Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

”I’ll see you tonight.”

He left without waiting for her to answer.

Zoe Ellsworth watched him leave and muttered under her breath, ’That’s assuming you can even find me.’

’Now that we’re divorced, there’s no need to drag things out or maintain lingering ties.’

’It just makes things more frustrating and painful for everyone.’

Just as she turned the key and was about to step on the gas, two people emerging from a nightclub made her crack a smile.

It was Jean Grant’s former mother-in-law and Jason Irving.

The two were holding hands, oblivious to the stares of others. ’With her son in prison, the old crone probably feels she can be even more brazen,’ she thought.

She stepped on the gas and drove off. She couldn’t be bothered with other people’s affairs.

*

”Godfather, I heard you can turn a computer into a really powerful weapon. Could you install those programs on our computer, too?”

Leon Lynch looked at Dylan Grant. ”Your godfather isn’t a hacker. I’m just a bit of a computer enthusiast. Besides, what would a little pipsqueak like you know about this stuff?”

Dylan Grant clenched his little fists. ”Stop lecturing us brothers with that condescending adult tone. You know, Godfather, you were probably still wetting the bed when you were two!”

Leon laughed. ”It’s true. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. You two are so smart and precocious. I wonder who you take after.”

Elmer Grant gave an awkward laugh. ”What can I say? It’s in our genes.”

Leon looked a bit uncomfortable. Though he’d never admit it, even to himself, the facts spoke for themselves. The two little hellions were the spitting image of their biological father.

When Nora Ainsworth woke up, she saw Leon in the living room working on a laptop while the two boys crowded around to watch.

”What’s wrong with the computer?”

”Mommy, you’re up!” Elmer Grant said with a wide grin. ”Godfather already made breakfast. You should go eat. We already finished. See how good Godfather is to you? You should just pick a day and marry him.”

Nora sat down at the dining table. ”Your mommy isn’t in a hurry to get married right now. We don’t have any filming this afternoon. Apparently, after the crew found out I’m a single mom, they arranged for me to participate in a matchmaking show.”

The moment she finished speaking, the two boys clapped their hands gleefully. ”Yay! Yay!”

Leon put the laptop down, walked straight over to the table, and sat across from her.

”You’re going on a matchmaking show?”

”Mhm, that’s the plan. The producer told me the pay is good, and I’m just supposed to put on a performance. It’s not for real.”

Leon finally relaxed. ”So, in the end, do you successfully get matched with someone?”

”From what I heard, the guy I’m supposed to confess to doesn’t like me, and I don’t like the guy who’s supposed to like me. So no, no match.”

Dylan Grant trotted over to Nora’s side. ”In that case, Mommy, if there’s a handsome uncle on the show and you like him, don’t hesitate. You don’t need to ask for our opinion. Elmer and I really want to see Mom wear a beautiful wedding dress and be a bride.”

”Yeah, yeah! Mommy, you have to get all dressed up and look super pretty today.”

Hearing this, Leon immediately interjected, ”You two are such traitors! Don’t you usually tell me to marry your mommy? The second you hear she’s going on a dating show, you’ve completely forgotten all about me?”

Elmer giggled. ”That’s because, Godfather, it’s been so long and you still haven’t managed to marry our mommy. It means you’re not up to the task! You’re a totally lost cause now.”

Nora laughed. ”Your godfather is going to have an aneurysm from what you just said. Alright, sweethearts, it’s Saturday, so you don’t have school. You be good and stay home, okay? Mommy has to go to work.”

Elmer threw his arms around her neck. ”Mommy, gimme a kiss.”

Dylan kissed her from the other side. Only then did Nora stand up and head out the door.

As the door closed, Leon turned around, his expression grim.

The two boys saw his look and exchanged a glance.

Dylan immediately said, ”I’m a little sleepy. I’m gonna go back to my room for a nap.”

Elmer’s eyes darted around. He clambered onto a chair on his short little legs, gathered his mommy’s dirty dishes like a busy little bee, and announced, ”I’m going to do the dishes.”

Leon watched them with a helpless sigh and went back to the laptop. After he finished his repairs, he installed the programs and carried the computer back to the desk in the boys’ room.

Seeing Dylan hiding his face under the blanket but peeking out at him anyway, Leon was amused. ”Alright, you two, stop pretending. Godfather’s not mad.”

”Actually, Godfather, I have a great idea, but I don’t know if you’re up for it.”

”Hm?”

Elmer said slyly, ”My mommy’s going on that dating show, right? So, you should pay to be the guy who’s secretly been arranged for her to fall for. Then you just agree to the match! Hahaha, aren’t I a genius? That way, you and my mommy can be together out in the open!”

Leon’s eyes lit up. He couldn’t resist planting a couple of kisses on the boy’s cheek. ”You’re brilliant, son! Godfather’s going to get right on it!”

Elmer wiped his face where he’d been kissed, looking disgusted. ”Did you even brush your teeth five times this morning before kissing me?! AAAHHH, don’t you know I’m a germaphobe!”

Dylan snorted. ”You’re full of terrible ideas. Our family’s Man Grant isn’t dead yet, and you’re already trying to find us a new dad. To be honest, I’m more interested to see if Man Grant coughs up blood when he sees this dating show.”

Elmer laughed heartily. ”Bro, I have a feeling he’ll show up before the show even airs. I mean, come on, our old man is so rich. How could he not know where Mommy is living with the two of us? The idea is laughable. Only our mommy is naive enough to think he wouldn’t know. At least, that’s not what I think. I bet he’ll be here soon. Now we’re in for a good show! Hahaha.”

The older brother shot the younger one a disdainful look. ”You just love to stir up trouble.”

”Hmph! It’s been so hard for Mommy raising the two of us. He knows we’re here and he’s staying away on purpose. Even if he does show up, he’ll have to get past us first. Otherwise, if he wants to be with Mommy? Not a chance.”

”That makes sense. We’ll wait and see.”

The two boys spent the whole day playing on the computer. Toward evening, the doorbell suddenly rang, and it wouldn’t stop.

”Who is it?”

There was no answer.

Elmer tiptoed back to their room. ”Bro, someone’s ringing the doorbell, but they’re not saying anything.”

Dylan put on his shoes, and the two boys went to the door together. ”Who is it? Say something.”

The doorbell kept ringing, but there was still no reply.

Dylan dragged a stool over, climbed on top, and looked through the peephole. What he saw gave him such a shock that he almost fell off the stool.

”Elmer! He’s here! He’s here! You were right!”

Elmer quickly asked, ”Who is it? Man Grant? No way, you’re psychic!”

Dylan nodded. ”It’s him. He looks exactly like the pictures we saw online. He’s even more handsome in person. It’s our dad!”