Chapter 128: Chapter 126: Hurry Back and Have a Good "Exchange" (6)
Only then did Quentin Grant say, "The night before last, in a private room at the dance club, I saw her. It was her face. I thought I was dreaming, but that’s why I’m sure of it—Nora is still alive!"
Ethan Ellsworth looked at Quentin Grant. "Hey, make sure you didn’t see the wrong person. If this is just one big mix-up, you’re the one who’s going to look pathetic."
Quentin Grant put his hand to his forehead. "Would it kill you to be serious for a second?"
Ethan Ellsworth grinned. "It’d be a fate worse than death."
The atmosphere lightened up. After the laughter and banter died down, Herman Hawthorne asked directly, "Did you call us all here just to tell us about your suspicion?"
"I want you guys to help me unmask her. You know how to act, right?"
Ethan Ellsworth raised his hand. "That’s my specialty!"
Quentin Grant nodded in satisfaction. "I have a feeling she’ll come again tonight. I can sense that running into her the last two nights was no coincidence."
"What if she doesn’t come?" Jean Grant worried.
"If she doesn’t, I’ll come here every night and wait for her to walk right into my hands. And then—" Quentin Grant’s tone shifted, but before he could finish, Ethan Ellsworth cut in.
"And then you’ll give her a good ’what-for,’ spice things up a bit, and have a tasty meal that lasts all night long!"
Quentin Grant grumbled, "What are you talking about? I was going to say, ’and then I’ll grab her tight and never let go of her hand again.’"
Everyone understood. Jean Grant was in a cheerful mood; seeing her brother so excited made her happy too.
They discussed the plan in low voices. With everything ready, all they had to do was wait for Nora Ainsworth to walk right into their trap.
However, as Nora Ainsworth looked through her binoculars at the parking lot of Quivering Lips, she spotted not only Quentin Grant’s sports car but also Ethan Ellsworth’s yellow Lamborghini.
She sat on her balcony and made no move to leave.
A small pendant lamp hung over the balcony. She was half-reclined there, holding a book.
’I guess it’s been too long since I’ve read the news.’
When Nora Ainsworth was halfway through the book, she slipped on her slippers and took out her laptop.
Headlines about her were still dominating the news.
Her finger clicked on a video of an interview with Leon Lynch at the Lynch Family’s home. Every word he said made Nora Ainsworth feel deeply that this man had truly given her his heart, while she had no way to return his feelings.
She was especially moved when the news report mentioned that Leon Lynch hadn’t been eating for days and looked terrible. She took out her phone and called him.
Unfortunately, the call went to a notification that his phone was off.
She logged into Weibo to check Leon Lynch’s account and found his latest post was from this morning. It read: "Gone traveling. Do not disturb. Need to clear my head. Maybe things will be better when I get back."
Nora Ainsworth took out the diamond ring that was strung together with the Jade Pendant. ’I’ll just wait until he gets back from his trip to return it,’ she thought.
In the blink of an eye, it was ten o’clock. Ethan Ellsworth was getting puzzled. "Don’t tell me she’s not coming?"
Herman Hawthorne, however, was very calm. "Let’s wait a little longer."
"If she showed up anywhere near the entrance to Quivering Lips, someone would have called. For now, it seems she hasn’t come."
Jean Grant’s phone rang. She walked to the restroom door to answer it. Two minutes later, she hung up and said, "Brother, something came up. I have to go."
"Don’t tell me you’re starting to stay out all night?" Ethan Ellsworth hadn’t actually meant to say that, but for some reason, the words turned sour as they left his mouth.
Jean Grant retorted irritably, "You used to stay out all night all the time, and did anyone say a word to you? Besides, I’m not even staying out all night. Mind your own business."
She pulled the door open and walked out, letting it SLAM shut behind her. Ethan Ellsworth’s expression darkened. Seeing the others looking at him, he forced a laugh. "Why does she always have to bring up the past? Doesn’t everyone have a past?"
Chloe Marshall poured a cup of tea and handed it to him. "Boss Ellsworth, have some tea."
Ethan Ellsworth also started to walk out. "I don’t want it. I have no appetite. Just leave it."
Chloe Marshall stood there silently, holding the tea with both hands. Then, she just lifted the cup and drank it all herself.
She forced a smile at the other two. "I’ll go check on him."
With that, she followed him out.
Jean Grant arrived at the spot where she had agreed to meet Marlon Marshall, by a bench not far from Quivering Lips.
"How did you get here so fast?" Marlon Marshall embraced her and affectionately kissed her forehead.
Jean Grant pointed to the big neon sign for Quivering Lips. "My brother’s in there. I went with him."
"Jean, I want to talk to you about something."
"What is it?" Jean Grant pulled away from him and sat on the bench.
"You already did your internship over the break. Now, during the first semester of your senior year, when you’re supposed to be interning, you’re already writing your thesis. That means you’ll have basically no pressure to find a job next semester. Your family can pull some strings to get you a guaranteed spot at the General Hospital, but I can’t do that. Jean, my mom wants me to go to grad school, and there’s still time to study for the entrance exams. Jean, I’ve decided to apply for grad school."
"Didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t apply for grad school? Why do you want to now? Is it because you’re afraid you won’t get into a good hospital? My family can help you," Jean Grant said urgently.
Marlon Marshall shook his head. "Your family doesn’t even know about us yet. If they help me like that, what will your parents think? I want to rely on my own abilities."
Jean Grant looked at him. "I know you want to rely on your own abilities, but the system is corrupt everywhere. Since we can help you, what does it matter? My parents will have to find out about us sooner or later anyway, so I might as well just tell them now. Just don’t apply for grad school. I don’t want you to. It’ll be harder for us to see each other if you do."
Ethan Ellsworth, who was standing nearby and had overheard them, approached the pair with a cold smile. "Since the man wants to rely on his own abilities, Jean, why insist on having your parents help him? If you don’t give him a chance to prove himself, how can your parents ever feel comfortable handing you over to him?"
Jean Grant whipped her head around and frowned. "Ethan Ellsworth, can’t you take a hint? This has nothing to do with you!"
"See? This is what I mean. Your head is full of crap, and you can’t recognize good intentions when you see them." Ethan Ellsworth’s eyes fell on their tightly clasped hands, and the sight was incredibly jarring.
"Ethan Ellsworth! My business is none of your damn concern!" Jean Grant stared back at him. "Why don’t you go back to my brother?"
"I’m just trying to give you some advice. A small-time guy like him always has an agenda. Jean Grant, would you please open your eyes? What is it about a man like this that has you so head over heels?"
Jean Grant flew into a rage, her words becoming uncontrolled. "What does it have to do with you? Even if he is a ’small-time guy,’ I like him! I like everything about him, from head to toe! Who are you to tell me what to do?!"
Ethan Ellsworth suddenly fell silent. He just stared at her, his heart feeling as if it had been torn to shreds by her words.
Chloe Marshall ran over. "Boss Ellsworth!"
Ethan Ellsworth turned and, for some unknown reason, suddenly ruffled Chloe Marshall’s hair. "Let’s go back."
Chloe Marshall could still feel his hand stiffly patting her head. She nodded, and the two of them walked away, one after the other.
Watching this scene, Jean Grant felt a tightness in her chest.
She sat back down and looked at Marlon Marshall. "He said all that about you. Why didn’t you say anything?"
