Chapter 151: Chapter 149: If the Road Ahead Does Not Lead to Happiness, It Is a Bottomless Abyss
With his back to the desk, Ethan Ellsworth felt a little disoriented. Loving her had become a habit, and he was struggling to adapt to its sudden end.
He had wanted to give up countless times, yet he always found himself paying attention to her. This time, however, she was about to become another man’s bride. ’This habit... I have to get rid of it completely now.’
He forgot his own summer to fall in love with her winter. The cycle repeated, day in and day out, for eleven long years. Just like that, they were gone.
This moment felt different from the past few days. It felt as if his heart was being torn to shreds, overcome by a sudden urge to imprison her in the palm of his hand.
But he understood that some people could never be held, and some hearts would never be his.
Even unforgettable memories would eventually be smoothed over by time. Even if he couldn’t accept it, he had learned restraint.
He took out his phone and scrolled to his contacts. His finger hovered over her name—Jean. Finally, he deleted the number from his phone for good.
’Why can’t the heart be deleted with a single click? If it could, I’d delete certain people and memories just like that. Would my heart stop aching then?’
"Boss Ellsworth?"
Ethan Ellsworth turned around, and a single tear slipped from the corner of his eye. Chloe Marshall stared at him. "You’re crying?"
He reached up, wiping away the hot tear. His voice turned icy. "Is your work done? We have a variety show to attend tonight. Have all the preparations been made?"
Chloe Marshall placed a stack of documents on the desk. "This is the script for tonight’s taping. You should look it over. I’ll head out first."
Chloe Marshall left, her head lowered. She was the one who had put the newspaper on his desk. Ever since she’d started working for him, he had given her a standing order: any news regarding the Grant, Hawthorne, or Ellsworth families, or about himself, was to be placed on his desk for him to see.
It was the first time she had seen him so sorrowful—a grief so quiet he didn’t even realize he was crying.
’I want to hug him. I want to tell him that even without Jean Grant, he still has me. That I’ll never leave him, not until he gets married. But... if I say that, will I even be able to stay by his side anymore?’
’Perhaps the real sorrow is only just beginning. For me, the road ahead leads either to happiness or into a bottomless abyss.’
Nora Ainsworth went to the company for a personal meeting with President Harding. After carefully reviewing the contract, she readily agreed to its terms.
She signed the contract on the spot, right in front of Ethan Ellsworth.
From that moment on, she was an officially signed artist with Zenith Talent Agency, and Ethan Ellsworth’s junior.
According to President Harding, the company would immediately begin developing a modern, urban drama series tailored for her. They also planned to assign her a new agent, but Nora Ainsworth refused. She insisted on hiring Zeke Marshall, and even though he was a recent graduate with no experience, she was adamant.
President Harding stipulated that during the show’s pre-production, Zeke Marshall must study the fundamentals of being an agent, including how to handle the media. Nora would also have to undergo training. This would take about a month, right up until filming began.
Finally, as Ethan Ellsworth had been invited as a guest for a variety show taping that evening, President Harding had him bring Nora Ainsworth along to make her official debut.
The two commercials she had filmed earlier only counted as her entry into the business; this would be her official debut.
Nora Ainsworth readily agreed.
In Ethan Ellsworth’s office, he briefed her on how to handle potential questions from the host, then went over the rules for the show’s games.
Finally, he gestured for Chloe Marshall and Zeke Marshall to leave, indicating he had something to discuss with Nora Ainsworth alone.
Chloe Marshall took the hint and immediately left with Zeke Marshall.
Once they were alone in the room, Ethan Ellsworth asked bluntly, "So what’s the real story between you and Young Master Grant?"
"I realized we weren’t as compatible as it seemed on the surface. Besides, the gap between our worlds is just too big, and I have no desire to marry into a rich family. It’s better to end things here."
It was unclear whether Ethan Ellsworth believed her. He simply offered a faint smile before saying, "You do know that Young Master Grant got engaged to Charlotte Young today, don’t you?"
Nora Ainsworth was already prepared for this. She gave a slight chuckle. "Then I truly wish him all the best."
Her calm expression made Ethan Ellsworth secretly doubt that she could be so decisive without feeling any sadness at all.
"They kept it low-key. They just invited Charlotte Young’s parents to the Grant Estate to act as witnesses while they exchanged rings."
"That’s great. Isn’t Charlotte Young from a good family? And with Miss Callahan out of prison now, I’d say Young Master Grant is pretty lucky. I hope they get married soon."
"I don’t understand you two. Anyway, let’s go eat. There’s a hot pot restaurant next door. We’ll grab a private room. We need to head to the taping after we’re done."
Nora Ainsworth nodded. "Okay. I’m just going to the restroom first."
She left the room and went straight to the restroom. Sitting on the toilet, she pulled out her phone and started scrolling through the news.
The headline read: *Double Celebration for the Grant Siblings: Quentin Grant Engaged, Jean Grant’s Wedding Nears.*
The article followed below. ’Why did the very first sentence have to confirm it so concretely?’ she thought.
As confirmed personally by a Grant family elder, Quentin Grant was indeed engaged today. The identity of his fiancée is being kept confidential.
’He hadn’t been lying. He really meant what he said last night.’
’So that was it. No one in the Grant Family objected. They were now an engaged couple, accepting everyone’s well-wishes, while she had wisely removed herself from the contest.’
’No more being his secret lover. No more suffering Mrs. Grant’s scorn and ridicule. No more forcing Quentin Grant into a difficult position that would fill him with regret. Thinking about it that way, this was the first time she, Nora Ainsworth, had done something so magnificently right.’
’Her mind was perfectly clear, so why didn’t her eyes feel like her own? Why were they brimming with pain? Why did they insist on communicating such sorrow?’
’In this world, anyone can survive a breakup. Was she really the only exception?’
’Look at him. He’s doing so well, a man of his word. Why are you being so dishonest with yourself?’
Nora Ainsworth pulled out her foundation, touched up her makeup, and forced a smile at her reflection in the mirror before finally walking out.
The four of them shared a private room, and the atmosphere during the meal was pleasant.
Halfway through the meal, Ethan Ellsworth got a call from President Harding. "Ellsworth, I’ve got some reporters on their way to get a few shots. Don’t get tense; just act natural and keep eating."
He understood President Harding’s intentions and replied, "Got it, Boss. What, are you tracking us?"
"I was just leaving the office when I saw you all go into the hot pot restaurant, so I tipped off the reporters. It’s Nora’s debut; we need to generate some buzz."
Before he even hung up, the door swung open. Ethan Ellsworth quickly ended the call. He could tell at a glance that the woman, disguised as a waitress, was a reporter.
He tacitly allowed her to take photos with her phone.
After she left, he cleared his throat. "That was a reporter."
Nora Ainsworth seemed unfazed. "Reporters must be so bored. What’s so interesting about taking pictures of people eating?"
"Of course they’re not here for the food; they’re here for the people. Specifically, you. You’re just starting out, so you need a bit of hype. For instance, something involving you and your handsome agent."
Nora Ainsworth and Zeke Marshall stared at each other in bewilderment. "The two of us?"
