Chapter 250: Chapter 248: As Long as You Live in His Heart, You’re the Winner (16)

Chloe Marshall stood up. "Nora?"

Nora Ainsworth rushed forward and hugged her tightly, her voice choked with tears. "Chloe, what are you doing? Are you trying to sneak away with Zeke? What about me? Chloe, we said we were family, the closest people to each other. If you two leave, I won’t have any family of my own here."

Chloe Marshall’s eyes filled with hot tears. She closed them, and the tears streamed down her face.

"Nora, I’m sorry."

Nora Ainsworth let her go and grabbed her hand. "Come back with me."

Chloe Marshall didn’t move, so Nora forcibly pulled her into the car.

Sitting in the car, Nora Ainsworth’s emotions slowly calmed down. She looked at her. "This is your home. Where were you two planning to go?"

"We didn’t have a plan."

Nora Ainsworth sighed. "Chloe, didn’t you once say that the only way to be close to him was to stay by his side? If you leave like this, how will you ever get to see him?"

"If he can be with her, I choose to wish them well." After a long pause, she suddenly said, "Boss Ellsworth has liked her for so many years. Compared to that, I can’t be a stumbling block in his way."

Although she said that, Nora Ainsworth knew Chloe Marshall’s heart was in torment. ’When it comes to love,’ she thought, ’no one is truly selfless. Who wouldn’t want to spend their whole life with the person they love?’

They returned to the apartment complex.

Nora Ainsworth went upstairs with her, and Zeke Marshall returned to his own room.

Nora Ainsworth lay down on the bed with her, face to face.

"Chloe, promise me you won’t leave."

She nodded with tears in her eyes. "What you said at the airport made me feel a little guilty. We are a family. If Zeke and I left, you’d be all alone."

"It’s good that you’re thinking that way. Who can say for sure how fate works in this world? The future still holds many possibilities. Chloe, will you continue to stay by his side?"

Chloe Marshall seemed to have come to a decision. "As long as he doesn’t fire me himself, I’ll stay. I’ll resign when he gets married."

Nora Ainsworth agreed. "That’s a good plan. I’m here for you, Chloe. There’s nothing you can’t get through."

"Nora, tell Young Master Grant, but don’t tell Boss Ellsworth I—"

Nora Ainsworth nodded. "Don’t worry, I know."

Just after Herman Hawthorne drove away, Zoe Ellsworth’s phone rang.

She saw it was an international number and immediately knew who it was.

She closed the door, quickly tapped the setting to answer with a male voice, and then accepted the call.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end of the line said, "Hello, is this Herman’s assistant?"

Zoe Ellsworth replied, "Yes, it is. May I ask what this is about, Miss Rhodes?"

"Here’s the thing. I called you a few days ago, but he never called me back. Did you not tell him?" Bianca Rhodes asked immediately.

Zoe Ellsworth’s tone was meticulous. "I relayed the message that very evening, but our Young Master Hawthorne didn’t say anything."

A mumble came from the other end. "He’s still mad at me."

Zoe Ellsworth continued, "These past two days, our Young Madam has been coming by every so often to ask if any women have been trying to make a move on our Young Master Hawthorne."

Unexpectedly, the voice on the other end replied, "I’ve heard all about it. Your Young Madam is brutish, fierce, and doesn’t have a single feminine bone in her body, hehehe."

Hearing that cackle, which sounded like an old hen, Zoe Ellsworth shuddered in disgust.

She replied, "Yes, what you said is absolutely true. Our Young Madam has said that if she discovers any woman trying to get one step closer to our Young Master Hawthorne, she’ll immediately have her locked up and her legs broken. In particular, she’d use an iron chain to lock up... that certain female part, imprisoning her for life as a warning to others. However, just last night, I happened to see our Young Madam wearing a sheer negligee, sitting on Young Master Hawthorne’s lap and drinking red wine. On a normal day, you can’t even imagine how well he treats our Young Madam."

As soon as she finished speaking, the line went dead.

Zoe Ellsworth tossed her phone aside. ’Brutish? Fierce? Not a single feminine bone in my body? Dammit, are you sure you’re talking about me, you little twit?’

Zoe Ellsworth walked into her closet. Thinking about how chilly it was outside, she took down a white down jacket.

She took out and put on a pair of thick, thigh-high stockings, followed by socks and high-heeled boots, then twirled once in front of the mirror.

She muttered to herself, "I don’t care if you’re some old hag or a big pineapple, I don’t care if you’re an old flame, a past lover, or his beloved woman. Right now, *I* am his lawful wife. You want to steal my husband? Even if you wracked your brains, you wouldn’t even come close!"

Standing up straight, Zoe Ellsworth looked in the mirror. Her down jacket was open, revealing that she was wearing nothing on top, and only the thick, thigh-high stockings on the bottom. Truly commando.

Then, she zipped up the down jacket to her chest.

She took out a scarf and wrapped it around her neck.

On the surface, who could tell she was wearing nothing underneath?

She put her phone in her purse and carried it downstairs.

Then she drove to her clothing boutique.

She then called someone to drive the car back home.

She minded the shop all day. In the evening, she called Herman Hawthorne.

"Honey, I’m at the boutique. Come pick me up."

He didn’t hesitate at all. "Okay, wait for me."

After she hung up, he appeared at the boutique’s entrance a little over ten minutes later.

The employees had finished cleaning and had already gone home for the day.

Seeing her sitting at the computer, full of life, he walked over. "What are you looking at?"

But the scene that met his eyes made Herman Hawthorne’s face darken.

Zoe Ellsworth looked up. "Honey, you’re here?"

He turned his head away. "You’re always looking at this random junk."

She stood up with a light laugh. "Honey, let’s go home."

She locked up the boutique, and they got in the car together.

They were just about to head back when Herman Hawthorne’s phone rang. After hanging up, he said, "Let’s go. Change of plans. We’re going to a get-together at Young Master Grant’s place. Your brother is there too."

Zoe Ellsworth straightened her clothes, and after checking her appearance, she said, "Alright, let’s go then."

**

Nora Ainsworth and Chloe Marshall cooked together, making a lot of dishes.

They filled the entire dining table.

When Herman Hawthorne and Zoe Ellsworth arrived, Ethan Ellsworth and Jean Grant weren’t there yet.

Everyone who was there took their seats.

Jean Grant arrived. She looked around the room, surprised. "Hasn’t Ellsworth arrived yet?"

Zoe Hawthorne nodded. "Not yet. We just got here a little while ago too. Jean, have a seat."

Jean Grant sat down next to her and looked at the feast on the table. "This looks amazing. Brother, your kitchen staff have really improved."

"Nora and Chloe made this," Quentin Grant clarified.

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps were heard at the door, and Ethan Ellsworth walked in. He was wearing a blue overcoat, and his expression wasn’t good.

He sat down across from Jean Grant.

"Brother, Mom said you should come home when you have time." Zoe Ellsworth spoke up. "Mom called and specifically told me to tell you to bring my sister-in-law with you."

Chloe Marshall was coming out with a tureen of soup. Her steps faltered, and the soup nearly slipped from her hands. Nora Ainsworth took it from her and said with a smile, "Everyone’s here now! Chloe did the cooking tonight, I just helped out. Everyone, please try it and see how it tastes."