Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Faye Sinclair and Luna Ainsworth had left with Sierra Ainsworth, and Nora Ainsworth was having a hard time adjusting. She stayed by Elmer Grant’s side, reading stories to him.

Elmer Grant’s wounds had mostly healed, but Nora Ainsworth still wouldn’t let him get out of bed, insisting he needed more time to recuperate.

In the blink of an eye, the promised eight days were up.

Nicholas Ainsworth and Sharon Ainsworth arrived at the upscale residential community early in the morning to pick someone up.

Nora Ainsworth opened the door for them herself.

The moment Sharon Ainsworth saw her, she immediately lost control. ”Nora Ainsworth, you’re shameless! What did you do with my dad?!”

”Sold him...” She smiled faintly. ”But that’s only if someone would actually want him.”

Sharon Ainsworth sneered, ”Nora Ainsworth, have you forgotten about the time you lived with our family? Now you’re biting the hand that fed you. Do you have any conscience at all?”

Nora Ainsworth’s eyes narrowed. ”Biting the hand that fed me?”

Her tone shifted. ”I’m surprised you know how to use an expression like that.”

Sharon Ainsworth was so furious she could have exploded. ”Nora Ainsworth, bring my dad here, now!”

”Calm down. I’ve already sent people to get him.” She sat under a patio umbrella, holding a glass of watermelon juice, while Sharon and Nicholas Ainsworth stood baking in the hot sun.

Sharon Ainsworth fell silent and stood there, waiting.

Minute after minute ticked by. Half an hour passed. Then a full hour...

Sharon Ainsworth’s patience had been completely exhausted.

”Nora Ainsworth, are you just toying with us?”

”Patience. After all, it’s an hour’s drive from my mother’s grave. He should be arriving any minute now.”

These words made even Nicholas Ainsworth, who had been silently holding his tongue, turn pale.

”What?! You sent my dad to your mother’s grave?”

”Of course. My mom gave her entire youth to your dad. She must be so lonely in the afterlife, so having him keep her company for ten days isn’t too much to ask, is it?” Nora Ainsworth leaned back in her chair. ”Besides, your dad came here that day to demand justice for Catherine Callahan. Heh, if I didn’t send him to go see my mother, how could I do right by the woman who once gave everything for him?”

Sharon Ainsworth frowned. ”Who’s Catherine Callahan?”

”Oh, that’s Miss Callahan.” Nora Ainsworth couldn’t help but laugh as she spoke. ”Catherine Callahan had another successful round of plastic surgery.”

Upon hearing this, Sharon Ainsworth put a hand to her forehead. ”Damn it, so it was her!”

Just then, there was a noise at the main gate.

A Man in Black opened the gate, and a black car slowly drove in.

The car stopped, the door opened, and two Men in Black hauled Mr. Ainsworth out.

Sharon and Nicholas Ainsworth’s expressions shifted from shock to fury in an instant.

’Was this man before them really Mr. Ainsworth?’

His face was haggard. Though in his fifties, he looked closer to seventy. His legs could barely hold him up, and his body seemed completely hollowed out.

Seeing his children, tears streamed down Mr. Ainsworth’s face. He cried out, ”Nicholas! Sharon!”

The two of them hurried forward. ”Dad, how did you end up like this!”

Mr. Ainsworth burst into loud sobs, pointing at Nora Ainsworth. ”Nicholas, it was her! She made me kneel before Joel Chaucer’s grave for ten whole days! I can’t even stand up straight anymore!”

Hearing this, Sharon Ainsworth rushed up to Nora Ainsworth, snatched the glass of watermelon juice from the table, and slammed it onto the ground. It shattered with a loud CRASH, scattering glass everywhere.

Immediately, the Men in Black seized Sharon Ainsworth.

Nora Ainsworth stood up and stared Sharon right in the eye, then raised her hand and slapped her across the face. ”Sharon Ainsworth, I’ve wanted to give this back to you for a long time. Remember when you tried to drug me, only to drink it yourself? Then you went home and framed me. This is for the slap my mother gave me because of you. You’d better learn to behave. Don’t you forget where you are. This is no place for you to run wild!”

”Nora Ainsworth, are you even human? My dad is your stepfather, after all! How could you do this to him? How could you make a middle-aged man in his fifties kneel at a grave for ten days!”

”Say one more word, and I’ll send him back to keep kneeling. You want to test me?” There wasn’t a trace of a smile on Nora Ainsworth’s face. Sharon Ainsworth didn’t refute her. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew this was not the same Nora Ainsworth she once knew.

Nicholas Ainsworth walked over and said, ”Nora, I hope this can end here.”

Nora Ainsworth looked at him. ”This ends here. And I hope you’ll end what you’re doing, too.”

Her words were pointed. She was sure Nicholas Ainsworth understood her hidden meaning.

He narrowed his eyes. ”What do you mean?”

Nora Ainsworth smiled. ”Don’t play dumb with me. You know exactly what I mean. Nicholas Ainsworth, the Grant Group is not something you and your partners can take down. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot. We know your every move. Consider this your first warning. Whether you listen or not is your business. Quentin will show absolutely no mercy to anyone who tries to harm the Grant Group.”

Nicholas Ainsworth’s heart dropped. He looked at her, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Sharon Ainsworth violently shook off the Man in Black holding her. He let go, and she finally broke free.

Nora Ainsworth watched them leave, her chin lifted slightly. ’From now on, no one will ever bully me again!’

Back home, Sharon Ainsworth sat on the sofa, fuming. ”Nora Ainsworth has gone too far! Who does she think she is?!”

Mr. Ainsworth lay on the sofa, gasping for breath. ”Don’t go looking for trouble right now. We can’t afford to provoke her.”

Nicholas Ainsworth nodded. ”Lie low for a while. We need to keep quiet for the time being.”

”Brother, back at her place, what did Nora Ainsworth mean by what she said? Is she saying you’re targeting the Grant Group?”

Nicholas Ainsworth stood up. ”Stay out of my business.”

Sharon Ainsworth sulked. Just then, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen, saw it was an unfamiliar number, and answered.

”Yeah, who’s this?”

”What, you don’t recognize me anymore?” The familiar voice made Sharon Ainsworth bolt upright from the sofa. Clutching the phone, she retreated to her room.

Once in her room, her heart was still pounding wildly. She lowered her voice, ”Quincy? Why are you calling me? Didn’t we agree not to contact each other anymore?”

Quincy’s voice came from the phone, ”Sharon, it’s not me who wanted to contact you. It’s your boss at the TV station. He hasn’t been able to find you lately, and you weren’t answering his calls, so he had me call you.”

”What is it?”

”It’s nothing big. There’s a small gathering with some people in our circle tonight, and he wants you to come pour some drinks.”

Sharon Ainsworth didn’t want to go. ”I have a boyfriend now. I’m not going.”

”If you don’t come, then I’ll just have to come to your house to get you. It’s your call.”

Sharon panicked. ”Who all is going to be there?”

”It’s just seven or eight people. It’s not like you’re the only one he called. They’re not going to eat you alive. Relax, it’s just to pour some drinks.”

Sharon Ainsworth had no choice but to say, ”Fine, I’ll see tonight.”

After hanging up, she felt a pang of anxiety. ’I just went through all the trouble of changing my number. How did he find it already?’

Sharon Ainsworth called Martin Grant to ask if he was free that evening, but he replied that he would be busy and had no time to see her.

Resigned, she picked out a nice outfit and waited for evening.

After seven o’clock, Sharon Ainsworth drove to a well-known karaoke bar. Standing in front of a large VIP room, she knocked on the door.

Someone opened the door for her. As she stood at the entrance, Sharon Ainsworth froze. The man inside with his arms around two women was none other than Martin Grant.

’And he said he was busy!’

’Liar!’

When Martin Grant saw her, he froze as well. ”What are you doing here?”

Quincy chuckled sleazily. ”Of course, I was the one who called her over. This chick is a real looker, isn’t she, Young Master Grant?”

Sharon Ainsworth shot Quincy a death glare. To stop him from spouting more nonsense, she announced, ”I’m Martin’s girlfriend.”

Hearing this, Quincy laughed. He looked at Martin Grant. ”Seriously? Is that true?”

Martin Grant just grunted, which was as good as a confirmation.

Sharon Ainsworth assumed Quincy would back off, or at least watch his mouth with her boyfriend present. To her surprise, he did the exact opposite.

”As I recall, wasn’t Sharon Ainsworth with the boss for a while?”

He glanced around. ”The TV station boss was supposed to be here tonight, but I guess he didn’t make it.”

Ignoring everyone, Martin Grant pulled the beauty next to him closer. ”Is that right? And how would you know?”

Sharon panicked and rushed inside. ”Quincy, shut your mouth!”

”Who’s spouting nonsense?” Quincy had had a little to drink. ”I’m just stating facts. Everyone knows how long you were with him. Besides, you were with me for a few months too. I gave you over two million a month. A lot of people know about that, too. What’s there to hide?”

Sharon could clearly see Martin Grant’s face turn disturbingly grim.

He stood up, grabbed Sharon Ainsworth’s hand, and dragged her out.

He dragged her into another empty room and threw her onto the sofa. ”I had no idea you were such a good liar. Didn’t you tell me you’ve only had one boyfriend? The rich, handsome guy who went abroad?”

”You’re a liar too! You said you were busy tonight. And what were you actually doing? A girl on each arm. Quite the player, aren’t you?”

Martin Grant sneered, ”Sharon Ainsworth, we’re breaking up.”

Those words sent Sharon Ainsworth plunging from heaven to hell. She sat up. ”You’ve wanted to say that for a long time, haven’t you? You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder ever since you found out my hair was burned. You think I’m ugly now, don’t you?”

Martin Grant turned around. ”Don’t call me again.”

The door slammed shut.

Sharon Ainsworth lay on the sofa, feeling utterly miserable.

She called a server and ordered several bottles of alcohol, planning to drink her sorrows away.

She drank herself into a stupor.

She kept drinking until after ten.

Staggering out of the room, she paid the bill and stumbled out the main entrance, where she squatted by the curb and started to vomit.

Quincy was sitting in his car, ready to drive home, when he saw her from a distance.

He smiled smugly, got out, and half-pulled, half-dragged Sharon Ainsworth into his car. He deliberately undid a button on her blouse, groped her, and then drove away.

”Why did you break up with me... Why...”

Hearing her mumbled words, Quincy knew he had his opening. He boldly parked the car right in front of his house.