Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Mrs. Ellsworth was furious when she heard that, slapping her daughter on the arm. ”Zoe, are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

”Mom, calm down. I haven’t finished talking yet.”

Mrs. Ellsworth was fuming. ”What else could there be?!”

”I just paid for his company, to have someone to talk to. I’m not looking for a husband or a boyfriend. I still haven’t moved on from my failed marriage.”

Mrs. Ellsworth fell silent, her anger subsiding.

Her heart ached for her daughter. ”How about I arrange some dates for you? We won’t be picky about his background—we don’t need the money. But he absolutely cannot be like that Marlon Marshall. We’ll find a man of good character, someone who will love you. You can see how you get along. If you like him, you can be together. If you really don’t, we’ll just keep looking. You’re still so young.”

”There’s no need to force it. Let’s just leave it to fate.” Zoe Ellsworth changed the subject. ”Mom, you never watch your son’s TV shows, and I was the same way. But a few days ago, there was nothing else to watch, so I saw that show my brother filmed with Nora Ainsworth a long time ago, *Love when the sun comes out*. It’s really good! And I happened to bring the whole box set with me for you to watch.”

Mrs. Ellsworth hadn’t planned on watching Ethan Ellsworth’s shows. Watching him on screen only made her more anxious for him to get married and have children.

But after not seeing him for so long, she truly missed her son.

Just as that thought crossed her mind, footsteps sounded at the door, and Ethan Ellsworth appeared in the doorway.

”Son?” Mrs. Ellsworth shot to her feet and rushed over to Ethan Ellsworth, looking him over. Her eyes grew moist. ”It’s been so long. What took you so long to come back?”

”I’ve been back for a few days, but I was busy handling something else.”

”Is it about Chloe?”

He nodded and came over.

Mother and son sat down together, with Zoe Ellsworth sitting beside them, her own heart feeling heavy.

”It is, but Mom... this situation has gotten very tricky.”

Mrs. Ellsworth’s brow furrowed. ”What do you mean?”

”Her status isn’t what it used to be. Lillian Bancroft won’t let her leave. On top of that, the Imperial Palace is heavily guarded. I was there for two years before I even had a chance to get inside. Chloe can’t make her own decisions right now. Lillian Bancroft saved her, but now she’s keeping her. And, as you know, she has a daughter now.”

Mrs. Ellsworth’s heart sank. ”Is the child Lillian Bancroft’s?”

Ethan Ellsworth said in a low voice, ”I don’t know. She didn’t say.”

”Son, have you and Chloe... you know... been intimate?”

”Yes. It was the first time for both of us.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Ellsworth pressed on, ”How many times did you do it in total?”

Zoe Ellsworth couldn’t listen anymore. ”Mom, could you be a little more subtle?!”

Mrs. Ellsworth shot her a glance. ”I’ve been around the block. What’s wrong with asking? Besides, we’re all adults. There’s nothing that can’t be discussed.”

”Once.”

Mrs. Ellsworth’s face fell instantly. ”Just once? The odds of ’winning the lottery’ from that are pitifully small. I’d say it’s ten to one the child isn’t from the Ellsworth Family.”

”It doesn’t matter if the child is mine or not. I want her.”

Mrs. Ellsworth laid out the hard truth. ”I know your heart is set on her, and I like Chloe too. But the key is, this has to be a battle we can actually win. If it were anyone else, that would be one thing. But we’re talking about the Supreme Leader of Harrowin, son. The Ellsworth Family might be large and influential, but we’re nothing compared to the leader of a country. Unless Lillian Bancroft lets her go, there’s really no way. Of course, there is one other option.”

”What is it?”

”You could get Chloe out of the Imperial Palace and spend the rest of your lives in hiding, never seeing the light of day. But I’d advise you to give up on that idea. If you really did that, I’d be the first one to turn you in myself.”

Ethan Ellsworth sat there, resolute. ”No matter what it takes, I won’t give up.”

”Son, if there’s truly nothing we can do, then we have to give up. This has escalated to an issue between two countries; it’s not something an individual can solve. Unless... the child is yours. If we get the results of a DNA test comparing the child to you, we can have your father submit it to his superiors and request that Lillian Bancroft release her. Of course, Chloe would also have to personally declare her wishes.”

”But getting into the Imperial Palace now is next to impossible. The only way is to find Zeke Marshall first and have him and Nora contact Chloe. There are practically no other options.”

Mrs. Ellsworth frowned. ”But you’ve been looking for Zeke Marshall for a while now and haven’t found him, have you?”

”Now I believe he must be somewhere near the Imperial Palace. If he saw the news, saw Chloe, he would definitely go looking for her. That’s without a doubt. I’m just afraid he never saw the news to begin with.”

”Alright, son. As long as there’s a glimmer of hope, we won’t give up. Mom supports you.”

Ethan Ellsworth nodded, then turned to Zoe Ellsworth. ”What’s the problem between you and Young Master Hawthorne?”

”There’s no problem.”

Mrs. Ellsworth chimed in, ”’No problem’ is the biggest problem.”

Ethan Ellsworth looked at her. ”What really happened? I haven’t gone to talk to him yet.”

”We got divorced.”

Ethan Ellsworth said, exasperated, ”I’m asking because I already know you got divorced.”

”If you want the biggest reason for the divorce, it’s because I’m envious of what you have—mutual love. Even though you and my sister-in-law aren’t together, I’m still incredibly envious. In this world with so many men and women, how many can say they’ve found a partner who loves them back and is right for them for a lifetime? It’s so much easier said than done. Just being able to meet someone like that is a form of destiny, whether you end up together or not.”

Hearing this, Ethan Ellsworth understood the reason. ”Then why did you insist on marrying him?”

”A gamble.” She gave a light laugh. ”Marriage and love are always a gamble. Take Jean, for instance. She gambled and lost, married the wrong man. And I gambled and lost, so I got a divorce. If I hadn’t lost the bet, I wouldn’t be divorced. ’Not being in love’ is the biggest reason of all. Now I realize how painful it must be for two people without love or affection to live together.”

”If you can be together, then be together. If you can’t, then separate,” Ethan Ellsworth said. ”Even if you love someone, if they don’t love you back, you shouldn’t have to grovel for affection. That’s a lesson it took me many years to learn. You’re much stronger than your big brother. At least for you, it’s only been a few years.”

Mrs. Ellsworth teased, ”The Ellsworths are all just a bunch of hopeless romantics.”

Zoe Ellsworth stood up. ”I’ll go get my brother’s show. We can watch it to pass the time.”

”Which one?”

”*Love when the sun comes out*!” Zoe Ellsworth called out, heading for the door without looking back.

Just as she got down the steps, she saw someone.

A familiar stranger.

”Hah... so you found your way here.”

”If I want to find you, I’ll find you even if you run to the ends of the earth. Zoe, I want to talk with you alone.”

Zoe Ellsworth walked to the car and opened the door. She had just leaned in to grab the box set when he shoved her directly into the back seat. He got in after her, and the door was shut.

”Herman, what are you doing?”

”I’m used to you calling me ’husband.’ It’s a little strange to hear you call me by my name all of a sudden.”

Zoe Ellsworth awkwardly turned her face toward the window.

”You’ll get used to it. It’s nothing, everyone needs an adjustment period. It’s actually been quiet for me these past few days. At least, that woman with the surname Yu hasn’t shown up yet. Though, I’m sure she’ll be back. She wouldn’t pass up such a perfect opportunity to mock me.”