Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

A trace of mockery flashed in the woman’s eyes, as if to say, ’Just an assistant. How nosy.’

But the look was fleeting, gone in an instant.

”I’m homeless and have no money—” Tears streamed down her face, making her look utterly pitiful.

Ethan Ellsworth took out his wallet, pulled out a thick wad of foreign currency, and handed it to her. ”You can exchange this at a bank. It should be a good amount. Take it. There’s nothing else I can do for you.”

She didn’t take the money. Instead, she said, ”Could you let me come back with you to your home? I’m afraid my sister’s accomplices haven’t all been caught, and they’ll come after me. I’m scared they’ll retaliate. I’d even be willing to work as a maid, would that be okay?”

Nora Ainsworth said firmly, ”No. He’s not married, so he doesn’t need a maid. Just take the money he’s offering you. Coming back with us is out of the question.”

Finished, she looked at Quentin Grant. ”Let’s get out of here. We can leave the rest to the police.”

”Alright.” Quentin Grant nodded, then looked at Herman Hawthorne. ”Let’s go.”

Seeing that she wouldn’t take it, Ethan Ellsworth had no choice but to say, ”Just take the money. We’re about to head back to our country.”

Audrey’s sister suddenly dropped to her knees with a THUD. ”Please, benefactor, take me with you! I’ll be your servant, your slave, without a single complaint! I’m begging you! I don’t want to stay in this country. If you don’t take me with you, my life is meaningless. I’d rather die than be defiled by those people here.”

Ethan Ellsworth saw that she was covered in bloody marks and figured she must have been brutally beaten.

”Get up first.”

She didn’t move an inch.

”Fine, I’ll take you back with me. Now get up.” His words made Chloe Marshall glance over.

Audrey’s sister stood up, thanking him with tears in her eyes.

”Thank you, benefactor. My name is Alice.”

Chloe Marshall didn’t listen to another word, turning and heading for the door.

Nora Ainsworth immediately ran after her. ”Chloe!”

Ethan Ellsworth watched as Chloe Marshall’s figure quickly vanished through the doorway. He felt a pang of discomfort.

In the end, they were all back on the private jet to Fravia.

Quentin Grant, Nora Ainsworth, Chloe Marshall, Herman Hawthorne, Ethan Ellsworth, plus Alice and the Men in Black.

The cabin was dead silent. Nora Ainsworth and Chloe Marshall sat in the forward seats, with Herman Hawthorne and Quentin Grant sitting across from them, a crystal table between them.

Ethan Ellsworth was in a row behind them, with Alice seated next to him. The Men in Black occupied the rearmost seats.

Chloe Marshall was slumped over the table, motionless. Watching her, Nora Ainsworth’s heart ached too.

Two hours into the flight, she asked in a low voice, ”Chloe, do you want to get something to eat?”

”I’m not hungry, Nora.”

”How about some water?”

”I’m not thirsty either.”

Nora Ainsworth had no choice but to let it go, sighing.

She glanced at Quentin Grant, unsure of what to say.

A little after two in the morning, the plane finally landed safely at Herman Hawthorne’s private airfield.

Standing on their home country’s soil again, it felt incomparably peaceful compared to the heart-pounding events of the last two days.

The Men in Black were the first to disembark, followed by Ethan Ellsworth and Alice.

Quentin Grant and Herman Hawthorne were last.

Nora Ainsworth gently shook Chloe Marshall. ”Chloe? We’re home.”

She lifted her head, her eyes rimmed with red. ”Nora, do you have a comb?”

Nora Ainsworth took a wooden comb from her bag and handed it to her. ”That woman is pitiful in her own way. Ethan will probably just find her a job and get her settled somewhere, and that’ll be the end of it.”

Chloe Marshall pulled off her hair tie and combed through her long hair. ”I know. I don’t have the right to say anything.”

Her hair was long and dark, and letting it fall loose around her shoulders added a certain beauty to her appearance.

Nora Ainsworth didn’t know what else to say. ”Let’s get off. They’re all waiting for us.”

”Okay.”

The two of them stood at the door of the cabin.

They went down the stairs hand in hand.

Ethan Ellsworth saw Chloe Marshall’s pale face. ”What’s gotten into you?”

”Nothing.”

”You’ve been crying,” he stated, his eyes fixed on her.

”I have not.” Chloe Marshall turned her head away, but the more she tried to deny it, the harder it was to hold back her tears.

She had never been in love before and didn’t know how to hide her feelings.

”You idiot, do you think I’m blind or something? Of course I can tell whether you’ve been crying!”

Chloe Marshall finally looked him straight in the eye, her vision blurred by tears. ”If I could, I’d wish for my heart and eyes to both be blind. Then, right here—” She pointed to the left side of her chest. ”—it wouldn’t hurt so much.”

He stared at her. Then, he suddenly cupped her face and, to her complete surprise, pressed his lips against her trembling ones.

The others watched, dumbfounded. After a moment, Herman Hawthorne cheered, ”Blockbuster news! Somebody get a picture, quick!”

A smile bloomed on Nora Ainsworth’s face. She glanced at Quentin Grant and leaned against his shoulder. ”This is so nice.”

Alice finally understood why the assistant had been so against her coming along back at the hotel in Taryn. ’So that’s how it is...’

Chloe Marshall was also stunned by the sudden, overwhelming surprise. She closed her eyes as a tear escaped, trickling into the space between their lips.

After a long moment, he finally let her go. Seeing her tear-streaked face, he gently wiped a tear from her cheek with his finger and chuckled. ”If you were jealous, you should have just told me. What was all this? Planning a mutiny?”

Chloe Marshall sniffled. ”What did you mean by suddenly kissing me like that?”

Seeing her playing dumb, Ethan Ellsworth grabbed her hand. ”You idiot. It means whatever you think it means. Come on, they’re all waiting for us in the car.”

Chloe Marshall’s face flushed red as she nodded. ”Okay.”

They got in the car and sat together.

The car started moving, heading straight for Herman Hawthorne’s estate.

Everyone got out of the car to rest for a bit.

While the plane was still on its way to Alveria, Zoe Ellsworth had gotten a call from Herman Hawthorne. Hearing a car door now, she figured they had returned and ran out in her pajamas.

Herman Hawthorne got out of the car and saw her running toward him. He immediately took off his overcoat and draped it over her shoulders. ”Aren’t you cold? You’ll catch a chill running out here without dressing properly.”

Zoe Ellsworth threw her arms around him. ”Honey, I missed you so much!”

This drew a burst of laughter from the others. Only then did Zoe Ellsworth realize her ”honey” hadn’t come back alone. Her face instantly turned crimson with embarrassment.

Quentin Grant teased, ”Young Master Ellsworth, I’ve known Zoe since we were kids, and I’ve never seen her act so demure. This is a first.”

Ethan Ellsworth chuckled. ”Looks like Young Master Hawthorne is treating Zoe well. My sister has finally found someone who can keep her in line.”

Zoe Ellsworth, unhappy with her brother’s comment, stomped her foot. ”Bro, what’s that supposed to mean, ’finally found someone who can keep me in line’? Am I some kind of violent brute?”

”Not a brute, but close enough.”

Zoe Ellsworth ignored him, pulling Herman Hawthorne into the living room. The others followed them in.

Servants brought out tea for everyone. It was only then that Zoe Ellsworth finally noticed Alice. She frowned and said, ”Who’s this girl? She looks as meek as a lamb.”

Alice couldn’t quite understand Zoe Ellsworth’s regional dialect. She only caught the word for ”lamb” and asked haltingly, ”What is... a lamb?”

The whole room couldn’t help but chuckle.