Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: This Marriage Is Called Off

Nora Ainsworth gripped the railing. Standing on the steps, she said calmly, ”Leon and I came back together last night, and I’ve been cooped up at home every single day of this break. It’s just malicious slander. Why would you believe it, Dad? I don’t know who wants to defame me, but I’m certain they have an ulterior motive.”

Mrs. Ainsworth seemed to find this hard to believe. Her face was deathly pale, yet she managed to force a smile. ”That’s right. Our Nora promised to marry Leon. Someone must be so eaten up with jealousy that they’re trying to sow discord and slander you. We have to find out who’s behind this!”

Some color returned to Mr. Ainsworth’s face. He contemplated for a moment before saying, ”First, we need to handle this. Afterward, I’ll have someone investigate who’s trying to cross the Ainsworth Family. If you’ve truly been framed, we’ll let this go. But if it turns out to be true... then our family will absolutely not tolerate a person like you!”

A shadow fell over Nora Ainsworth’s heart. ’This is going to end in mutual destruction. Since he’s made his move, I have to fight back, even if it’s the death of me.’

’A break is inevitable. It’s better to make a clean cut before the wedding; it’ll be better for everyone involved.’

’Cutting the Gordian knot is better than this slow torture. In a way, maybe this is for the best.’

Afterward, Mr. Ainsworth went out to meet with the reporters. Nora Ainsworth had no idea how he explained the situation.

Her head felt foggy, but she sat down beside Mrs. Ainsworth anyway. ”Mom, are you sick? You look so pale. Let me take you to the hospital.”

Mrs. Ainsworth looked up at her. ”I know my own body, Nora. You’re my only daughter, and I hope you can marry Leon. I can see that he treats you well. This is the last thing I’ll ever ask of you.” Her tone was calm—so calm it was as if she weren’t speaking to her own daughter.

Nora Ainsworth turned her face away. ”Some things aren’t up to us, Mom. I promise you, as long as the Lynch Family doesn’t call off the wedding, I won’t object. But if they don’t want to go through with it, there’s nothing I can do.”

Mrs. Ainsworth gave a slight nod. She had a faint, ominous feeling. ’Things are spiraling out of control. All I can do now is leave it to fate.’

’But I hope I can leave this world with no regrets.’

She looked at Nora Ainsworth, her eyes filled with a deep reluctance to let go. Only she herself knew the depths of her love for her daughter.

’I don’t want my daughter to walk the same path I did. I don’t want her to repeat my mistakes.’

’But dreams are beautiful, and reality is cruel.’

Regardless of whether the story was true, the moment it came to light, the Lynch Family’s attitude took a sharp turn.

Mrs. Lynch was livid. She had never liked Nora Ainsworth in the first place, and now, regardless of the truth, the Lynch Family would be branded as having an unchaste daughter-in-law.

Mrs. Lynch just had to imagine the looks she would get from the society ladies she played mahjong with, and she was decided. ’This engagement must be broken. Nora Ainsworth absolutely cannot marry into this family, whether Leon agrees to it or not!’

The first thing Mrs. Lynch did was call the Ainsworths. She bluntly informed Mr. Ainsworth that the engagement was off. No matter how he tried to explain, it was useless.

Just as Mr. Ainsworth was preparing to take Mrs. Ainsworth to the Lynch residence to explain everything in person, he saw a clip of Mrs. Lynch being interviewed by reporters on a live broadcast.

She stood before the cameras, her every word ringing with an indisputable finality. ”It is our family that is breaking the engagement, so we will naturally offer our apologies to the Ainsworth Family. We will not ask for the betrothal gifts to be returned; consider that our way of taking responsibility.”