Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Feeling a bit awkward, Jean Grant said, ”My boyfriend and I are going to head over there. So, Zoe—”

”You guys go ahead. I wanted some quiet time anyway.”

Jean Grant’s lips twitched. She and Zoe Ellsworth used to be very close, but their relationship had grown distant ever since Zoe found out she was with Ethan Ellsworth, and after the incident with Chloe Marshall.

Zoe Ellsworth sat there alone, her head resting on the back of the sofa. She watched a woman in a see-through outfit dancing and singing on stage while a crowd of men cheered from below.

She quickly finished her drink. ’This is boring,’ she thought, and stood up to leave.

But just as she was about to get up, a man sat down on either side of her.

One was Jason Irving; she didn’t recognize the other man.

”Zoe Ellsworth, long time no see.”

She sneered. ”Why do you guys always love to start with that line? Did you run out of clients tonight? It can’t be easy whoring yourself out for a few bucks. If you skip work, what are you going to eat this month?”

”Want me to service you?”

”You’re filthy.”

Jason Irving’s expression changed. ”And you think you’re so clean? What right does a used-up whore like you have to call me filthy?”

”Jason Irving, you’re fucking asking for a beating again,” she said lightly.

”Tonight,” he leaned in close to her, ”I’m here for revenge.”

Zoe Ellsworth tried to stand up but was pinned between the two of them.

She rolled her neck, then suddenly jabbed her elbows back, shot to her feet, and kicked Jason Irving in the neck. She twisted her foot slightly. ”Don’t fucking test me! Damn it!”

Several pairs of eyes in the bustling hall turned to look their way. Ruby rushed over. ”Oh, my! Miss Ellsworth, who’s made you so angry?”

She eased the pressure from her foot. Watching Jason Irving clutch his neck, gasping for air, she spat out coldly, ”This kind of trash still wants to earn my money? Next time you mess with me, I’ll break your legs!”

Ruby scolded them, ”Who told you two to provoke Miss Ellsworth? Do you have a death wish?! Get upstairs, now! A client is looking for you!”

Jason Irving and the other man immediately got up and left in embarrassment.

Ruby immediately put on a smile. ”Miss Ellsworth, they’re just a couple of scumbags. No need to lower yourself to their level.”

”I can’t be bothered. But if there’s a next time, they’ll walk in and be carried out.”

”Yes, yes, of course. Are you staying? Should I find someone new for you? I can guarantee a college student, a first-timer.”

”No, I’m not interested right now.” Zoe Ellsworth slung her bag over her shoulder and left.

Ruby turned and immediately went upstairs.

”Young Master Hawthorne, Miss Ellsworth has left.”

Herman Hawthorne nodded. ”Mm, take those two men and—”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but Ruby already understood what he meant. ”The price will be a bit high.”

”Money is no object. Just make sure there are no loose ends,” he said nonchalantly, stubbing out his cigarette.

”Alright, no problem.”

Ruby backed out of the room, her heart pounding with fear. She was sweating bullets. ’Young Master Hawthorne really is the most ruthless of them all.’ Although he had two public identities—a university professor and a taekwondo master—he was also a big boss to his men, and his aura seemed to be concentrated in those latter two roles.

He was someone you absolutely could not afford to offend.

*

In the middle of the night, Ethan Ellsworth arrived in Harrowin.

Quentin Grant was there to pick him up. As soon as they met, Ethan Ellsworth said directly, ”I’ve changed my strategy.”

”Let’s hear it.”

”First, I need to see the DNA test results for Dorothy and me. If she’s my daughter, then we can proceed to the next step, which is to use the power of the media. That’s the most effective and powerful tool we have. If she’s not my daughter, we can’t use that method and will have to think of something else. For now, we have to get that report.”

Quentin Grant nodded. ”Then we’ll have to rely on my two little treasures for help. We can’t delay, things might change. We have to get it tomorrow.”

”Then tomorrow, to be absolutely sure, we must get Dorothy’s blood, saliva, and hair samples to send for testing all at once.”

Nora Ainsworth thought for a moment. ”I’ll go to the kindergarten tomorrow and try to find a chance to get the samples. But it’ll require Dorothy’s cooperation.”

”A little girl shouldn’t be a problem. It’ll be easier if you take our eldest along.”

Nora Ainsworth nodded. For the rest of the night, the three adults barely slept.

Whether she was Ethan Ellsworth’s child or not could only be known after the test. But the test required several samples from Dorothy. It seemed simple, but in reality, it was anything but easy to obtain.

Saliva and hair wouldn’t be a problem, but blood was another story...

Early the next morning, the three of them were up at the crack of dawn.

When Nora Ainsworth went into the two children’s room, she noticed Dylan Grant’s face was flushed. She reached out to feel his forehead and found it was burning up.

She immediately woke Dylan Grant up to take him to the hospital.

She also arranged for Quentin Grant to take their second child to kindergarten, telling him that she and Dylan would go straight to the kindergarten after leaving the hospital.

At the hospital, the doctor on duty took his temperature and found it was over thirty-eight degrees Celsius. He had a fever. The doctor suggested a shot and some medicine.

Nora Ainsworth agreed and took Dylan Grant to get the shot.

The female doctor who was giving the shot prepared the syringe and said, ”Alright, little one, we’re going to give you a shot now. You need to pull down your pants. It might hurt a little, but it’ll be over quickly.”

Dylan Grant reached down, pulled down one side of his pants, and lay across Nora Ainsworth’s lap.

Seeing how cooperative the child was, the doctor praised him, ”You’re so brave, little one! Even braver than the bigger boys and girls who come in for shots. They always cry, but you haven’t shed a single tear.”

Dylan Grant kept a straight face and said nothing.

”Okay, I’m really doing it now.” Then, the doctor administered the shot, and it was over in a moment.

The doctor had never seen such a calm child and couldn’t help but praise him again. ”Have you had a lot of shots, little guy? You’re really amazing!”

Dylan Grant pulled up his pants and said with cold disdain, ”Not only did you see my bare butt, but you also talk way too much for someone just giving a shot!”

He then trotted out the door on his chubby little legs. Nora Ainsworth, embarrassed, hurried after him.

When they arrived at the kindergarten, Nora Ainsworth told the teacher that Dylan Grant was feeling a little unwell and asked if she could stay to keep an eye on him. The teacher readily agreed.

Just before class was about to start, Dorothy Bancroft finally arrived, fashionably late, escorted by her bodyguards.

Nora Ainsworth didn’t get a chance to act, so she had to wait outside the classroom for the class to end.

The preschool teacher walked to the front of the class with a smile. Looking at the group of two- and three-year-olds, none of whom were sitting up straight, she said, ”Today, class, your teacher wants to pick a little representative who is the best at telling interesting stories about things that happen around them. Everyone has to tell one story. Raise your hand if you want to go first.”

Fatty, one of the students, raised his hand.

”Alright, Fatty, you can start us off.”

Fatty wiggled his chubby body as he stood at the front of the class. He stammered a few times before saying, ”I used to always hear the neighbors say my mommy found me in a trash can. But then my mommy told me that wasn’t true, that she gave birth to me. So I asked my mommy when she gave birth to me. Mommy told me to guess, so I said: ’You must have given birth to me on a Saturday, because Saturday is the only day you’re at home. That’s the only time you’d have to give birth to me.’”

The kids below all stared at him with wide eyes, looking at one another blankly. The joke completely bombed.