Chapter 153: Chapter 151: You’re My Woman, So Of Course I’ll Dote on You (2)
"He’ll be here any second."
Quentin Grant had just spoken when Herman Hawthorne walked in, closing the door behind him.
"It’s been a few days, Ellsworth. Did you miss me?"
Ethan Ellsworth rolled his eyes. "Do you have to keep revealing your... tendencies? I’m straight. Don’t even think about trying to turn me."
Herman Hawthorne sat on the other empty sofa and snorted, "Like hell! You think I’m interested in you?"
"Stop joking around. Can’t you see Young Master Grant is in a bad mood?"
Herman Hawthorne looked at him. "What’s wrong? You look so miserable. You called me today and said you got engaged. Isn’t that a good thing? Or are you feeling like you’re losing your bachelorhood too quickly and want to escape this sea of misery while you still can?"
"An engagement is a good thing, but it depends on who you’re engaged to."
Herman Hawthorne frowned. "What do you mean?"
Quentin Grant spoke up. "Nora broke up with me."
Herman Hawthorne’s jaw dropped. "What? Broke up? Why? Weren’t you two doing great?"
"She’s the one who initiated it."
"Then who are you engaged to?" Herman Hawthorne found the whole thing baffling. ’Is love really this fleeting?’
"It’s that Charlotte Young," Ethan Ellsworth chimed in. "Vile."
Herman Hawthorne was even more confused. "I feel like the world has gone crazy. I’m moving to another planet."
Quentin Grant couldn’t be bothered to speak. He closed his eyes and turned on his side, lying down on the sofa.
Herman Hawthorne looked at Ethan Ellsworth again. "Jean is getting married in a few days. I want to be mentally prepared... are you going to crash the wedding?"
"Young Master Grant just asked me the same question. He asked if Nora would crash his wedding to Charlotte Young. What do you think?"
Herman Hawthorne answered honestly, "Not likely."
Ethan Ellsworth said succinctly, "Same goes for me."
Herman Hawthorne fell silent. He opened a bottle of wine and poured three glasses. "Here, let’s have a drink."
Just as the two of them raised their stemmed glasses, Quentin Grant shot up, grabbed the bottle, and started chugging it straight from the neck. GULP, GULP, GULP.
After he finished, he stood up and walked toward the door. Ethan Ellsworth shouted, "Where are you going in the middle of the night?"
"Home."
Ethan Ellsworth let out a breath. "I thought you were going to find Nora."
His back was ramrod straight. "If she’s going to be like Catherine Callahan, I won’t force her. I said it before: if she leaves, she’s not to come back to me. No matter the reason."
Ethan Ellsworth was a little stunned. "Quentin, women can be a bit dramatic sometimes. If you go and say a few sweet things to coax her, she might come back. Honestly, I’ve always believed that nothing happens without a reason."
He didn’t say a word, just pulled open the door and walked out.
"Those two just had a few days of peace. Did they get tired of each other already?"
"Who knows. Let’s get out of here too. This place is getting more and more boring." Ethan Ellsworth stretched, and he and Herman Hawthorne left ’Lips in Motion’.
***
「The next day」
Nora Ainsworth’s name was indeed in the news, and just as Ethan Ellsworth had predicted, the headline read: "Rising Starlet Nora Ainsworth Suspected of Having a New Boyfriend."
This "new boyfriend" was, of course, referring to Zeke Marshall.
The article solemnly introduced her as Ethan Ellsworth’s junior and a newly signed artist at his company.
It also dug up her past history, rehashing the fact that she was once Leon Lynch’s fiancée.
Nora Ainsworth read the user comments below and immediately lost her cool.
A user named `My Girlfriend Janet Lane` commented: "Obviously, she was dumped by the Lynch Family and then latched onto a powerful backer. I wonder how much she charges to sleep with a company executive for a night?"
A user named `Descendant of Losers` commented: "Can you all stop talking about Nora Ainsworth? She’s got the looks, the body, and the skills. Once you really get to know Nora Ainsworth, you’ll understand what kind of person she is. It can be summed up in one sentence: she’s a whore. Verdict’s in."
This comment was the definition of high-level trolling.
It was also disgusting.
Nora Ainsworth stared at these two comments, a storm of rage churning inside her, but she decided to keep reading.
A user named `Blooming Flowers and Full Moon` said: "You can tell at a glance she’s had plastic surgery. How could she be so good-looking without it?"
Finally, a fan retorted to ’Blooming Flowers and Full Moon’: "If you’re jealous of her face, just say so. Do you have to be such a bitter hater?"
’Blooming Flowers and Full Moon’ replied to the fan: "I wasn’t talking to you. Mind your own business!"
The back-and-forth replies between the two of them took up an entire page.
Nora Ainsworth closed the news page, so angry her insides ached. "Fuck, do I even know you assholes? You’re just a bunch of shit-stirrers who spew crap and don’t wipe your mouths!"
Chloe Marshall brought in breakfast. "Nora, time for breakfast."
Nora Ainsworth picked up her soup and sat down. "Chloe, I’m really in the news. The comments underneath are horrible."
Chloe Marshall immediately pulled out her phone to check, and she was furious when she saw it. "How can these blind people say such things?"
Nora Ainsworth sniffled. "Let’s just ignore it. Hurry up and eat. We still have to go to the company after this."
Chloe Marshall nodded. "Nora, you eat first. I’ll go get Zeke."
Before they could finish eating, a call came from Ethan Ellsworth. "Get over here now. We’re leaving in ten minutes to shoot an MV out of town. Nora and your brother will start their training at the company and wait until everything for the new drama is fully prepared."
"Okay."
Chloe Marshall hung up, quickly grabbed her bag, and the other two left with her. On the way, she explained the details of the situation to Nora Ainsworth. When they reached the company entrance, Ethan Ellsworth’s car was already waiting. Chloe quickly got in, while Nora Ainsworth and Zeke Marshall went into the company building together.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Ethan Ellsworth scolded. "I’ve been waiting for you for over twenty minutes."
Chloe Marshall nodded. "I’m sorry, Boss Ellsworth. I woke up late."
The manager snorted, "You’re lucky Boss Ellsworth isn’t holding it against you. With any other artist, he would’ve told you to get lost by now!"
Chloe Marshall glanced at her and nodded in agreement.
They had just boarded the plane, and he hadn’t turned off his phone yet when a call came from Mrs. Ellsworth. "Son, come home tonight. Mom will cook for you personally."
"Mom, I just boarded the plane. I’m going out of town to shoot an MV. I’ll be back tomorrow."
"Then come back tomorrow night, and bring Chloe with you," she specifically instructed.
Ethan Ellsworth glanced at the assistant beside him. "Okay, I’ve got to go. I have to turn off my phone now."
Hearing this, Mrs. Ellsworth chuckled and said, "Wait, don’t hang up. Mom has to ask you, was that nourishing soup I gave you last time effective?"
Not wanting to disappoint the Empress Dowager with the truth, he could only say, "Very nourishing. I was glowing with health after drinking it."
"That’s great! Mom will make another bowl for you tomorrow night."
Ethan Ellsworth was speechless. Before he could say she didn’t have to, Mrs. Ellsworth said, "I’m hanging up," and ended the call.
He turned off his phone and glanced at Chloe Marshall beside him. "You’re coming to my house tomorrow night."
Chloe Marshall asked in return, "Am I spending the night?"
Ethan Ellsworth gave her a sharp rap on the head. Chloe Marshall clutched her head and wailed, "Ow!"
"Who told you to let your imagination run wild?" After saying that, he leaned in close and whispered, in a voice only the two of them could hear, "You’ve got no chest and no ass. What fun would it be to spend the night with you?"
