Chloe Marshall nodded and followed him to greet Quentin Grant.
Quentin Grant was wearing a black trench coat, matching pants, and a pair of black leather shoes.
"Young Master Grant, didn’t you say you weren’t coming?"
Quentin Grant sat down. "I was a little bored at ho alone, so I thought I’d co."
Ethan Ellsworth let out a aningful "Oh." "Life alone just isn’t as good as life with soone else, is it?"
Quentin Grant didn’t deny it. "Weren’t we supposed to be having a barbecue? Why haven’t we started?"
"Just a minute. Soone else is supposed to co. We’ll see if Young Master Hawthorne shows up."
The two of them chatted idly. Before long, the doorbell rang.
Quentin Grant got up to open the door. Chloe Marshall, feeling a little nervous, glanced at Ethan Ellsworth.
Ethan Ellsworth gave her a reassuring wave.
Nora Ainsworth stood at the entrance. Hearing the footsteps on the other side of the door, she stiffened.
When the door opened, she could clearly hear her own heart thumping chaotically. ’It really is him.’
Nora Ainsworth lowered her head, speechless.
Quentin Grant’s eyes lit up, but he didn’t say anything either. The two of them seed to have grown much more distant, a stark contrast to the couple who had been so passionate just last night.
"Why are you here?"
"If you can be here, why can’t I?" She strode inside. ’Since I’m here, I might as well see it through. Retreating isn’t my style.’
Quentin Grant closed the door and followed her inside.
"You made it," Ethan Ellsworth’s voice rang out.
Nora Ainsworth was very awkward. She said in a low voice, "I thought you said he wasn’t coming?"
Ethan Ellsworth chuckled. "It’s no big deal. Just pretend you don’t see him. That goofball is over there, go on."
Nora Ainsworth forced a smile and walked toward Chloe Marshall.
The villa was huge, and the courtyard glittered with brilliant lights.
"Nora!" Chloe Marshall cried out, jogging over to her.
"Chloe."
"Nora, Young Master Grant wasn’t actually going to co, but he said he was bored at ho alone, so here he is."p>Nora Ainsworth could only reply, "It’s fine. I’ll just stay for a bit and then go."
After the two had talked for a bit, Samuel Sutton had people bring out a table laden with dishes from the kitchen, along with many bottles of various expensive wines.
Once the barbecue grill and skewers were ready, the party finally began.
Herman Hawthorne arrived fashionably late over ten minutes later.
The five of them gathered around a table. Nora Ainsworth ate slowly with her head down, completely oblivious to the gaze that scanned over her every few seconds.
She didn’t dare drink too much, afraid she’d get drunk and do sothing foolish. Chloe Marshall, on the other hand, was drinking a bit too much. She was a lightweight, and it wasn’t long before she started to feel dizzy.
The other three n were also drinking heavily. Seeing that Chloe Marshall was getting drunk, Nora Ainsworth stopped her, wanting to head back.
But Ethan Ellsworth wouldn’t allow it. "Nora, let propose a toast to you."
Nora Ainsworth could see he was drunk and said, "You should go upstairs and rest. Chloe and I really have to go."
Ethan Ellsworth suddenly started acting shalessly cute. Pouting, a rare sight for him, he said, "You have to take upstairs, then I’ll go to sleep. If you don’t take upstairs, I won’t let you go."
The corner of Nora Ainsworth’s mouth twitched. But seeing how drunk he was, and that the other two weren’t in much better shape, she nodded. "Fine."
She helped Ethan upstairs, with Herman Hawthorne following. The two n collapsed onto a bed. After covering them with a blanket, she left the room. The mont she turned, however, she found herself staring into a pair of eyes as deep as a bottomless pool.
The alcohol had stripped his face of its usual coldness, lending it a certain srizing charm.
His eyes were hazy as he looked at her. "Leaving?"
Nora had no intention of dealing with him and tried to leave imdiately, but he blocked her path. She tried to step around him, but he blocked her again.
"Let pass."
"Nora Ainsworth, I feel like it’s been ages since I saw you." His voice was slurred with drink, his face tinged with a faint crimson blush.
She froze. ’It’s only been a day. How is that a long ti?’
"It’s only been one day."
He pulled her into an embrace. "But why does it feel like so long? Did you cast so kind of spell on ?"
Nora Ainsworth’s eyes grew moist. "That’s—your imagination."
He said no more. When she looked at him again, he had fallen asleep on her shoulder.
Nora Ainsworth had no choice but to help him to a bed in one of the guest rooms, covering him with a blanket as she had the others.
Her figure quickly vanished from the doorway, just as it had in the early hours of that very morning.
*
She supported Chloe Marshall as they left Ethan Ellsworth’s house.
Once they reached the side of the road, Chloe Marshall couldn’t stop herself from throwing up. Afterward, her head seed a little clearer.
"Nora, thank you."
"It’s nothing." She twisted open a bottle of water and handed it to her. "Rinse your mouth."
Just as they were about to hail a taxi, a car pulled over. The driver, they saw, was Quincy.
"Well, well, if it isn’t Nora Ainsworth," he said, his fleshy face splitting into a grin.
"Who are you? I don’t believe we’ve t." Nora Ainsworth said, starting to pull Chloe Marshall away.
But Quincy wasn’t about to let such a perfect opportunity pass him by.
He still hadn’t gotten his revenge for the last ti Nora Ainsworth knocked him out.
"Not so fast!"
Nora Ainsworth turned back. "What do you want?"
"You really have a bad mory. I haven’t forgotten that you knocked out. How could you?"
Nora Ainsworth’s eyes narrowed. "I haven’t forgotten either, of course."
Quincy clapped his hands. "Excellent. So, tell , what will it take for to forgive you?"
"I have no intention of asking for your forgiveness, so don’t bother!"
Quincy snorted in anger. "In that case, you won’t be going ho tonight! Perfect. Two pretty little things for to have my fun with!"
Nora Ainsworth said impassively, "Get in your car and leave. Now. Or I won’t go easy on you."
"HA HA HA! By all ans, don’t go easy on ! Let’s see who teaches who a lesson today! You should be apologizing to and begging for rcy!" He laughed wildly.
Nora Ainsworth settled Chloe Marshall by the side of the road. ’My body still hasn’t fully recovered, but that won’t stop from dealing with this pig-face. It’s a rare opportunity, how could I possibly let it go! I might never get a chance like this again! We’ll see who ends up teaching who a lesson!’
", apologize to you?" A cold sneer ford on her lips. "You think you’re worthy?"
With that, she executed a perfect roundhouse kick, landing it squarely on Quincy’s face.
He didn’t even have ti to cry out before he collapsed to the ground.
Striking while the iron was hot, Nora Ainsworth straddled his portly fra and started wailing on him. She took off one of her high heels and brought it down hard on his face, eliciting a wretched scream.
Nora Ainsworth’s mind was in turmoil; she had lost all reason. Quincy never even had a chance to act on his bold threats before she beat him unconscious.
By the ti she had vented her frustration and cald down, Quincy’s face was a swollen, black-and-blue ss—a true pig-face. Nora Ainsworth put her shoe back on, helped Chloe Marshall to her feet, and they left.
That night, Nora Ainsworth lay awake until well past midnight.
Quentin Grant’s words kept replaying in her mind.
When she woke up the next morning, she was greeted by two dark circles under her eyes. A bit of makeup managed to cover up the worst of them.
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