Ethan Ellsworth looked exhausted. "Okay."
He sat on the chair, feeling drained of all energy.
Quentin Grant, on the other hand, was full of vigor. This ti, it was his turn to tease Ethan Ellsworth. "What’s wrong? You’re so listless, and you look pale. Where were you... exerting yourself last night?"
"I wish. But I had no one to exert myself on," he said flatly. "I asked Jean out to ’Lips in Motion’ last night. You can imagine how that went."
Quentin Grant knew his sister’s personality all too well. She was the stubborn type who wouldn’t turn back until she hit a brick wall. Once she made up her mind, not even ten bulls could drag her back.
"Since it’s co to this, Ethan, you should probably just let her go."
Ethan Ellsworth didn’t answer. Breakfast was served, and he began to eat at a leisurely pace.
His phone chid with a text ssage. DING! He opened it to see a ssage from his agent, telling him to check the news imdiately.
Ethan Ellsworth went straight to a news site. The first thing he saw was a headline about himself. He glanced at Chloe Marshall. "Looks like we made the news, just as I thought. These entertainnt reporters are great at making things up."
Quentin Grant leaned over to look and burst out laughing. "Ethan, what did they get wrong? It sounds pretty accurate to ! ’Popular star Ethan Ellsworth and his assistant went to Lips in Motion last night and weren’t seen again until this morning, when they erged shoulder to shoulder. It’s suspected that Ethan Ellsworth is getting involved with his own assistant. Judging by his unwell appearance, it seems he had quite a restless night.’"
Ethan Ellsworth snorted. "These reporters with their poison pens just write whatever nonsense they want."
He was about to close the news page when he scrolled down and suddenly snorted with laughter. "Looks like I’m not the only one with explosive news. The reporters caught Leon Lynch and Miss Sutton, Maeve Sutton, too!"
Quentin Grant read it aloud. "’According to reliable sources, Leon Lynch flew abroad a few days ago for a vacation to relax. However, it wasn’t because he was overly saddened by the loss of his fiancée. News ca from overseas this morning that when reporters knocked on the door, Leon Lynch had just gotten dressed. Maeve Sutton, however, was still in bed. She was blushing like a rose and asked for everyone’s blessing.’"
He looked at Nora Ainsworth with a smile. "Your ex-fiancé and your ex-best friend getting together... wouldn’t you call that a cliché soap opera plot?"
Nora Ainsworth picked up her glass and took a sip of milk, then said casually, "Don’t believe the papers. Just like Ethan said, it’s all fabricated nonsense. Leon isn’t that kind of person. He has no chemistry with Maeve Sutton."
Quentin Grant’s expression darkened. He pressed his hands on the dining table and leaned toward Nora Ainsworth. "Why do you trust him so much?"
Nora Ainsworth smiled. "Sharon Ainsworth already tried a despicable trick like this last ti, so of course I know. Leon Lynch might have a reputation as a playboy, but his character is actually quite good."
"Is that so?" He wrapped an arm around her neck, bringing their faces just a centiter apart, their noses touching.
"From now on, I forbid you from ntioning him in front of with a smile on your face."
Nora Ainsworth was a little displeased. "He’s actually a good person. There’s no need to—"
Ethan Ellsworth’s mood suddenly improved. He clicked his tongue. "n are terrifying when they get jealous. Don’t you see two living, breathing people sitting right here? ’See no evil,’ right? Oh, my!"
Quentin Grant shot him a sidelong glance. "If you’re not supposed to be looking, why are your eyes wide open and watching so closely?"
A smile played across Chloe Marshall’s face. "It’s so nice to see you two like this. Nora, you have to be happy."
A blush spread across Nora Ainsworth’s face. She moved to sit next to Chloe Marshall and said with a smile, "This Grant of mine just loves his public displays of affection. Ignore him."
Ethan Ellsworth sighed dramatically. "Ah, the handso and dashing, the devilishly charming, the rigorously unrestrained, the unworldly god among n... he’s been completely and utterly captured."
After speaking, he raised his eyebrows at Quentin Grant. "Congratulations, Young Master Grant."
Quentin Grant was in a good mood and played along. "You’re too kind."
"Seriously, man. Seeing you so radiant, I’m genuinely happy for you. You two should just get married already," Ethan Ellsworth suggested.
Quentin Grant looked at Nora Ainsworth with deep affection. "How about we set a date?"
Nora Ainsworth’s lips curved into a smile. "You can decide."
Ethan Ellsworth and Chloe Marshall applauded together. "That’s wonderful!"
"Quentin! You’re being absurd!" A furious roar instantly dropped the warm atmosphere to a freezing point.
The four of them looked over. Mrs. Grant was standing at the entrance to the living room. No one had noticed her, and they had no idea how much of their conversation she had overheard.
The smile froze on Nora Ainsworth’s face before she schooled her features back to a calm expression.
Quentin Grant, however, seed unfazed. "Mom, what are you doing here so early in the morning?"
Mrs. Grant strode in with her handbag, heading straight for Nora Ainsworth. Quentin Grant grabbed her arm. "Mom, co sit over here."
Mrs. Grant shook off his hand and stopped in front of Nora Ainsworth. She raised her hand and brought it down with a sharp SLAP! across Nora’s right cheek. Nora didn’t try to stop her. The stinging pain made a trickle of blood seep from the corner of her mouth.
Quentin Grant imdiately looked at a nearby servant. "Hurry up and get so dicine to put on that!"
"I’d like to see who dares!" Mrs. Grant was full of righteous fury, her face tight as she scanned the servants.
Then she turned to her son. "You know it hurts when I slap her face, but do you have any idea how much it hurts when she slaps *my* face—your mother’s face?! Just yesterday, I told you I would never agree to you two being together, and today you’re already discussing marriage! Quentin, are you completely ignoring my existence?"
Quentin Grant looked at her coldly. "Mom, stay out of my business with Nora. I can make my own decisions. Nora is a wonderful person, why can’t you accept her?!"
"She *is* wonderful, I don’t deny that. But for her to be my daughter-in-law, that’s where she’s wrong. I have my reasons for not being able to accept her. Quentin, you two are not a good match. You and Jean both finding partners like this... did you two conspire together just to anger to death?"
Nora Ainsworth slowly stood up, the five red fingerprints on her right cheek starkly visible.
"Everything has a source. This is the twenty-first century; it’s not an era of arranged marriages anymore. I don’t believe you, Mrs. Grant, are truly soone who despises the poor and fawns over the rich. The real reason is Catherine Callahan, isn’t it? She’s so lucky to have a benefactor like you backing her up. She’s escaped jail ti several tis already. I imagine she’ll be safely out of prison again in a few days. But you can protect her for a while, can you protect her for a lifeti?"
Mrs. Grant’s lips thinned, her weak spot having been exposed. Finally, she looked at Nora Ainsworth. "You’re right. I don’t deny it. I am protecting her. I owe her. Whatever she wants, I will do my best to give her. Even if it ans going against my own son, I will satisfy her."
Nora Ainsworth’s palms grew cold. "So you’re finally being frank, Mrs. Grant. No matter what I do, you will never agree to being with Quentin, is that it?"
Mrs. Grant’s tone was dismissive. "Ask yourself: are you worthy? Nora Ainsworth, you might be a decent person, but I have my doubts about everything from your family background to your character. You have no father and no mother. When your mother was alive, she was a mistress, and her death brought you no glory. You’re entangled with that son from the Lynch Family—according to him, the engagent still hasn’t been called off. With such a terrible reputation, you still have the audacity to be with Quentin. Do you have any idea how outstanding my son is? No matter how you line them up, it would never be your turn to beco the Young Madam of the Grant Family!"
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