Chapter 320: Chapter 317: I Only Have Eyes for You (Part 1)
He was standing right in the doorway. Jean Grant was the first to see him, and she was startled.
Marlon Marshall silently took a photo of the two of them with his phone.
Although Jean Grant was furious, she couldn’t make a scene with Nicholas Ainsworth there.
The entire night was spent in torment.
「The next morning.」
Jean Grant immediately arranged for two people to stand guard at the window of each room.
Once the arrangements were made, she finally relaxed. ’It’s not too late to patch things up,’ she thought.
However, just when she thought her plan was foolproof, Marlon Marshall made it clear he had no intention of letting her off the hook.
Marlon Marshall had been sleeping in another room.
He was caught red-handed by the Men in Black.
And dragged out.
Jean Grant was eating breakfast when she saw him being hauled downstairs by the Men in Black.
She immediately unleashed all the anger that had built up over the past few days.
Nicholas Ainsworth had gone to his company early that morning, so he wasn’t there.
Jean Grant ordered her men to gag him first to prevent him from spouting nonsense.
Finally, they found his phone, deleted the photos of her from the previous night, and pulled out a few bags of drugs. She immediately called the police.
The police quickly took Marlon Marshall away.
As he was led out of the living room, he turned back and shot Jean Grant a vicious glare, a look chilling enough to make one’s heart pound in fear.
Jean Grant’s heart skipped a beat, but then she thought, ’He’ll be detained for at least a week or two, right? I can let my guard down for a few days. I’ll just beef up security when he gets out.’
With that thought, she felt relieved.
Little did she know that when Marlon Marshall was released, he would unleash a tempest upon Alveria.
After getting her card replaced, Nora Ainsworth went with Leon Lynch to a newly developed residential complex.
It was located in a very quiet area on the outskirts of the city.
But after looking at several properties, Nora Ainsworth felt that none of them were what she was looking for, so they eventually left.
Nora Ainsworth suddenly said, "I’ve been blacklisted. It seems no company in the entire country will hire me—I couldn’t even get a job as a street sweeper. But I can’t just stay at home and do nothing. So, Leon, I need your help."
Leon Lynch slammed on the brakes. "What are you planning? As long as it’s something I can do, I’ll definitely help you."
"I want to go back to university. I want to finish my senior year, transfer into the acting department. But right now, forget about getting into a university—just looking for a job would draw too much attention. So, I want to go to a faraway country, somewhere no one knows me, finish my degree, and then restart my career in the entertainment industry from scratch. I want to come back with my head held high."
"The truth is, to make it in the entertainment industry, you need connections. Talent and skill are useless without opportunities. With a powerful backer, everything becomes much easier."
Nora Ainsworth gave a bitter smile. "But I’ve completely destroyed my connection to my backer. Mrs. Grant is blackballing me nationwide. What entertainment company would dare to hire me? Besides, I just want to be an actor, to embody different characters. I find that incredibly meaningful. My only option is to go abroad and try my luck there."
Leon Lynch considered this for a long moment before asking, "Which country are you thinking of going to?"
Nora Ainsworth replied with conviction, "Harrowin. The star factory."
His expression immediately turned cold. "Harrowin? Their entertainment industry is a hundred times more ruthless than Fravia’s, and the turnover rate is incredibly high. One wrong move, and you could be forced to sleep with your boss. I’ve heard things about that place... They say their female celebrities have to bring birth control pills with them when they come to Fravia for work. I won’t let you go."
Nora Ainsworth seemed to have made up her mind in that short moment. "No pain, no gain. I have to show Mrs. Grant that the rich don’t get to run the world. She’s trying so hard to crush me, so I’m going to make a success of myself just to spite her!"
Leon Lynch’s brow furrowed even deeper. "But, Nora, the industry in Harrowin is a cesspool. There’s almost no clean corner in it. I can’t rest easy with you going there all by yourself."
Nora Ainsworth forced a smile. "I’m not going there looking for a man. I know martial arts and I’m a decent shot. The average person can’t mess with me. What I need you to do is get me a gun and a hundred bullets. Carrying guns is legal in Harrowin, so I’ll be fine. Just help me arrange the travel. Leon, I’m begging you."
"Fine. But you have to promise me you’ll keep your phone on you at all times. And keep the location services on, understand?"
Nora Ainsworth nodded. "I will. Thank you, Leon. I’m so lucky to have a friend like you."
He smiled at her. "I’m glad you know. Nora, if there ever comes a day when you just want to find someone and live a quiet, simple life, I’ll be right here, waiting for you."
His words struck a chord deep in her heart, but she knew she had to firmly refuse to give him that kind of hope.
"Leon, we’re only ever destined to be friends."
"I know, Nora. Don’t be nervous, I didn’t mean anything by it. I know who’s in your heart. But I think there’s at least one way I’m better than him—because right now, the one standing by your side is me, your friend, not him."
Nora Ainsworth was left speechless by his words.
"I plan on leaving tonight. Can you get everything ready for me by this afternoon?"
Looking into her earnest eyes, Leon Lynch found he couldn’t say no.
"Alright. I’ll come pick you up tonight. Wait for me at your hotel."
Nora Ainsworth nodded. She had no idea what she was taking with her this time she left. She was taking Quentin Grant’s two most precious possessions: his heart, and his child.
And these two things would bring Nora Ainsworth not just surprises, but also love.
She had no idea that as she left tonight, his seed had already been planted in her womb, waiting to sprout, blossom, and bear fruit.
As evening fell, Leon Lynch arrived by car to pick her up, just as promised.
She got into his car, and they drove off together.
The car was headed directly for the airport.
A private jet was waiting there.
Standing at the entrance to the jet, Nora Ainsworth glanced back at Leon Lynch.
Then she turned and walked inside.
A few moments later, the plane took off.
It slowly disappeared from Leon Lynch’s sight.
He turned, walked back to his car, and drove away.
「Meanwhile.」
Quentin Grant stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, his eyes fixed on the blinking lights of the plane in the sky, unmoving for a long, long time.
Jean Grant stood at the office doorway, watching his silhouette, also remaining perfectly still.
After a moment, she finally spoke. "Brother."
He didn’t turn around. "What are you doing here?"
Jean Grant knew that deep down, he held a strong grudge against her. "Listen to you. I’m your sister. When a sister comes looking for her brother, it’s naturally for a reason."
He finally turned his head. "What is it?"
"Mom asked me to tell you to come home for dinner. She made a whole table of your favorite—"
Before she could finish, his voice cut in sharply, "Get out!"
