A wave of emotion washed over Chloe Marshall. "Zeke, stay out of my business."
"You’re my sister. You’re the only family I have. How can I just stand by and do nothing? Sis, do you really want to stay by Boss Ellsworth’s side like this forever? Giving up all your personal space."
"To , his business is my business. What’s this about personal space? Enough. I have my own plans. Zeke, I love him. I want to be with him, no matter for how long."
Zeke Marshall fell silent. Finally, he asked, "But what if it all cos to nothing in the end?"
"Then I’ll just find so man to marry and give up on this foolish dream!"
With that, Chloe Marshall walked toward Ethan Ellsworth, replaying their conversation in her mind and committing it to mory.
**
With nothing to do that afternoon, Jean Grant suddenly decided to call one of Marlon Marshall’s classmates.
"Excuse , is Marlon in class?"
"He hasn’t been here for days."
A grape slipped from Jean Grant’s fingers and fell to the floor. "He really hasn’t been to school for several days?"
"Yeah, he hasn’t shown up for days. I think he took a leave of absence, said he was staying ho to be with his pregnant wife."
Jean Grant hung up the phone. ’Staying ho to be with his pregnant wife? Then why does he leave early every morning and co back late at night?’
’If he’s not at school, where is he going?’
Jean Grant tried calling his phone, but no one answered.
A seed of suspicion was planted. She decided to follow him the next morning when he left.
anwhile, Marlon Marshall was parked outside the Young Family’s ho, still on the phone.
"Is this really a good idea?" he hesitated.
Carol Young’s voice ca through the phone. "I told you to co, so just co. My dad’s already gone to work. This morning, my mom asked if a classmate ca over to get a book yesterday. I imdiately figured she was talking about you, so I said yes. Then she told to invite you over as a guest."
Marlon Marshall said, "I happened to run into your mom when I went out last night. I just told her I was waiting in your room to get a book, but you hadn’t co back yet. I managed to bluff my way through it."
"You’re so quick-witted. Hurry up and co over. My mom personally invited you. We’ll just act like classmates. She won’t find out."
"Okay."
Marlon Marshall got out of his car and walked toward the Young residence.
He went upstairs and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Young answered. When she saw him, her heart skipped a beat. She never expected him to be so young and handso.
"You’re the one from last night—"
"Auntie, yes, that’s ."
Hearing his voice, Mrs. Young bead. "Co in."
Marlon Marshall entered and asked, "Where’s Carol Young?"
"She’s in her room."
Marlon Marshall said in a low voice, "Auntie, I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t an to disturb you."
Mrs. Young looked him over. "Co with . I have sothing to tell you."
She headed toward her bedroom.
Marlon Marshall tiptoed in after her.
Mrs. Young pointed at the computer and said, "I’m trading stocks online. Do you know how?"
Marlon Marshall nodded. "A little. I used to trade for a while, but I stopped because I had limited funds."
"Then take a look for . I’m a beginner, just getting started."
"Alright."
Mrs. Young stood to the side, watching him deftly click the mouse, her own thoughts unreadable.
Early that morning, she had asked her daughter for information about Marlon Marshall. After seeing his photo, she had him invited over.
After leaving Mrs. Young’s bedroom, he went straight into Carol Young’s room.
Carol Young was on her bed playing gas with headphones on. Seeing him enter, she took them off. "What took you so long? I’ve been waiting for almost half an hour."
"Couldn’t be helped. There was traffic," he explained.
Carol Young threw her arms around him. "Darling, how many months pregnant is your wife?"
"A little over four months."
"Boy or girl?"
Marlon Marshall sounded annoyed. "We had an ultrasound. It’s a girl."
Carol Young whined, "How about I go see her soday?"
Marlon Marshall tensed up imdiately. "What?"
"What are you so scared of? I’ll just go to your place and watch her from a distance. I’ve seen her before, at the KTV."
"Don’t be ridiculous!" Marlon Marshall’s expression turned serious. "You’d better not go. Otherwise, I’ll never see you again."
He wasn’t bluffing. He had already weighed the importance of these two won in his heart.
Although Carol Young felt hurt, she believed she would replace the wife sooner or later. What she could never have imagined was that while she was the other woman, her own mother was the *other* other woman.
"Okay, okay, I won’t go. I was just kidding."
Only then did Marlon Marshall’s expression soften. "Now is not the ti. Don’t make things difficult for ."
Carol Young nodded sullenly. "By the way, did you see my mom when you ca in?"
"I did. Auntie is in the living room watching TV."
Carol Young smiled. "Don’t be fooled by her being in her forties. When we’re together, we’re like sisters. She looks young, right?"
"Yes, she looks very young," Marlon Marshall answered perfunctorily.
*
That evening, as the nanny van pulled up to the hotel entrance, Chloe Marshall had just stepped out when she said, "Isn’t that Young Master Grant?"
Nora Ainsworth looked over and saw that it was indeed him.
A blush crept into the corners of her eyes, and she couldn’t help but smile. "It really is him."
With that, she jogged over to him.
Zeke Marshall’s eyes went wide. "Nora, there are reporters!"
But it was no use.
A smile played on Chloe Marshall’s lips as she looked at her brother. "It’s fine, stay out of it. Unless Young Master Grant wants to be in the news, what reporter would be reckless enough to put him there?"
Ethan Ellsworth strode toward the embracing couple, and the other two followed behind.
Nora Ainsworth hugged Quentin Grant, feeling as though they hadn’t seen each other in ages.
"What are you doing here?" she asked with a broad smile as she let him go.
Quentin Grant took off his sunglasses, his eyes full of mirth. "When I heard from Young Master Ellsworth about what happened today, it nearly scared half to death. I only found out later that it wasn’t real. Don’t you ever scare like that again."
Nora Ainsworth glanced at him, then lowered her head and asked softly, "So... did you miss ?"
He couldn’t help but chuckle. In a low voice, he said, "Who else would I miss? My mind hasn’t had a mont’s rest all day—it’s been filled with thoughts of you. It’s only now, seeing you, that I realize how agonizing it is when you’re not around."
In that mont, Nora Ainsworth suddenly felt like she was truly in love. Just one look at him sent ripples through her heart, as if spring had blood.
’How could her heart not race for a man like this? He was her man, her lover. At this very mont, she felt like the happiest person in the world—content and secure.’
"We’re in public. Can you two please be a little more mindful of your image?" Ethan Ellsworth’s voice cut in.
Quentin Grant turned around and replied calmly, "Who covered your eyes? Or did soone gouge them out?"
Ethan Ellsworth slapped a hand over his own eyes. "Fine, I’ll cover them myself, okay? Do whatever you want. As long as you want to be in the tabloids tomorrow, I won’t object."
Quentin Grant took Nora Ainsworth’s hand. "I think you’re just jealous."
Ethan Ellsworth dropped his hand from his eyes and said indignantly, "? Jealous? Young Master Grant, did you just get back from a trip to Mars? What kind of woman can’t I, Ethan Ellsworth, get if I want her? Why would I need to be jealous of you?"
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