Chapter 143: Chapter 141: From Now On, I Love Him
Master Grant had three sons. Mr. Grant, the eldest, had a son and a daughter. Second Grant also had a son and a daughter, and Grant had one son. Quentin Grant was the current legal representative of the Grant Group. If he had no children, the entire Grant Group would one day fall to the grandsons of Second Grant and Grant.
Even if Quentin Grant agreed to that, Mr. and Mrs. Grant never would.
’At this thought, Nora Ainsworth felt like she was just worrying over nothing, letting her imagination run wild with impractical ideas.’
"I’m off. You should head to the office, too."
Quentin Grant took her hand, and they left together.
He dropped her off at the entrance to Ethan Ellsworth’s company before heading to his own.
Nora Ainsworth walked to the dressing room, where Ethan Ellsworth was already ready.
Chloe Marshall was practically bouncing with excitement. "Nora, this is your first time working with Boss Ellsworth! A handsome man and a beautiful woman—it’s such a feast for the eyes."
Nora Ainsworth smiled. "Chloe, are you all ready? Let’s go to the airport."
Ethan Ellsworth didn’t look very happy, but he still forced a smile.
On the plane, Nora Ainsworth sat with Chloe Marshall, while Ethan Ellsworth sat behind them. Nora leaned in and asked, "What’s wrong with him? He looks pretty down."
Chloe Marshall whispered in her ear, "It’s probably because of Miss Grant. Besides her, not many people can get Boss Ellsworth this emotional."
Nora Ainsworth sighed. "It’s easy to sleep with someone, but winning their heart is incredibly difficult."
’She knew that from personal experience, especially with Quentin Grant.’
’Getting physical is simple, but winning a heart isn’t easy.’
’Their situation was special.’
"Loving someone always makes you feel small. The one being loved, on the other hand, can find any reason to torture your heart."
Chloe Marshall related deeply. "Nora, don’t laugh, but I’m experiencing my first love right now."
Nora Ainsworth’s curiosity was piqued. "Your first love? Who is it?"
Chloe Marshall smiled shyly. "The reason I’m embarrassed to say it is because it started as a crush, but now... I’m starting to love him."
"How long have you two been together?"
Chloe Marshall shook her head. "We’re not together. He doesn’t know I like him."
"A secret crush?!"
She leaned back in her chair. "It’s just bitter."
Nora Ainsworth lowered her voice. "I think I can guess... It’s Ethan Ellsworth, isn’t it?"
She glanced back at him but didn’t say anything. Whether Nora was right or not, only Chloe knew for sure.
"I don’t want him to know. It’s because... I’m not good enough for him. I’ll never be good enough. When you love someone, it’s enough to just know it in your heart. You don’t have to bother them with it. If I told him, we might not even be able to be friends anymore. And we could probably stay friends for a long time."
Nora Ainsworth understood what she meant and sympathetically squeezed her hand. "Chloe, the truth is, if you don’t say anything, you might never get a chance. If you do say something, even if you can’t be friends afterward, you can at least try to fight for it."
"Nora, I know what you mean. Let’s just... wait a little longer."
Mrs. Grant sat in the living room, not having touched her breakfast.
Her expression was grim. This was the first time Jean hadn’t come home for the night.
Mr. Grant sat beside her, his brow furrowed with worry. One of his children was a handful, and now the other was too.
A housemaid tried to persuade her again and again. "Madam, please have some breakfast. The young miss will be back soon."
Mrs. Grant waved her hand dismissively. "I have no appetite."
She had just finished speaking when the butler entered from the doorway. "Madam, the young miss has returned."
Mrs. Grant shot to her feet. Looking into the distance, she saw Jean Grant striding in, with Marlon Marshall by her side.
Seeing the situation, Mr. Grant also stood up. The couple instantly understood what had happened the previous night.
"Jean Grant, where were you last night?"
Jean Grant’s voice was flat, showing no sign of panic. "Haven’t you already guessed?"
Trembling with anger, Mrs. Grant stepped forward and slapped her across the face. "You wretched girl! Is this how I raised you?"
Jean Grant cupped her face, her eyes welling with tears. "Does that mean you want me to marry a man I don’t even like? I like Marlon Marshall, and I’m going to marry him!"
Mrs. Grant’s eyes narrowed. "So you wouldn’t care even if it meant being disowned right now, is that it?"
Mr. Grant stepped forward to mediate. "Let’s talk about this calmly."
"Talk calmly? As The Grant Matriarch, I will absolutely not allow our family to become a laughingstock! Tell me, are you going to break up with him right now or not!"
Jean Grant broke down. "Why is everyone so against Marlon Marshall? What’s so bad about him? I’ve already given myself to him, and you still won’t let me marry him?!"
Hearing such a result with her own ears, Mrs. Grant was in utter disbelief.
"You... say that again!"
Jean Grant, determined, repeated, "Mom, I slept with Marlon Marshall last night."
Mrs. Grant’s vision went black, and she fainted.
Mr. Grant quickly caught her. Jean Grant stood frozen, watching her mother faint, an indescribable feeling churning inside her.
Marlon Marshall stood beside her. From the moment he walked in until Mrs. Grant fainted, he hadn’t said a single word.
After helping Mrs. Grant to her bed and calling the family doctor to put her on an IV drip, Mr. Grant finally came out of the bedroom. He looked at the two people in the living room and said, "You’re Marlon Marshall, right? Go home for now. I need to speak with my daughter."
Marlon Marshall nodded and turned to leave the Grant Residence.
Mr. Grant patted the sofa. "Jean, come sit over here."
Jean Grant hesitated for a moment before walking over and sitting down.
"Dad, I’m sorry."
Mr. Grant didn’t fly into a rage. Instead, he spoke calmly. "Jean, your mother originally had high hopes for you and Ethan Ellsworth. Ethan’s mother and yours are close friends who see each other often. Marrying into the Ellsworth Family would have put your mother at ease. In the end, all she wants is for you to be happy. But this morning, she called Ethan and heard he already has a girlfriend, and she’s been on edge ever since."
"But I don’t love Ethan Ellsworth. A man like him is like the wind—completely unpredictable. I wouldn’t feel any sense of security with him."
"Can you tell all that just from the surface?" Mr. Grant completely disagreed with her. "I don’t think you’re necessarily right."
"It’s impossible for us to be together. Dad, why do you all have to push me like this?"
Mr. Grant sighed. "By acting like this, aren’t you pushing your mother, too?"
Jean Grant seemed to have lost all hope. "The more you forbid me from marrying Marlon Marshall, the more I want to marry him. Dad, I’m going to marry him."
"Jean, you haven’t even graduated. If you get married, how will you support yourself?"
"I won’t starve."
Mr. Grant stood up, said no more, and went upstairs.
He pushed open the bedroom door to find Mrs. Grant lying there with her eyes open, crying.
He closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed. "Don’t cry. You can’t keep a grown daughter at home. Try to hold on, and you’ll only make an enemy of her."
Mrs. Grant sobbed, "She’s not like Quentin. She’s a girl. Once she’s married and out of this house, she won’t have any company shares or anything. How is she supposed to get by? I raised her to have self-respect and self-love since she was a little girl, but it seems it was all useless when it mattered most."
