Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Mr. Ainsworth drove straight to the upscale residential complex and parked his car at the gate of Quentin Grant’s home. He thought for a moment. ’Such a kind girl was murdered,’ he mused. ’I have to get some justice for her.’

Getting out of the car, Mr. Ainsworth stared at the large gate. He took a deep breath and walked up to the entrance of Quentin Grant’s home.

He reached out and pressed the doorbell.

A moment later, the gate was opened by one of the Men in Black, who looked at him with a cold expression. ”Who are you looking for?”

”I’m here to see Nora Ainsworth.”

”Who are you? What business do you have with our Young Madam? Did you call ahead?”

”I didn’t call ahead, but please tell her that I’m Sharon Ainsworth’s father, her former stepfather. I need to see her.”

”Wait here.” The Man in Black promptly shut the gate, leaving Mr. Ainsworth waiting outside.

A few minutes passed, and Mr. Ainsworth was growing impatient. Just as he was about to press the doorbell again, the gate opened.

Nora Ainsworth stood in the gateway. Seeing him again, she felt an indescribable emotion. It reminded her of what her adoptive mother had gone through before she died. She simply felt her adoptive mother had been wronged. After all, the woman had spent decades with him, and although he had eventually given her a proper title, she had ultimately dedicated the best years of her life to him.

”What do you want?”

Mr. Ainsworth said bluntly, ”Nora Ainsworth, what is your heart made of? What kind of deep-seated hatred did you have for Miss Callahan? You killed her mother, and now you’ve driven her to her death too!”

Nora immediately understood who he meant by ”Miss Callahan.”

”What’s it to you? Is she your goddaughter or something?”

”She was my girlfriend!”

”Oh, is that so?” Nora sneered. ”And?”

”Nora Ainsworth, now that you’ve made it big, you’ve forgotten all my kindness to you, haven’t you? You weren’t so arrogant back when you were living in my house!”

She turned. ”Why don’t we talk inside the courtyard?”

Mr. Ainsworth nodded and followed her in. The moment the gate shut...

Nora pointed a gun at his head. In that instant, Mr. Ainsworth’s mind went completely blank.

”Speaking of the word ’kindness,’ what right do you have to even say it? My mother was with you for so many years. How did you treat her in the end? Do I need to list out every single example for you?”

Mr. Ainsworth raised his hands slightly and swayed. ”Nora, let’s just talk. Don’t... don’t use the gun...”

”Talk? You came here today to stick your nose in my business, and you want to just ’talk’?”

”I... Can’t I just leave right now? I’ll never come back again.”

”Hah... So scared of dying? You think my home is a place you can just come and go as you please?”

Mr. Ainsworth’s scalp went numb. ”What are you going to do?”

”Nothing much.” She looked at the group of Men in Black standing nearby. ”Seize him, put him in a car, and take him to my adoptive mother’s grave. Make him kneel there for three days!”

Mr. Ainsworth’s eyes widened. ’Is this what they call trying to steal a chicken, only to lose the rice used to lure it?’

”You... I won’t go!” A man his age couldn’t bear such humiliation.

”Then make it ten days!”

Mr. Ainsworth nearly fainted from anger. Before he could even try to run, the Men in Black forced him into a car. The vehicle drove out of the main gate and headed toward Joel Chaucer’s grave.

Nora Ainsworth looked up at the sky and whispered, ”Mom, you can rest in peace now. I’m doing very well. And I’m making that man repent to you. Your life vanished like a puff of smoke, but I hope that in your next life, you’ll see clearly.”

”Young Madam.”

She turned to face the captain of the Men in Black. ”What is it?”

”I went to verify it myself. Catherine Callahan is confirmed dead. When she died, her eyes were wide open in fear. And...”

Nora prompted, ”And what?”

”And... there were scorpions crawling in her mouth, in her stomach, all over her face and body... and snakes had eaten parts of her...”

”It’s disgusting, but I suppose it’s a fitting end for what she did. Get her body out of there. Show some respect for the dead. Have her cremated and find a plot near Claire Sinclair’s grave to bury the ashes.”

”Yes, I’ll see to it at once.”

Nora turned and went back into the living room. Quentin Grant was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, handling some business. Seeing her come in, he asked, ”Who was looking for you?”

”Sharon Ainsworth’s father.”

”What did he want?” Quentin put his laptop down on the table.

”He said Catherine Callahan was his girlfriend and was berating me for what we did to her.”

Quentin raised an eyebrow. ”Oh? So you sent him away?”

”Of course not... He delivered himself right to our doorstep. The least I could do was take him to see my adoptive mother...”

Hearing this, Quentin smiled. ”Nora, aren’t you just torturing him?”

”Will he suffer? The man doesn’t even have a heart. Oh, right, there was something else I wanted to tell you...” She looked at him and said four words, ”Catherine Callahan is dead...”

”She’s dead...” Quentin was completely unfazed, as if he’d just heard a stranger’s name. ”Good riddance...”

”All the grudges are now laid to rest. She was so young, but she did too many evil things, too many unforgivable things.”

”So, she didn’t die undeserving...” Quentin stroked her long hair. ”Nicholas Ainsworth went to Grestin to visit his backer.”

”He’s going so openly. Is he afraid people don’t know he’s in league with Toby Dalton?”

”Let him go. If he doesn’t, how can he show his loyalty to his master?” Quentin said dismissively. ”The sky will rain, and a mother will remarry. Some things are just inevitable. Nicholas Ainsworth insisting on visiting his master is the same principle.”

”Mm, but you need to keep a close eye on his movements. It’s not the gentleman who draws his sword in broad daylight you fear, but the scoundrel who plays dirty tricks in the dark.”

”Don’t worry, I have everything arranged. I’m just worried he *won’t* play any dirty tricks.”

Nora Ainsworth nodded.

One of the Men in Black appeared at the door. ”Young Master, your... uh... father-in-law is here.”

”My dad?” Nora and Quentin exchanged a look. Just as they stood up, Luna Ainsworth walked into the living room.

”What are you doing here...?” Nora was very awkward. She hadn’t expected him to come at all.

A weary expression crossed Luna Ainsworth’s face. ”Where’s your mother? I need to see her.”

Nora stammered, ”She said... she doesn’t want to see you...”

”Nora, tell me where she is.”

Quentin spoke up, ”She’s on the second floor. You can go look for her.”

Luna Ainsworth strode up the stairs. Nora was displeased. ”Why did you tell him?”

”They have to meet eventually. Whether she forgives him or not is another matter.”

Nora thought for a moment, then said, ”I’m going upstairs to check. I’m worried.”

Quentin took her hand. ”Don’t go. Let the elders handle their own affairs.”

Only then did Nora stay put.

Faye Sinclair was sitting quietly in a chair, facing a computer screen that was displaying the news.

When she heard the door being pushed open, she thought it was Nora. But as soon as she turned her head, the gentle look on her face froze.

Seeing him again, Faye realized her heart still wavered, all because of that face.

Luna Ainsworth’s eyes instantly reddened.

In his forties now, the heroic air he once had between his brows had been completely worn away by mental anguish.

”Faye.”

Faye’s hand trembled as she used the mouse to turn off the computer. Then, pressing her hands on the desk to stand, she took a few steps back. ”Who... who let you come here...”

”No one let me. I came on my own. Faye, I know I’ve wronged you...”

Faye shook her head. ”Don’t call my name, and don’t say you’re sorry. Just go. Go, and don’t let me see you...”

He strode forward, and Faye retreated rapidly.

Finally, her back hit the wall. She had no way to retreat.

He forced an embrace, ignoring her struggles, and held her very thin frame in his arms, his heart aching so much he could hardly breathe.

”Faye, don’t be like this. It was my fault. I was blind, I didn’t realize it wasn’t you. I’m sorry to you and our daughter. You can hit me, you can curse me, just don’t ignore me...”

Faye couldn’t break free from his struggle. Gradually, her raised hands fell limply to her sides. If he weren’t holding her so tightly, her body might have collapsed to the floor.

Tears streamed down like a spring as the two of them held each other and wept bitterly.

Luna Ainsworth cupped her face, looking at her intently as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. ”Faye, I know you’ve suffered so much over the years. If it weren’t for Nora and Quentin, I might never have seen you again in this lifetime. Faye, I mistook her for you, but my heart has truly only ever loved you. It’s just... she imitated you too well.”

She looked down, her voice hoarse. ”Let go of me first.”

He finally let her go.

Faye raised her hand and slapped him across the face with a crisp SMACK. ”This slap... is for your pathetic excuse...”

Then came another slap. ”This one is for Sierra! You’re her father, yet you didn’t even know your own child’s legs had been sawed off! What kind of competent father are you?!”

The final slap made Faye’s own palm sting. ”And this slap is for me. We lived together for so many years, and you lost me. Since you lost me, don’t even think about getting me back...”

Luna Ainsworth panicked. ”Faye, I know I made a huge mistake, but can’t you just give me one chance?”

”No.” The single word highlighted her unyielding stance.

Some things could be forgiven, but others, Faye thought, she would never forgive.

Luna Ainsworth knew her temperament. He knew that saying anything more right now would be useless.

”Then... can I stay here...?”

”This isn’t my home. You should ask Nora and Quentin...”

His face turned ashen. He nodded, turned, and stumbled out of the room. Faye watched his figure disappear from the doorway, tears streaming endlessly from her eyes.

Nora and Quentin were sitting on the sofa in the living room. After a little while, they heard footsteps coming downstairs. They both looked over in tacit understanding and saw that it was indeed Luna Ainsworth.

”Nora, Quentin... can I stay here for a while...?”

”Of course you can,” Quentin replied. He also knew why Luna Ainsworth wanted to stay.

He nodded, then turned and went back upstairs.

”Do you think Mom will forgive him?”

Nora shook her head. ”I don’t think so.”