Chapter 338: Chapter 335: This Voice, He’d Recognize It Even in Ashes (9)
Elmer’s eyes lit up. He clapped his small hands and cheered, "Awesome! See, brother? Mommy said we can go to KFC!"
Dylan also smiled faintly and nodded.
Nora Ainsworth opened the closet and handed them two outfits.
"Here, put on these little suits and look handsome. That’s the only way to show off your mommy’s good genes."
Elmer couldn’t help but laugh. "Mommy, go look in the mirror. Right now you look just like the lunch lady at our preschool. We’re so handsome, so how come you’re so ugly? Did you find us in a dumpster?"
Nora Ainsworth froze, a dark look crossing her face.
’What is this kid saying?’
"You’re barely knee-high. What do you know about pretty and ugly? Shoo."
After she dressed the older twin, she helped the younger one get changed.
Finally, after a moment’s thought, she opened her own closet and took out an outfit she hadn’t worn in a very long time, something that had been gathering dust.
This was the outfit she wore when she left Fravia three years ago. She couldn’t wear it during her pregnancy, and after giving birth to these two little rascals, she had even less opportunity to.
Now that it saw the light of day again, she found it still wasn’t out of style.
She put it on, took out her makeup and applied some, then brushed her hair. Only then did she regain some of her former glamour.
Finally, she wrapped scarves around the two boys’ necks, then led them out the door, one by each hand.
It was snowing outside.
The snowfall was light. Nora Ainsworth led her children to a KFC that wasn’t too far away.
They found a table, and she ordered a lot of food.
She went out again to buy three cups of hot milk, and the three of them sat and ate together.
The older and younger brothers sat together, while she sat across from them.
The TV across from them was broadcasting the evening news.
"Today, the Supreme Leader and his wife, Lillian Bancroft, attended the—"
Nora Ainsworth didn’t hear a single word of what came next.
She just sat there, her eyes fixed on the TV screen.
She had already seen images like this during the month after she gave birth.
Back then, she had abandoned her children and, despite being in her postpartum period, ran like a madwoman to the gates of the Imperial Palace, demanding to see the First Lady.
But she was immediately driven away.
Her countless attempts to get close after that all ended in failure.
Later still, she learned that the only people who could enter Harrowin’s Imperial Palace were either those of incredibly noble status or those with the Supreme Leader’s personal approval.
No one else could even dream of setting foot inside.
Now, she was starting to build up her strength and bide her time.
Her two children had just started preschool, and she had re-entered the film industry, currently working as an extra.
After two or three years of study, she had become very proficient in the local language.
She no longer went to the gates of the Imperial Palace. One day, she would walk through them openly and honorably. She just had to wait until she reached the pinnacle of the entertainment world.
She believed that if that day ever came, and if the First Lady really was Chloe, she would be seen.
Without knowing the truth of the matter, she had no idea what had happened to Chloe. But she just knew that besides twins or clones, there was no other way for two people to look so alike—especially when their voices were also identical.
The news segment on the TV quickly passed, and to her surprise, it was followed by an exclusive interview with Quentin Grant.
Her body stiffened, but she stared boldly at his face.
The two little ones, noticing the change in their mother, wiggled in their seats and tilted their heads up to look as well.
Elmer mumbled while eating, "Mommy, that uncle looks a lot like me and my brother."
Nora Ainsworth’s expression didn’t change. She didn’t answer him.
"Mommy, his last name is Grant, too~"
Nora Ainsworth still didn’t answer.
"Mommy, is he my and my brother’s daddy?"
This question made Nora Ainsworth anxious. She snapped, "What nonsense are you talking about? How could he be your daddy? Even if he agreed, I wouldn’t!"
"Then why do all the other kids have daddies, but me and my brother don’t? Did you really find us? Or did we pop out of a rock? I saw that’s how Sawyer was born."
Nora Ainsworth put on a stern face. "Are you going to eat or not? If you don’t eat, we’re going home. Enough with all this nonsense."
Seeing that his mother was angry, Elmer didn’t dare make another peep and just ate obediently.
After the three of them had eaten their fill, they bought a birthday cake before heading home.
After lighting the candles, Nora Ainsworth said to the two boys, "Alright, you two, sit nicely on your little stools and make a wish. Like this, copy Mommy." She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.
The two copied her earnestly, then opened their eyes.
"Tell Mommy, what did you wish for?"
Elmer was the first to raise his hand. "Mommy, listen to mine first!"
Nora Ainsworth nodded. "Go ahead."
"I want a daddy."
Nora Ainsworth chose to ignore him. "Dylan, you go."
"Mommy, you didn’t answer me yet," Elmer pressed.
Nora Ainsworth ignored him.
Dylan’s little face was serious. He pondered for a moment before saying, "I wish Mommy would let our godfather come stay with us. I miss him."
’Leon Lynch?’
Nora Ainsworth asked impassively, "Tell Mommy, how did he bribe you?"
Dylan shook his head. "Because if he’s here, you won’t be so tired all the time, working day and night. Mommy, don’t we have enough money?"
"Alright, I’ll call him tomorrow and ask him to come stay for a while. Come on, blow out the candles."
Back in her room, she sat on the bed in silence. Then her body slumped over, and she closed her eyes.
’Don’t think too far ahead. It’ll just bring unnecessary trouble, and I’ll only be worrying for nothing.’
**
During his military service, Ethan Ellsworth was finally transferred to a post at the Imperial Palace.
When he heard the news, he was so happy he almost cried.
Two years. A full two years here.
All just to get closer to her.
Three years of longing were like a tide. Once the floodgates opened, it poured out endlessly.
Now that this day had truly arrived, he felt it was all worth it. Two years of suffering had not been in vain.
He didn’t sleep all night.
He packed a simple bag and, along with four other squad members, got into a vehicle heading for the Imperial Palace.
The passing scenery meant nothing to him.
During his military service, the wind, rain, and scorching sun had tanned the once fair-skinned Ethan Ellsworth to a very healthy color.
He had been away from Fravia for two years, but his countless fans’ adoration and frenzy had not faded in the slightest. Their excitement remained at a fever pitch because no one understood how he could have just vanished without a trace.
There was almost no news about him.
Given the Ellsworth Family’s status in Fravia, no one believed he had been blacklisted or shelved by his agency.
And no one thought he had retired from the entertainment industry either.
Therefore, the timing was too coincidental, and everyone unanimously believed that Ethan Ellsworth had gone to Harrowin.
But no news came from Harrowin to confirm this theory.
This matter became a source of anguish for his fanbase.
They just wanted to know when Ethan Ellsworth would return to the entertainment world and what he had been doing for so long.
But no one answered their questions. As a result, Ethan Ellsworth’s popularity remained as high as it was two years ago, refusing to drop. This was unheard of in the entertainment industry. Normally, at the peak of one’s fame, increased exposure is needed to maintain popularity, and the rise of new idols causes it to decline. But Ethan Ellsworth, it seemed, was a miracle.
