainsworth looked at Ethan Ellsworth. "That’s right, how did you explain such a ridiculous situation?"
Ethan Ellsworth pouted. "I just said that you, Nora, were supposed to come but hadn’t shown up, so I thought something had happened to you—"
"And then?"
Chloe Marshall stifled a laugh. "And then he got thoroughly chewed out by Young Master Grant."
Nora Ainsworth couldn’t help the hint of a smile that touched her lips. "Young Master Ellsworth, can you please not let things like this happen again?"
"It won’t! Come on, it’s time for my scene. Let me show you the charm of a top superstar!" He rose to his feet with a flourish, and the group proceeded majestically to the elevators.
The female lead, a popular young actress, had already arrived.
The scene between the two of them officially began.
All the staff members stood back. As the male lead, Ethan Ellsworth coolly smoothed his incredibly stylish hair.
Then, the moment the director yelled "Action!", he transformed in a split second into a profound, aloof man.
The female lead had just stepped into the elevator when he followed her in, pressing the button to hold the doors open.
"Will you ever just stop?!"
Tears quickly welled in Ethan Ellsworth’s eyes. "Don’t be like this. Let’s go home."
The female lead said resolutely, "I’m not going home. That’s your home, not mine!"
He quickly cupped her face in his hands and lowered his head.
Watching from such a close distance, Nora Ainsworth’s face flushed slightly.
She glanced over and was surprised to find that Chloe Marshall was even more engrossed in the scene than she was.
"CUT!"
The moment the director gave the order, the two leads separated. Ethan Ellsworth wiped his lips with his fingers, took the bottle of mineral water his male assistant handed him, took a sip, and spat it into a trash can.
Seeing this, the female lead, despite her fame, couldn’t help but feel a little humiliated.
Nora Ainsworth clapped. "Young Master Ellsworth, not bad! A true thespian!"
Ethan Ellsworth reverted to his usual self. "Of course! Nora, you have no idea how much self-control it took for me not to puke during that kiss."
As they walked, Nora Ainsworth asked, "Are you a germaphobe?"
He cursed, "Shit, it’s not about being a germaphobe! That actress has terrible bad breath, it was suffocating me! I’d rather kiss this fool here than her."
Chloe Marshall waved her hands frantically. "I couldn’t do it."
Ethan Ellsworth flicked her on the forehead. "Even if you could, I’d still have to think it over."
Chloe Marshall clutched her head. "Boss Ellsworth, can you please stop flicking me like that? It really hurts."
"Have you forgotten? The extra two hundred I give you in your salary each month is for this. If you don’t want it, I’ll stop giving it to you starting next month."
Chloe Marshall immediately surrendered. "Fine, I’m willing! Is that good enough?"
