Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Chloe Marshall’s eyes lit up. ”Really? I have nothing to do at home all day anyway. This is perfect! We can be together every day. Boss Ellsworth, I love you! Mwah, give me a kiss!”

He leaned his face in, and Chloe Marshall gave him several more kisses. The two looked at each other, smiled, and went back to watching TV.

The little couple was as sweet as ever, but the situation in another room wasn’t nearly as good.

Zoe Ellsworth sat on the bed, staring at his phone screen and the caller ID on it. She reached out and took the phone in her hand.

Then, she pressed the answer button. ”Hello? Hi, who is this?”

There was a long silence on the other end, and then the line went dead.

Zoe Ellsworth gripped the phone tightly, got off the bed, and yanked open the bathroom door, staring at the man inside who was leisurely humming a tune.

”Herman Hawthorne?”

”Hm?”

”Who is ’My Sweetheart’ in your phone contacts?”

”What ’My Sweetheart’?” he asked, turning off the showerhead.

Zoe Ellsworth went in, grabbed Herman Hawthorne by the hair, and forcibly dragged him out of the bathroom.

”Zoe, don’t be rash! The floor is slippery, what if you fall!”

Zoe Ellsworth handed him the phone. ”Herman Hawthorne, you’re disgusting! Tell me, who is this ’My Sweetheart’ in your phone?”

He unlocked his phone, confused. ”What ’My Sweetheart’? I don’t have anyone...”

Suddenly, his voice trailed off. He stared intently at the screen. There was indeed a phone number, and the contact name was ”My Sweetheart,” but he had never set it like that.

He looked at Zoe Ellsworth. ”Zoe, I really didn’t set this. Let me see whose number this is.”

He tapped his finger, opening the contact details for the number, and frowned. ”Bianca’s number?”

Hearing this, Zoe Ellsworth’s expression turned cold. ”Herman Hawthorne, you’ve really outdone yourself. Bianca Rhodes is already married and living abroad. It’s not like she could run over here and change your contact list for her own number, right? Or have you been in contact with her this whole time, never breaking it off?”

”Zoe, absolutely not. I swear.”

”Then explain this to me. Your phone has been with you the whole time. Who tampered with it?”

Herman Hawthorne said with grave sincerity, ”When Bianca went abroad to get married, I deleted her number. For it to suddenly reappear with a nickname like this... it’s really not my style.”

Zoe Ellsworth clearly didn’t believe him. She pointed to the door. ”Get out of here right now. If you can’t bring me proof, don’t show your face to me again. It’s a good thing I still haven’t forgiven you for what you did in the past. Out!”

Herman Hawthorne picked up his clothes. ”At least let me get dressed first.”

Zoe Ellsworth grabbed his arm, pushed him right out the door, and then threw his clothes after him. ”Go find your ’sweetheart’.”

Herman Hawthorne was on the verge of tears, but had none to shed. He had no idea what was going on.

He quickly put on his clothes and went downstairs with his phone. ’Which bastard did this? I have to find out.’

Meanwhile, Zoe Ellsworth lay in bed. She was already having trouble sleeping, and now it was even worse.

’We had just barely managed to get a little closer, and now we’re far apart again.’

She knew in her heart that something this stupid didn’t seem like Herman Hawthorne’s style. He always used single characters for his contact names.

What Zoe Ellsworth was thinking more about was: ’Has that idiot Bianca Rhodes come back?’

’Did she get a divorce?’

She thought that if Bianca Rhodes really had returned, it would be the joke of the century.

After some thought, she used the landline to dial the number from before. After a few rings, a woman’s voice came through. ”Hello?”

Hearing that voice, Zoe Ellsworth couldn’t stay lying down.

She let out a cold laugh. ”So it really is you, Bianca Rhodes.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the other person hung up.

Zoe Ellsworth now had a pretty good idea of what was happening. She immediately called a detective agency and asked them to find Bianca Rhodes’s current location.

In the morning, the detective agency called and gave Zoe Ellsworth the specific address. But holding the address, Zoe Ellsworth didn’t make a move. ’Right now, I’m not Herman Hawthorne’s wife. Why should I wade into these muddy waters?’

’The only wise choice is to focus on my pregnancy.’

She just instructed the guards at the main gate not to let Herman Hawthorne into the Ellsworth Family compound again.

*

Holly Wood had originally planned to deal with June Walsh the day after her wedding, but she hadn’t gone because she needed to rest and recuperate at home for a few days.

Leon Lynch specially arranged for a few bodyguards to accompany Holly Wood on her visit to her parents’ home today.

The morning air was especially fresh. When Holly Wood arrived at the residential complex, the neighbors who used to look down on her family all greeted her warmly. She responded to each of them, but she knew in her heart that these people just went wherever the wind blew.

’When you have money, when you’re doing well, when you marry into a rich family, people’s attitude toward you does a complete 180.’

When she got upstairs, she discovered that her grandmother and grandfather, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time, had actually come. And sitting on the sofa was also a middle-aged couple. She guessed they were her second uncle and aunt, whom she had never met.

”Mom, I’m home.”

Mrs. Wood quickly stood up. ”Holly, your grandma, grandpa, second uncle, and second aunt are here.”

Holly Wood glanced at them and said coolly, ”So they’re here. What are you so worked up about?”

Mrs. Wood nudged her, gesturing for her to greet them, but Holly Wood stubbornly refused.

”They haven’t looked for us in all these years. Why would they come looking for us now? I don’t believe for a second they’re just here to see you two.”

Holly Wood’s second aunt spoke up. ”Holly, ah, even though we haven’t been in touch for so many years, we’re still family. Blood is thicker than water.”

”Why didn’t you say that when you kicked my mom and dad out to build your house?”

A single sentence choked up Holly Wood’s second aunt, leaving her speechless.

She gave an awkward laugh. ”That’s all water under the bridge. Back then, your second uncle and I had just gotten married, and it was really inconvenient for everyone to live together.”

”Is that so?” Holly Wood looked at her mother. ”Mom, has June come to cause trouble again?”

Hearing this, Mrs. Wood said worriedly, ”Of course she has. She’s been here twice already.”

”I’ll try to have a proper talk with her first. If that doesn’t work, we’ll figure something else out.”

”That damn girl is completely unreasonable. She won’t even take money. It looks like she plans to drag this out.”

Holly Wood nodded, a faint idea forming in her mind.

Holly Wood’s second uncle spoke up. ”Big Brother, Sister-in-law, what do you think about the matter I just mentioned?”

Mr. Wood stammered, looking at Holly Wood. ”Well, your second uncle and aunt want to invest in real estate. It costs a lot of money, and they’re asking us for it.”

Holly Wood shot back, ”Do you have any money? Leon was the one who paid for the house. Mom, Dad, if you’re willing to sell the house and give them the money, I have nothing to say. If you have money, then lend it to them. Just don’t come to me. I just got married, I don’t have any money on hand.”

Mrs. Wood knew her daughter was in a difficult position, so she added, ”That’s right. Although our Holly married into a rich family, she doesn’t have money herself. Her father and I bought this house with the bride price from our son-in-law. He’s filial to us, so we can’t just disregard ourselves. We don’t have that much spare cash. There’s no need to discuss this further. There’s nothing more to say.”

Holly Wood’s second aunt was clearly angry. ”Our mom and dad have been living with our family all this time. After so many years, it’s about time you fulfilled your duties as children.”

Mrs. Wood nodded. ”Mom and Dad can just stay here. We never said we wouldn’t take care of our elders.”

The second aunt stood up resentfully and looked at the second uncle. ”Let’s go back. I don’t think we can count on them for anything.”

The second uncle and aunt left. Holly Wood’s grandmother sighed. ”You’re full brothers. You should help if you can.”

”Oh, really? When my mom and dad were kicked out back then, as their parents, didn’t you fail to help at all? When my mom gave birth to me and Keth, wasn’t it because she didn’t give you money that you refused to help care for us? I don’t know where you heard I married into a rich family, but running over here so eagerly... did you think nobody would figure out your intentions?”

To be honest, Holly Wood had a gentle personality by nature. But ever since she was little, Mrs. Wood had told her so many stories about these absolutely terrible grandparents. Holly could still remember from her childhood that her grandmother not only used to hit her but also constantly called her a ”money-losing good-for-nothing.” In the end, their whole family was thrown out. The memory most deeply etched in Holly’s mind was of Mrs. Wood kneeling at the main gate, unable to get them to open the door.

Holly Wood knew her mother was soft-hearted, but there were times to be soft and times when one absolutely should not be.

Hearing Holly Wood’s words, her grandparents were furious.

”Holly, you girl, why must you say things so harshly?”

Holly Wood stood up. ”Because I remember how you threw us out, *esteemed* grandmother. My parents being soft-hearted is their business. Don’t drag me into it.”

She looked at Mrs. Wood. ”Mom, I’m heading back now.”

Mrs. Wood nodded.

Downstairs, Holly Wood stopped in her tracks. Seeing June Walsh approaching in the distance, she took a deep breath.

When June Walsh reached her, Holly Wood said, ”June, let’s have a proper talk.”

”What is there to talk about with you? If anyone’s talking, it should be with your parents. You don’t have the clout.”

”June,” Holly Wood called out loudly. ”You must talk with me.”

”I don’t want to!” June Walsh’s eyes widened as she tried to enter the stairwell.

Holly Wood looked at the bodyguards behind her. ”Escort her into the car. I’m going to have a proper talk with her.”

The bodyguards did as they were told, covering June Walsh’s mouth and guiding her into the car.

In the back seat, June Walsh sat in the middle, flanked by two bodyguards. Holly Wood sat in the front passenger seat, while another bodyguard drove.

Holly Wood looked back. ”Get an abortion. We’ll give you a sum of money. You and Keth have no future together. Neither of you even likes the other. Stop making a pointless fuss.”