Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

For the next ten days, Jean Grant appeared at Ethan Ellsworth’s company every day. As a male celebrity, Ethan Ellsworth was constantly under the media’s microscope, and over time, their meetings were exposed. Subsequently, Jean Grant, who had already announced her divorce, was suddenly thrust into the headlines.

The media interviewed Marlon Marshall. He denied having a mistress and instead accused Jean Grant of being the one who cheated first.

They also interviewed Mrs. Marshall. With tears and snot running down her face, she tearfully accused Jean Grant of using her powerful status to bully people.

All sorts of rumors swirled online, and for a time, no one could tell what the truth really was.

The whole situation was a complete mess.

「In Yarnia.」

Nora Ainsworth had been in a coma for over ten days.

Walsh personally examined her to check on her uterus’s recovery.

He found that there was no organ rejection; on the contrary, it had integrated well and was functioning properly.

”President Grant, the donor woke up this morning. It’s a miracle that her life, which was supposed to end, has been extended for so many days. However, Miss Ainsworth still shows no signs of waking up. From my examination, it seems she’s gradually losing... cerebral energy, for lack of a better term. In other words, it’s a side effect of the surgery. When she does wake up, she might mentally revert to a previous, traumatic period in her life. We don’t know which one yet; we’ll have to wait until she’s awake to find out.”

”Amnesia?” Quentin Grant’s heart sank.

Walsh shook his head. ”No, it’s not amnesia at all. Amnesia is a temporary or permanent condition caused by extreme stress or brain trauma from something like a car accident. Her case is different; it’s a side effect of the surgery. She won’t forget anyone, but her mind will regress to a year ago, two years ago, or maybe even further back. There are recorded cases of this worldwide, but only a dozen or so.”

Quentin Grant finally relaxed. ”As long as she doesn’t forget anyone, that’s good.”

Walsh suddenly chuckled. ”But if she regresses to a time before she met you... well, President Grant, I think Miss Ainsworth will have to get to know you all over again.”

Quentin Grant’s face twitched. ”If that really happens, I’ll tie you up, you old coot, and dump you in the Pacific Ocean!”

”See? You’re getting worked up again, and I haven’t even finished.”

Quentin Grant nodded. ”Go on.”

”It’s still unclear how much of this cerebral energy she’ll lose. But for you, President Grant, I’m sure her life is more important than any of that.”

”That’s true. But will she ever recover from this side effect?”

Walsh shook his head. ”I don’t know.”

”So, for example, if her mind goes back four years, will she think she’s eighteen?”

Walsh thought for a moment. ”Don’t we have calendars? She’ll just think the feeling of being eighteen is an illusion and will eventually accept reality.”

Quentin Grant’s mind grew restless again. ”Walsh, I’m worried... what if she doesn’t recognize me? Could I... have physical relations with her? Get her pregnant first? Then would she be forced to accept that reality, too?”

Walsh clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. ”Well, she has only just begun to recover, so to prevent infection, I’d advise you to keep... activities... to a minimum, Young Master Grant. But it’s not entirely out of the question.”

Quentin Grant grinned. ”Then that’s perfect.”

”Let me remind you: while she’s still unconscious, you could. It would also be fine if she wakes up and her memory is still at a point where she knows you. But if she wakes up and doesn’t recognize you, President Grant, she will consider it rape. So, you’d best be careful.”

Walsh turned and walked toward the door. He stopped in the doorway, then turned back and gave Quentin Grant a thumbs-up. ”That plan of yours? I think it’s the best solution.”

——————

Quentin Grant had just finished getting dressed when something both fortunate and unfortunate occurred: Nora Ainsworth woke up.

She found herself sitting on a bed with a man she didn’t recognize.

”Damn it!” she cursed, scrambling to put on her shoes and bolting out the door.

”Nora, wait! You haven’t fully recovered yet!”

Quentin Grant had no choice but to chase after her.

But Nora Ainsworth was surprisingly fast and quickly lost him.

”Somebody help! Help me!” she yelled, gasping for breath and glancing over her shoulder as she ran.

When she finally spotted Walsh, Nora Ainsworth clutched her chest in relief. ”Sir, please help me! There’s a shameless bastard chasing me!”

Walsh beamed as he watched the equally breathless Quentin Grant catch up, then said to her, ”Don’t be afraid, miss. If there’s a shameless person in my home, I’ll be sure to take care of them. Don’t worry, I’ll handle this for you.”

Only then did Nora Ainsworth nod, looking around at her surroundings. ”Where am I? How did I get here?”

Quentin Grant replied, ”You came here with me, of course.”

”I came with you? Where is this?”

”The Capital of Yarnia.”

”What are we doing here?”

”For your surgery,” Quentin Grant answered truthfully.

Nora Ainsworth looked at Walsh, who nodded. ”Miss Ainsworth, you’re currently experiencing a regression of your cerebral energy as a side effect of your surgery. You did, in fact, come here with President Grant. We have security footage to prove it.”

Nora Ainsworth was skeptical. ”Let me see it.”

”This way, please.”

The three of them went into Walsh’s room, and he pulled up the footage from over ten days prior, showing Nora Ainsworth arriving with President Grant.

When she saw the screen, Nora Ainsworth could hardly believe her eyes. She was holding hands with the very man standing before her, and she had a radiant smile on her face.

”Is this real?”

”Of course.”

Nora Ainsworth stood up. ”I want to go home.”

Walsh spoke in a serious, heartfelt tone. ”I wouldn’t advise you to leave just yet. I’m currently trying to devise a treatment plan for this side effect. It’s a difficult case, but I hope to do everything I can to help you recover.”

Nora Ainsworth was taken aback. ”Recover?”

”Yes. Your condition was caused by the surgery, so I ask that you please remain here.”

Nora Ainsworth grew anxious. ”How long will it take?”

Walsh told her the truth. ”I first need to determine what caused this—whether it was an issue with the surgical procedure itself or an unexpected brainwave response from your body. Only then can I find the right treatment. I hope to make your case the world’s first complete recovery from this condition, not a partial one.”

”I’ll agree to that. But I need you to guarantee my safety. Don’t let him—” She glared at Quentin Grant. ”—do whatever he wants with me again.”

Walsh looked deeply apologetic. ”You two were a couple when you came here, so I can’t make that promise. Miss Ainsworth, I believe your true self wouldn’t want me to interfere.”

Nora Ainsworth grew even more frantic. ”Well, the me right now doesn’t want it!”

Walsh changed the subject. ”Your body has only just healed. It would be best for you to get some bed rest. Go on, go back and rest.”

Nora Ainsworth retorted, ”A minute ago you said you’d stand up for me, and now you’re saying this! You’re a disrespectful old man!”

He stroked his beard and nodded in agreement. ”Young lady, we must accept reality.”