Chapter 125: Chapter 123: Hurry Back for a Thorough ’Exchange’ (3)
She paid for everything in one go and still had over a hundred thousand left.
Nora Ainsworth then went to a furniture store. After picking out the essentials, she bought all her household necessities and groceries in one trip. By then, she was exhausted.
She made the bed, put on the duvet cover, and cleaned the entire place, all in one go.
Lying in bed, Nora Ainsworth closed her eyes. From now on, she was all alone, but she finally had a home of her own.
When Quentin Grant woke up in the morning, he frowned, a throbbing pain in his temples.
He got out of bed, poured a glass of water, and took a few sips before his surroundings came into focus. He was still at his own home.
’But was that dream last night real?’
’If it wasn’t real, why was it so vivid?’
’Was his longing for her making him sick?’
He gave a bitter smile, set down his cup, and went downstairs.
Ethan Ellsworth and Herman Hawthorne were actually playing chess. A newspaper was laid out on the table. Quentin Grant glanced down, and despite his foul mood, he couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
"This—" He pointed at the newspaper headline, speechless.
Ethan Ellsworth was the first to look up. "Can’t you see we’re playing chess to quell the rage in our hearts?"
Quentin Grant grinned. "Whose column is this? The headline reads, ’According to an eyewitness report: A-list actor Ethan Ellsworth and university professor slash Taekwondo master Herman Hawthorne are gay!’"
He turned to look at the two of them. "What did you two get up to last night?"
Ethan Ellsworth tossed his chess piece down, leaned back on the sofa, and recounted what happened last night.
After Quentin Grant heard the story, he said, "So, you, an A-list superstar, now have people thinking you’ve been turned gay. Looks like you’ll need a press conference to set the record straight."
"Already cleared it up. Around five this morning, my mom and Herman’s mom called each other, crying their eyes out, to confirm. It scared them half to death."
Quentin Grant was speechless. "What were you two doing at a dance club?"
Ethan Ellsworth shot back, "Weren’t you there too? Did you forget? We all went together after dinner at the hotel. You got drunk and went upstairs to find a suite to sleep it off. The three of us had to check room by room to find you. You’re really something else."
"So, I was the one who got drunk." He let out a dry laugh. ’No wonder I dreamed of her. Nora Ainsworth... when I didn’t love you, you were always around. Now that I do, you won’t even give me the chance to spoil you. You had the nerve to make me fall for you, so have the nerve to let me love you for a lifetime.’
"Drunk out of your mind," Herman Hawthorne said, taking a light sip of his coffee.
Ethan Ellsworth stretched. "Young Master Grant, have you ever noticed? Sometimes, alcohol is a wonderful thing. When you’re drunk, you don’t have to think about anything."
"Are you trying to tempt me into becoming a drunk?"
"A few days of it now and then isn’t a crime, is it?" Ethan Ellsworth said languidly, crossing his legs. "But I have to give you a heads-up. Are you planning on dating Charlotte Young? Or is she trying to replace Nora in your heart?"
"I have no feelings for her. But she’s a very smart woman. She knows what she should and shouldn’t do," Quentin Grant said, offering his assessment.
Ethan Ellsworth slapped his thigh. "I know your mother is pressuring you to get married. Why not find a smart woman to deal with it for now?"
Herman Hawthorne slumped sideways, lying down on the sofa, and shared his own thoughts. "Quentin, if you hadn’t taken a fancy to Nora first, I might have made her mine. At the very least, I truly wouldn’t have let her get hurt. Do you know what I whispered in her ear that night?"
"What?"
"I told her that you cared about her, and that it was a shame for you two to miss your chance," Herman Hawthorne recounted unhurriedly.
Quentin Grant narrowed his eyes. "What did she say?"
"She said—" Herman Hawthorne’s voice grew softer and softer. "You two were just playing around. Why take it seriously?"
Before Quentin Grant could speak, the sound of high heels echoed.
The three men looked over to see Charlotte Young walking in, dressed in an expensive autumn outfit.
She sat down next to Quentin Grant, set down her purse, and asked in a soft, gentle voice, "Quentin, have you eaten breakfast?"
Ethan Ellsworth mimicked her, holding his fingers in a delicate orchid shape and pitching his voice high and shrill. "Quentin, have you eaten breakfast?"
Charlotte Young blushed slightly. Quentin Grant shot a glare at Ethan Ellsworth before looking coolly at Charlotte. "Is there something you need this early in the morning?"
Charlotte Young explained, "Well, I saw your company is hiring a female assistant, and I wanted to apply."
Ethan Ellsworth smiled knowingly. "You’re hoping to gain an advantage by being close, is that it?"
Charlotte Young didn’t deny it. "I just want to be a little closer to Quentin. I hope we can start by being friends."
Ethan saw right through her tactic of feigning retreat to advance.
"The selection of the assistant is up to the HR department. If you want to apply, you’ll have to compete fairly there."
Charlotte Young chuckled lightly. "Yes, I’m planning to."
"It’s just that, Miss Young, you’re a socialite from a good family. You’re not short on money. If you take a job as an assistant, will your parents know?"
Charlotte Young smiled. "One needs experience. I still prefer to rely on myself."
Herman Hawthorne scoffed. "But from what I know, Young Master Grant likes women who depend on him for everything, doesn’t he?"
Charlotte Young’s expression changed. "Is that so?"
Quentin Grant didn’t want to discuss the topic further. "Weren’t you going to apply? You should go. I’m not going to the office this morning."
"Alright, I’ll be going then." She stood up and walked out of the living room with the grace of a refined lady.
Ethan Ellsworth laughed without a care in the world. "Ah, Young Master Grant, you’re quite the lady-killer."
"I’d rather just have her back. Even if it meant I couldn’t have anything else, I’d be willing."
Ethan Ellsworth froze, his smile stiffening. "Shoot, I have to catch a flight abroad soon. I’ve got a few scenes to film. I’m heading out."
"Go on, go."
The living room fell silent. Herman Hawthorne looked at him. "If you had another chance, would you still let go of her hand?"
Quentin Grant looked back at him, his voice long and distant. "If I had that chance, I would rather have never met her at all. That way, at least, she would still be alive and well."
*
Leon Lynch sat on his balcony day after day. Seeing her son so depressed and silent for several days straight, Mrs. Lynch couldn’t help but worry.
She brought a bowl of chicken soup she’d made up to his bedroom. Standing in the doorway, she saw him on the balcony, gazing into the distance.
Mrs. Lynch cursed Nora Ainsworth a thousand times in her head, set the bowl down, and walked out onto the balcony.
"Leon, are you trying to worry your mother to death?"
Leon Lynch turned around. "What is it?"
"You’ve been like this for days, barely saying a word, not even coming downstairs. You’re just hurting yourself! It breaks my heart to see you like this."
Leon Lynch turned back around, his voice low. "I just feel awful inside."
Mrs. Lynch stepped forward. "I know how you feel about that girl, but since she’s gone now, those who are still living have to live well. If she knew you were like this for her, do you think she’d be happy? Listen to me. Go on a trip. Clear your head."
"You can arrange it, Mom."
Hearing this, Mrs. Lynch nodded, feeling that her son was finally starting to move on.
Ethan Ellsworth was already on the plane. He wore sunglasses and read a magazine, his agent sat in front of him, and Chloe Marshall was seated next to him.
"Boss Ellsworth, when we get there, there will be a ton of paparazzi following you, even more than here. When you’re filming, please try not to act so disgusted with the lead actress."
Ethan Ellsworth didn’t even look at her. "Her bad breath is so strong, it’d be weirder if I wasn’t disgusted. Fucking bad luck. If I’d known she had halitosis, I wouldn’t have taken this project with her. Thank god it’s almost over. Otherwise, if she doesn’t go crazy, I will."
Chloe Marshall snatched the magazine from him. "Boss Ellsworth, you should get some sleep. I’ll wake you up when we’re about to land."
Ethan Ellsworth grunted in acknowledgement, took off his sunglasses, put on an eye mask, and started to drift off.
Chloe Marshall watched him, then leaned back in her own seat and closed her eyes to sleep.
After sleeping for over three hours, Chloe Marshall woke up. As expected, Ethan Ellsworth was still asleep.
When she felt they were about to arrive, she reached out, gently pushed his eye mask up to reveal his eyes, and called out softly, "Boss Ellsworth, we’re almost there. Wake up."
Ethan Ellsworth felt someone pulling at his eye mask and instinctively grabbed their hand. Chloe Marshall flinched, her body freezing as she looked down at the hand gripping her wrist.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw that he was holding her wrist. He immediately let go.
"Are we almost there?"
Chloe Marshall’s eyes flickered, and she nodded nervously. "Yes."
Neither of them spoke again.
After getting off the plane, they went to the hotel with the people who came to pick them up.
They dropped their luggage off in their respective rooms, and just as they were about to head to the filming location, they ran into the lead actress in the hotel hallway.
Ethan Ellsworth just glanced at her, intending to walk past.
"Ethan Ellsworth!"
He turned his head. "What is it?"
"I specifically had surgery, so I don’t have bad breath anymore. You don’t have to keep looking at me with that disgusted expression. In any case, I debuted earlier than you. I’m your senior."
"Have I ever said a single word about it?" Ethan Ellsworth retorted, turning to leave.
The actress recalled the time they finished filming a kissing scene. He had acted as if he’d kissed something disgusting, immediately rinsing his mouth out. The blow to her pride that time had been immense.
Once they arrived at the set, the lead actor and actress, who barely spoke to each other off-camera, immediately slipped into their roles the moment the director yelled, "Action!"
Chloe Marshall stood there, and for some reason, she found herself imagining she was the lead actress, playing out a beautiful love story with him.
When she realized what she was thinking, Chloe Marshall was startled by her own thoughts.
She tried to sort out her feelings and quickly returned to the hotel after they wrapped for the day.
She needed to calm down and be alone for a while.
When it was time for dinner, Ethan Ellsworth noticed she still hadn’t come downstairs, so he went to her room to find her.
He found her sitting dazedly on the edge of her bed. "Idiot, are you going to eat or not? You expect me to wait for you?"
Chloe Marshall snapped out of it and replied with a beaming smile, "Okay, Boss Ellsworth! Let’s go eat."
Ethan Ellsworth walked in front, and she followed behind.
Nora Ainsworth slept until after eight in the evening.
She flipped on the light and went to the kitchen to cook.
She steamed some rice in the rice cooker and fried up some ham and eggs.
Compared to eating with someone else, the atmosphere of eating alone was lonely, and she had no appetite.
After eating, she pulled open the curtains and sat on the balcony, watching the brightly lit streets below.
All sorts of sounds drifted up to her ears.
Because "Lips in Motion" was right next door. This was the main reason Nora Ainsworth had chosen to live in this neighborhood.
She picked up a pair of binoculars and looked down, but as luck would have it, she saw a car that looked just like Quentin Grant’s.
