Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

”Boss, we’ve checked all international flights. There’s no sign of Young Master Grant or his private jet. We’ve conducted a city-wide search and found nothing. It’s like he’s vanished into thin air.”

At this news, Herman Hawthorne shot to his feet.

”Young Master Hawthorne, did you find him?” Nora Ainsworth pressed.

A sudden smile broke across Herman Hawthorne’s face. ”Based on this, I’d bet that nine times out of ten, Young Master Grant is still here, and not far from us.”

Ethan Ellsworth’s tense nerves eased slightly. ”I don’t want ’nine times out of ten.’ We need to confirm he’s safe and sound. A false alarm is one thing, but getting our hopes up for nothing is the worst.”

”There are only a few hundred rooms here. It should only take an hour to search them. Who’s in?”

Chloe Marshall answered, ”Of course we are! We won’t rest until we find Young Master Grant!”

Herman Hawthorne opened the door. ”Let’s go. We’ll start with our floor.”

The four of them split up, each knocking on a different door. After ten-odd minutes, they were sure he wasn’t on their floor.

They moved on to search the floor above.

After searching all the upper floors, the four of them stood in the stairwell, starting to doubt their judgment.

Silence hung between them. Their only hope now rested on the guest floors below.

The elevator doors slid open slowly, and everyone froze.

Quentin Grant stood there in a blue, fur-collared overcoat and sunglasses, flanked by four Men in Black.

”We turn this place upside down looking for you, and then you just fall into our laps,” Ethan Ellsworth muttered.

Nora Ainsworth looked at him, tears streaming down her face. From last night until this morning, she had truly understood what it meant for living to be more painful than death.

”What are you guys doing here?” he asked, stepping out of the elevator.

Herman Hawthorne’s smile finally widened. ”We were just checking if your corpse was among those from the attack.”

The underlying worry in his words was obvious.

Quentin Grant’s lips curved into a cold smile, his eyes holding a profound look. ”Did you really think thirty or forty little rookies could do anything to me?”

Herman Hawthorne followed up, ”Where were you hiding?”

Quentin Grant laughed again. ”Do I need to hide? I booked two rooms when I checked in. The one next to the presidential suite. That one.”

”Then why did the security footage show that you never left? And where are you coming back from now?”

Quentin Grant scoffed. ”There are other ways out, of course. Just not ones visible to the naked eye.”

Having gotten his answer, Herman Hawthorne could finally relax.

Ethan Ellsworth threw himself onto Quentin Grant’s shoulder, fake crying. ”Oh, my dear Young Master Grant, you scared this humble concubine to death! Tell me, if anything had happened to you, how could I possibly go on living?”

A wave of disgust washed over the other three.

Quentin Grant patted his back with a smile. ”If you don’t get off me, the two of us will be front-page news tomorrow morning.”

Ethan Ellsworth straightened up and huffed, ”For you, I only slept two hours last night, and then this morning I was scared half to death. How are you going to compensate me?”

”Want me to repay you with my body?”

Just as Ethan Ellsworth was about to say something, Chloe Marshall unceremoniously dragged him away.

Herman Hawthorne watched them for a moment, then returned to his room with a smile.

Suddenly, only Quentin Grant and Nora Ainsworth were left at the elevator entrance, along with the four deadpan Men in Black.

”If you’re not willing to have my children, what are you doing here looking for me?”

Nora Ainsworth stepped forward and threw her arms around him, holding on exceptionally tight. He raised his hand, but hesitated, unsure if he should place it on her back.

”I thought... I thought I’d never see you again.” Her tears soaked into his overcoat.

That single sentence made his heart, which he had just steeled, soften once more.

”If you do have feelings for me, why do you keep torturing me with words like that?”

”When I torture you, I’m torturing myself just as much.” She closed her eyes, unable to forget the morning’s agony and the time spent going to the morgue.

’The fear of seeing his face there... that feeling was more agonizing than having her heart deep-fried in oil.’

”Nora Ainsworth, I’m not just saying this to flatter you, but a woman needs to know how to seize her opportunities. When I love you, whatever you say, goes. But if I didn’t love you, what do you think you’d be to me?”

She lifted her tear-filled eyes. ”Quentin Grant, tell me, is love supposed to be infinitely forgiving? Tell me, does love have an expiration date?”

”I can’t answer that for you. Because I can’t even be sure if I’m in your heart at all. How can I answer you from my position?”

Nora Ainsworth sniffled. ”Are you an idiot? If I didn’t have you in my heart, why would I have come here to find you? Why would I feel so awful? It’s all because of you.”

Joy filled Quentin Grant’s eyes. ”Are you telling the truth? You’re not lying to me? You’re not just saying what you think I want to hear?”

Nora Ainsworth turned away. ”Fine, don’t believe me then.”

He pulled her into an embrace from behind. ”I believe you. I believe you.”

Behind him, the four Men in Black were all grinning as if they were on drugs.

A smile finally touched Nora Ainsworth’s lips. ’Maybe I should be more selfish,’ she thought. ’Perhaps it’s true—once an opportunity is missed, it never comes back. Trying to do what was best for him only brought me pain, and he wouldn’t accept it anyway.’

At the door to the presidential suite, three heads peeked out furtively. Seeing the couple embrace, Chloe Marshall was both happy and worried, an indescribable feeling in her heart. She was afraid that Young Master Grant would find out Nora was infertile—

’Maybe it would be better to just tell him sooner rather than later.’

*

The five of them sat together on the sofa, while the four Men in Black stood guard at the door.

”I think the mastermind behind this attack is still staying in this hotel. I finished my business three days ago. The only reason I didn’t leave was because this happened. I feel like too many people died for nothing. I don’t plan on going back until this person is rooted out.”

”If you’re not going back, then we won’t go back either. We’ll do it together.”

”That could work. It’ll only be a few days. The police have cast an inescapable net; they won’t get away. I figure the most dangerous place is the safest place. They might even make a move in the next night or two. These guys have had some training, but not very good training. A bunch of incompetents.” Quentin Grant lit a cigarette, took a drag, and flicked the ash with a composed expression.

”Why was your phone turned off?” Ethan Ellsworth frowned. ”It was because we couldn’t reach you that we all rushed over here.”

”All my electronic devices were off. I haven’t turned them on yet. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Herman Hawthorne stretched lazily. ”Well, looks like one room isn’t going to work tonight.”

Quentin Grant stubbed out his cigarette. ”Don’t tell me the four of you slept in one room last night?”

Ethan Ellsworth immediately waved his hands. ”Hey, don’t get the wrong idea! It was like this: to be safe, two of us slept while two stood guard. Nora and the idiot slept first, while Young Master Hawthorne and I kept watch. Then we switched.”

”Did I say anything?”

Ethan Ellsworth let out a long, knowing ”Ooooh.” ”Young Master Grant, you think your buddy here doesn’t get your meaning? Usually, on set, I’m the one watching over her for you. Any reckless idiot who dares take a step toward my sister-in-law, I make sure they never come back! Of course, I’m a special exception. For acting purposes, you know.”