Chapter 228: Chapter 226: Look at You, So Pathetic (6)

Nora Ainsworth’s head snapped toward him, her myriad thoughts blurring into a bleak haze. "You’ll drink it, and then... you’ll forget me?"

Seeing him nod, she actually let out a faint laugh. "Keep that potion safe. Maybe you’ll really need it someday. When that time comes, I won’t ask for anything else. I just want you to be safe and sound."

’Whether we’re together right now or not, I have to prepare for the worst.’

Quentin Grant stared at her intently. "You’re definitely hiding something from me. Nora, you don’t want to tell me because you’re afraid I’ll worry, right? Sooner or later, I’ll find out what you’re hiding!"

Nora Ainsworth cupped his face with her hands. "I’m so tired. Let’s just go to sleep."

She clearly didn’t want to discuss it any further. The time they had together could be fleeting or it could be long; the future was unknown. ’Why borrow trouble? As long as we cherish every second we have together, that’s what matters.’

He held her as they got under the covers, and they fell asleep in their clothes.

In contrast to them, the situation between Ethan Ellsworth and Chloe Marshall was much more tense.

They entered the room together and fell silent the moment the door closed.

Chloe Marshall sat on the edge of the bed while Ethan Ellsworth paced back and forth, seemingly at a loss.

"Boss Ellsworth."

Chloe Marshall couldn’t stand it anymore and called out to him.

"Hm?"

"Your pacing is making me dizzy."

Ethan Ellsworth stopped walking and sat down beside her. "You dummy, let’s go to sleep."

"Let’s." Chloe Marshall took off her shoes, was the first to lie down on the bed, and then patted the empty space beside her. "Come on, Boss Ellsworth."

Ethan Ellsworth slowly took off his shoes, lifted the covers, and lay down. His heart was pounding so fast it made him feel like a flustered sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, completely at a loss.

Just like before, they lay side by side, but their state of mind had completely changed.

They stared up at the ceiling, not knowing what to say.

"Boss Ellsworth... are we... are we dating now?" As Chloe Marshall asked this, she gripped the bedsheet tightly, afraid of hearing an answer she didn’t want.

"Well, my mom really likes you, so... we could give it a try?"

Chloe Marshall shot up into a sitting position and looked at him, dissatisfied. "Your mom likes me, but what about you?"

Ethan Ellsworth pulled her into his arms and finally said, "I like you too."

Chloe Marshall flipped over and straddled him, her eyes sparkling. "Really? Boss Ellsworth."

He nodded.

He said "like," not "love."

By the time Chloe Marshall realized this, there was no turning back.

Chloe Marshall’s face was flushed. Looking at his face in the dim light, she shyly yet boldly kissed his lips again. That kiss was something else—a spark ignited a wildfire that quickly raged out of control.

Chloe Marshall laid her head on his chest, listening to his accelerating heartbeat. A mischievous smile crept onto her lips. "Boss Ellsworth, you have a thing for me too, don’t you?"

Ethan Ellsworth’s lips were slightly parted as he stared into the darkness above. "I’m a normal man," he said.

"Boss Ellsworth~"

"Hm?"

"Even now, I can hardly believe any of this is real."

He chuckled lightly. "When you wake up tomorrow morning, the dream will be over, and then you’ll believe it."

Chloe Marshall wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. "Boss Ellsworth, I love you."

He didn’t say anything. At the critical moment, he didn’t try to take off her pants. Instead, he kissed her lips gently. "Go to sleep."

Although Chloe Marshall was a little disappointed, she felt more at ease. She knew Ethan Ellsworth wasn’t the type to just fool around with women. And she, too, hoped to give herself to him completely only when they could truly be together for the long haul.

The two of them held each other tightly and fell asleep.

Compared to them, Alice was left to a lonely, sleepless night. She was in an unfamiliar country, all by herself. Lying alone in her room, she inevitably tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

’From the looks of it, Ethan Ellsworth’s family must be well-off,’ she thought. ’And how could I be content with just being a lowly maid?’

「The next day.」

It was still dim and dark outside.

Chloe Marshall opened her eyes and glanced to her side. A handsome face came into view, and she couldn’t help but smile. She boldly leaned closer and finally planted a kiss on his face. Just as she was secretly congratulating herself for her move, she was shocked to find Ethan Ellsworth’s eyes open.

Chloe Marshall froze, then grabbed her clothes and slowly started getting dressed. She got out of bed. "I’m getting up now."

Ethan Ellsworth watched her walk into the bathroom, then looked down and smiled, a faint, indescribable emotion stirring in his heart.

When the two of them went downstairs, they found Alice, Herman Hawthorne, and Zoe Ellsworth already in the hall, ready to eat breakfast.

"Is Young Master Grant up yet?"

Zoe Ellsworth nodded. "I knocked on his door. Young Master Grant said we should eat first, and he’ll be down later."

Ethan Ellsworth sat down at the dining table and muttered, "Him? He probably won’t be down until this afternoon."

Herman Hawthorne scoffed. "You don’t think he rested at all during those four or five hours, do you? If that’s the case, sleeping until the afternoon won’t be enough. He’ll need until tomorrow morning."

Ethan Ellsworth switched to their local dialect. "You don’t know the half of it. I went to his place a while back. Guess what I saw?"

"What?" Herman Hawthorne picked up his glass and took a sip of milk.

"I saw a doll shaped like Nora on Young Master Grant’s balcony hanging chair. The doll was made to look just like the real thing, totally lifelike. He clearly put a lot of work into it."

PFFT! Herman Hawthorne sprayed the milk in his mouth all over Ethan Ellsworth’s face.

With his face dripping with milk, Chloe Marshall quickly grabbed a napkin to wipe him off.

"Herman Hawthorne!" he seethed through clenched teeth. "Don’t you dare tell me that was on purpose. If you do, I swear I’ll tear you limb from limb today!"

Herman Hawthorne burst out laughing. "It’s because what you said was so juicy! I was just applauding you. Really, though, as soon as you said it, a scene popped into my head: on a dark and stormy night, Young Master Grant comes home, bored, and starts thinking about Nora. His heart aches, so he takes the fake version on the hanging chair and... you know... to vent his inner frustrations. Don’t you think that mental image is hilarious?"

Just as Ethan Ellsworth was about to say something, he saw Quentin Grant and Nora Ainsworth coming down the stairs. An idea struck him. "So, do you think Young Master Grant really does that at night? I find it unlikely. After all, he’s such a man of principle."

Herman Hawthorne shook his head. "Principle or not, he’s still a man. Don’t you know that when a man gets desperate enough, he won’t even spare an animal?"

Ethan Ellsworth laughed inwardly. "Aren’t you afraid he’ll hear you say that?"

"He won’t be down for a while. The second he sees Nora, he forgets all about his bros."

He had barely finished speaking when Herman Hawthorne froze. "Why are you all staring at me?"

"Oh no, no." Ethan Ellsworth finally couldn’t hold back his laughter. "We’re not looking at you. We’re looking at the person behind you."