Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

”Is there anything else?”

Lillian Bancroft stood up and sat down beside her.

”Do you despise me this much now?” His impeccably handsome face was clouded with a bleak coldness.

”If you were in my shoes, would you be happy? I don’t think you can possibly understand this feeling—a feeling worse than death. To you, it might be nothing, but to me, what you’re doing is going to ruin my entire life.”

He seized her by the chin, forcing her to look up at him. ”Do you have any idea how many women would kill to be in your position? And yet you, of all people, refuse!”

”I just want to be with the person I love. Our family of three, together. That’s all I want. Please, just let me go.”

”Don’t even think about it!” He flung her away and shot to his feet, looking down on her. ”Rest well this month. Next month, get ready to conceive my child. As soon as you’re pregnant, I’ll give you your freedom within the Imperial Palace. You can see Dorothy whenever you want, just like before.”

He had just started to walk away when she grabbed his hand, her voice softening. ”Silly, please don’t be like this. You’ve already taken my freedom here in the Imperial Palace. Can you at least let Dorothy come here after school? Please?”

For Lillian Bancroft, such a soft tone from her was incredibly rare.

”If we consummate our marriage right now, I’ll agree.”

Chloe Marshall’s grip on his hand slowly loosened.

She rolled over, closed her eyes, and said nothing more.

He turned, and his footsteps faded into the distance, followed by the sound of the door closing.

Chloe Marshall lay there, her limbs ice-cold.

A sturdy prison had been woven around her. She had nowhere to run.

Honestly, she had no idea what tomorrow would bring.

She only knew that living was already so tiring. She could fake anything and everything, but she couldn’t fake the love in her heart. If even that wasn’t real, then life would be a complete joke.

’What on earth can I do to escape his control?’

Dylan Grant was sullen when he came home.

Seeing this, Quentin Grant asked, ”Did someone bully you?”

Elmer Grant put his backpack on the sofa and explained, ”My brother’s bride can’t see her mommy, so he’s sad too.”

Quentin Grant sat up straight, his face a mask of astonishment. ”Bride?”

”Yeah.”

Quentin Grant found it a little hard to believe. ’Are kids really this precocious nowadays?’

”Ohh, so your little wifey can’t see her mommy, and that’s got you all worried. Nowadays, mothers-in-law rule the world. Son, you should be happy! This way, you’ll have to deal with less grief from your future mother-in-law.”

Dylan Grant sat down next to him with a huff. ”Daddy, it’s easy for you to say. I don’t have a maternal grandmother, so you won Mommy over really fast. But Dorothy is sad. She cried for a long time, and she’s been gloomy all day.”

”Why can’t she see her mommy? Did she die? Move abroad? Or remarry?”

”Daddy!” Dylan Grant cried out, deeply dissatisfied. ”Can’t you have a little sympathy?”

Quentin Grant replied sheepishly, ”Alright, alright. Then tell me what happened. Why can’t she see her mommy?”

”Dorothy said her mommy made a mistake, so her daddy is punishing her. I don’t know what kind of punishment, though.”

”Dylan, who are you talking about?!” Nora Ainsworth had just walked in. She dropped her bag and rushed over.

”Mommy, it’s that girl Dorothy from preschool, the one you said hi to. She can’t see her mommy anymore.”

Nora Ainsworth’s expression turned grim. She looked at Quentin Grant. ”Come here. I need to talk to you.”

The two adults went back to their room.

Quentin Grant grinned playfully. ”Are you planning on doing something naughty to your dear husband?”

Nora Ainsworth was in no mood for jokes. She said bluntly, ”I saw Ethan Ellsworth a few days ago. He told me the girl at the boys’ preschool named Dorothy is Chloe’s daughter. I went to the preschool to check, and sure enough, it’s true. So, if Dorothy can’t see Chloe, it must be because Lillian Bancroft is preventing them from meeting.”

Quentin Grant’s smile vanished. ”Chloe Marshall’s child? Young Master Ellsworth only told me she was alive. He never mentioned she had a child.”

”Forget about the child for now. Call Ethan Ellsworth right now and ask him what his plan is.”

Quentin Grant pulled out his phone. ”Okay, I’ll call him now.”

The call connected quickly. ”It’s me. We have some news. I’ll let Nora tell you.”

Nora Ainsworth took the phone. ”Ethan, what’s your plan to rescue Chloe?”

Ethan Ellsworth told her his plan. After hearing it, Nora Ainsworth said, ”Chloe and Dorothy can’t see each other anymore. I’m afraid Lillian Bancroft might suddenly stop Dorothy from going to preschool. It’ll be easier to get a DNA sample now. You should come over quickly.”

Ethan Ellsworth replied, ”I’m about to board a flight now. I should be there in about five hours. Have Young Master Grant pick me up.”

”No problem. We’ll talk more when you get here.”

After hanging up, Nora Ainsworth’s brow remained furrowed. ”We’re just ordinary people, after all. No matter how rich and powerful you guys are, you can’t compare to Lillian Bancroft. I think... maybe he’s just too desperate for love.”

Quentin Grant took her hand. ”I promise you, no matter the cost, I’ll help Young Master Ellsworth rescue Chloe. It’s a good thing she’s still alive. Otherwise, I don’t think you would have forgiven me so quickly.”

”It’s not that it wouldn’t have been so quick—it wouldn’t have happened at all. I was just thinking, if your sister ever treated me like that, would you cover for her too?”

”I would never give her the chance to hurt you. Absolutely not. Besides, she’s over Ethan Ellsworth now. She’s going to marry Nicholas Ainsworth.”

Nora Ainsworth was taken aback. ”Who? Nicholas Ainsworth?”

”Mhm.”

”Oh. I have no comment on that.” Nora Ainsworth turned, opened the window, and a chilly wind rushed in, cool against her face.

”He used to be your stepfather’s son. Is it a little strange for you?” Quentin Grant moved closer, wrapping his arms around Nora Ainsworth’s waist from behind.

”Whether he is or not, it’s meaningless to me.”

”That’s true. Only I can be meaningful to you.”

”No wonder the two kids are so smug. They must get it from you.”

Quentin Grant buried his face in the crook of her neck. ”It’s called ’like father, like son.’”

Nora Ainsworth wriggled free. ”I’m going to ask the kids about Dorothy’s situation today. You go start dinner.”

”Yes, my lady wife.”

Just as Nora Ainsworth reached the doorway of her two darlings’ room, she overheard their conversation.

”Bro, will they agree to work for you?”

”With money, anything is possible.”

Nora Ainsworth pushed the door open. The two boys were startled and immediately gave her a sheepish smile.

”What are you two up to?”

”Huh?” Elmer Grant chuckled nervously. ”Nothing! We’re not doing anything.”

”I heard everything at the door.” Nora Ainsworth closed the door and sat on the edge of the bed. ”Spill it. Or you’ll be in big trouble!”