Chapter 197: Chapter 195: As Long as I Want You, You Are Mine (Part 1)
She could hardly believe her eyes. A closer look confirmed she wasn’t mistaken.
So, it was Nora Ainsworth who had occupied his heart all this time.
Only her.
No one else could ever catch his eye.
Charlotte Young clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh without her even noticing.
Quentin Grant sped away in his car and pulled up in front of his house.
His hands remained on the steering wheel, unmoving. Tonight, his heart was a mess.
When she, blindfolded, had touched his face, Quentin Grant couldn’t forget the cool sensation of her fingers on his eyes, the bridge of his nose, and even his lips.
The instant she lowered her hand, he and Ethan Ellsworth had discreetly switched places.
That was why Nora Ainsworth saw Ethan Ellsworth when she turned on the lights and removed her black blindfold.
He pushed open the car door, got out, and instinctively glanced at the apartment floor across the street.
As if she were right there, inside.
He strode toward the Men in Black and came to a stop right in front of them.
"Last time, you let Catherine Callahan in. I was too lenient with your punishment. This time... how should I deal with you?"
The captain stepped forward, standing ramrod straight. "Young Master, it absolutely won’t happen again. Both times, Miss Callahan basically threw a tantrum and forced her way in. I’ve already ordered men to install a video intercom on the main gate, so please, rest assured, Young Master. There won’t be a next time!"
"Hmph. There won’t be a next time, but I’m definitely not letting you off easy for this one! Every one of you, give me three hundred push-ups, five hundred sit-ups, and thirty laps around the courtyard!"
He stood there and declared, "I want you to remember this: my orders must be followed without question. I don’t care if it’s a woman or a child—you drag them out!"
The Men in Black on duty were dejected. One of the bolder ones spoke up, "Young Master, it wasn’t our team on duty last time."
"I mean *all* of you. Everyone in the basement, get out here and do it too. Anyone I catch slacking off will do double!"
Quentin Grant’s lips were pressed into a tight line as he stood before them, berating them like a drill instructor.
After he left, the several thousand Men in Black were left utterly miserable and dejected.
Every single one of them gnashed their teeth in hatred for Catherine Callahan.
And they swore to themselves: they would die before letting her in again!
Listening to the exhausted, panting sounds from the courtyard below, Quentin Grant sat on his balcony and gazed at the sky, his heart feeling utterly desolate.
He had no interest in other women, nor did he want any. So, he had secretly acquired an inflatable doll—a perfect replica of her, right down to the identical figure—to satisfy his physical needs.
Quentin Grant threw it away after using it just once.
It had her eyebrows, her eyes, and her body, but it wasn’t *her*.
’If she came back to my side,’ he thought, ’I wouldn’t let her suffer the slightest injustice ever again, no matter how my family might object.’
’As long as she still loves me.’
But now, it seemed completely impossible.
If he wanted to be with her again, he couldn’t go on groveling. The only way forward was to find her weakness, exploit it, and make her come to him of her own accord.
It was the only way.
Quentin Grant’s heart clenched with resolve. Tomorrow, he would wait for her to show up at his door.
That evening, while standing on his balcony with a cup of tea, Ethan Ellsworth noticed Chloe Marshall was out on hers as well.
She was leaning over, peering toward apartment 805 and even hopping up for a better look from time to time.
Ethan Ellsworth turned, walked out of his apartment, and knocked on her door.
"Boss Ellsworth?"
"What were you looking at on the balcony? Didn’t I tell you not to be so nosy?"
Chloe Marshall swallowed hard, then said, "Boss Ellsworth, come take a look. It’s different this time."
"See? It’s different this time. Look, I even recorded it." She handed him her phone.
She noticed he seemed a little off.
"Boss Ellsworth—what’s wrong with you?" Chloe Marshall took the phone back from him. Seeing his constipated expression, she couldn’t help but ask.
"It’s too hot in here."
Chloe Marshall looked around and shook her head. "No, it’s not. It’s November, it’s freezing. How can you be hot?"
"I said it’s hot, so it’s hot!" he bit out. "I’m going back to my room to sleep."
"Boss Ellsworth, I don’t understand."
"You don’t need to understand anything. All you need to understand is that if a man tries to take your clothes off in the future, you absolutely cannot let him," he lectured earnestly.
Chloe Marshall was exasperated. "Boss Ellsworth, I’m not an idiot. I’m twenty-one years old. You really think I don’t know that?"
"You’re so dense, so I’m just reminding you, aren’t I? Be honest with me. You said you had a boyfriend before. Did you two... you know?"
Chloe Marshall found this laughable. ’Isn’t *he* my first love?’ she thought. ’Besides, it was always unrequited. How could we have ever been ’together’?’
"No."
"Are you two still in contact?"
"No."
Ethan Ellsworth nodded, satisfied. "Good."
He then continued, "That way, you live up to your name, Chloe."
Chloe Marshall was sitting beside him, a little too close. "Boss Ellsworth, then... will you take off another woman’s clothes someday?"
"Naturally, that day will come."
"If you’re going to, why can’t I? That day will come for me too, sooner or later."
Ethan Ellsworth turned his head. "Because I said so."
Chloe Marshall sounded hurt. "I can’t stay unmarried my whole life."
"You’re the daughter-in-law my mom has her heart set on right now."
"But that’s fake."
Ethan Ellsworth didn’t reply immediately. "When you find a man you truly love, it won’t be too late to get married. But you have to bring him to me first. He has to pass my inspection."
"Boss Ellsworth, you’re not my family. Why are you being so nosy?"
Ethan Ellsworth was taken aback by the question. He thought for a moment, then turned and ruffled her hair. "You, all boobs and no brain. You’re my employee, after all. I’m just worried you’ll get tricked."
"You used to say I was flat-chested with no butt, and now you’re saying I’m all boobs and no brain! Well, if you ask me, Boss Ellsworth, you might have a brain, but you don’t have a chest either!"
A metaphorical crow flew over Ethan Ellsworth’s head.
"I’m a guy. It’s normal for me not to have a chest. It’d be weird if I did. I have an eight-pack, though."
"Abs? For real?"
Ethan Ellsworth grinned confidently. "For real. Feel them yourself if you don’t believe me."
Chloe Marshall actually reached out to feel them. He was telling the truth! She was incredibly excited. "Wow, they’re real!"
"Would I lie to you?"
She was clearly excited, oblivious to the problem her little hand was starting.
He suddenly pulled her into his arms.
Chloe Marshall froze, startled. Her heart began to race, and she could hear it pounding with perfect clarity.
"Boss Ellsworth!"
"Don’t move!" he said, holding her, his breath coming in shallow pants.
Chloe Marshall didn’t dare to move. In that moment, an incredible sense of security washed over her. ’Being held in his arms feels so good.’
Mustering her courage, Chloe Marshall raised her arms and boldly wrapped them around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder, her cheek pressing against his jaw.
Neither of them moved. The distance between their two hearts seemed to close. Though no words were spoken, they both secretly cherished this quiet moment. He had asked himself before: if another man took her innocence, would he go mad with rage? He knew the answer.
