Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Nicholas Ainsworth’s ears burned at those words, but there was nothing he could do. Might makes right. The victor is crowned king, the loser is cast out. He understood this principle well.

”Rest assured, President Grant. I’ll do my best.”

”Good.”

Quentin Grant turned and left the meeting room.

Nicholas Ainsworth, however, didn’t go straight back to the office. He drove until he reached the foot of a mountain and parked.

He got out of the car and gazed at the winding, verdant mountain path. Taking a deep breath, he started up the stone steps, one at a time.

It took a great deal of effort to reach the gate of the Azure Cloud Temple.

Gazing at the name above the gate, Nicholas Ainsworth suddenly understood Jean Grant’s state of mind. ’To empty oneself of all worldly desires, to leave the mortal coil behind... perhaps it was better to live out the rest of one’s days like this.’

”Sir, who are you looking for?”

”I’m looking for Jean Grant... oh, no, Serena.”

”Please follow me.”

Nicholas Ainsworth followed the young nun into a courtyard. After several twists and turns, they stopped before a doorway.

”Sister Serena is in the courtyard inside. You may go in.”

”Alright, thank you.” Nicholas Ainsworth took a few steps forward and paused at the entrance. Through the half-open door, he could see Jean Grant sitting in the courtyard, washing clothes. Her expression was serene. It was the first time he had ever seen her with a shaven head.

He stood there for a good while before finally pushing the door open and walking in.

Hearing the door creak, Jean Grant glanced toward the entrance. When she saw him, her expression remained placid, as if looking at a stranger.

”Amitabha. I am the nun Serena. May I ask what brings you here, sir?”

”Jean Grant...”

”Sir, those who have left worldly life go by their monastic names. Please call me Serena.”

”Serena...” Nicholas Ainsworth began, ”My company was acquired by your brother. Perhaps this is the only way I can save my own life.”

”In that case, sir, you should focus on living your life well from now on. Fame and fortune are fine, but life itself is more precious. It’s better to rely on yourself than to covet what others have. The simpler your thoughts, the happier you will be. Wouldn’t you agree?”

”Are you happy here?”

”Life here may be austere, but it is free from worldly disputes. It’s peaceful. I feel at ease. Cooking my own meals, washing my own clothes, working with my own hands—it’s better than anything.”

Nicholas Ainsworth noticed that as Jean Grant spoke, her face was a mask of tranquility, devoid of any ripple of emotion. She spoke as if discussing the most mundane of topics, and her tone with him was so detached it made him deeply uneasy.

”Well, I’ll be going. Take care of yourself.” With that, he turned and stumbled away, almost as if he were fleeing.

He couldn’t face that calm and self-possessed face any longer.

It made his skin crawl, leaving him with a profound sense of unease.

**

It was Saturday.

Quentin Grant had gone to the office, but he was back home now. He found Nora Ainsworth dressed in a gorgeous outfit, sitting at her vanity and applying makeup. He approached her. ”Nora, where are you off to?”

”The television network called. They’re holding the National Drama Awards this afternoon, and they’ve invited both me and Ethan Ellsworth. Apparently, our new shows premiered around the same time.”

Hearing this, Quentin Grant eyed the low-cut pink evening gown his wife was wearing, a hint of displeasure in his expression. ”I’ll go with you this afternoon. We can bring the boys.”

”Okay!” Nora Ainsworth agreed cheerfully. ”Chloe will be there with Dorothy too.”

Quentin Grant opened the closet. ”Then I’ll need to change too.”

The couple, along with their freshly-dressed twins, drove to the awards ceremony.

When they arrived, they saw the Ellsworth family of three was already there, seated in the front row. The seats for the Grant family of four were right next to them.

They took their seats, and everyone waited for the awards ceremony to begin.

About twenty minutes later, all the celebrities had arrived.

The ceremony began.

A male singer opened the show with a slow ballad.

Then, four hosts took the stage to emcee the event.

After a round of boilerplate speeches, the awards presentation officially began.

”And now, please welcome the female lead of *Head of the House*, Janet, and renowned actor Lucas Lawrence, who will present the award for Best Newcomer.”

The pair went on stage, exchanged some banter, and then announced the winner.

”Congratulations to Vincent!”

The young and handsome Vincent, dressed sharply in a suit, went up to the stage. He had been in the same production as Nora Ainsworth, playing the male lead.

He was a relatively new actor who had only recently made his debut.

After his acceptance speech, the hosts took over again. ”Next, please welcome acclaimed actress Madam Shaw and the talented actor Samuel Zimmer to announce the nominees for Best Actor and Best Actress.”

Madam Shaw took the stage in a stunning, sheer dress. Samuel Zimmer was an actor in his thirties who had starred in numerous hit shows and was well-known as a serious, accomplished actor.

”When we talk about the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, you know they’re going to the most brilliant performers of the year. So, who will it be this time? Let’s find out right now...” As soon as Samuel Zimmer finished, he turned to Madam Shaw.

Madam Shaw chimed in, ”That’s right! All eyes on the big screen!”

A still of Ethan Ellsworth immediately filled the screen, accompanied by a voiceover: ”He is one of the good guys of the entertainment world, a devoted husband and father in his personal life. Every series he stars in is a guaranteed hit. He is also a powerhouse singer, with each album repeatedly smashing sales records. He is... Ethan Ellsworth!”

A thunderous wave of applause erupted from the audience. Ethan Ellsworth, dressed in a pale blue suit, stood up, waved, and walked onto the stage.

Next, a still of Nora Ainsworth appeared on the screen, with a similar voiceover: ”She may be a newcomer to the entertainment world, but with few works to her name, each one is a classic. In her personal life, she is a wonderful woman and a loving mother. She is... Nora Ainsworth!”

Another wave of applause followed as Nora Ainsworth also made her way to the stage.

The award presentation followed.

After presenting the awards, Madam Shaw and Samuel Zimmer left the stage, leaving Ethan Ellsworth and Nora Ainsworth standing a short distance from each other, ready to give their acceptance speeches.

Nora Ainsworth spoke first. ”I never expected to receive this award, but to be recognized and affirmed like this is the greatest encouragement I could ask for. I want to thank the directing team and all the actors I had the pleasure of working with. A positive atmosphere on set is so important for an actor, and I truly felt that with this crew. I’m especially grateful to all of them. I also want to thank the father of my children, Quentin Grant, for supporting and understanding me.”

It was only then that most of the audience realized Quentin Grant himself was in attendance.

Next, it was Ethan Ellsworth’s turn to speak.

But at that very moment, screams erupted from the audience. Before Nora Ainsworth could even react, Ethan Ellsworth lunged forward, tackling her to the floor. Quentin Grant and Chloe Marshall had just scrambled onto the stage from the audience, but Ethan was already covering Nora. A metal light fixture from the rigging above crashed down, striking him in the back, right over his kidney. His white suit was instantly stained with blood.

Ethan Ellsworth fainted on the spot.

”Ethan!”

”Boss Ellsworth!”

”Daddy!”

The event organizers were horrified. An accident like this was a once-in-a-century disaster. They immediately called for an ambulance.

Nora Ainsworth’s heart leaped into her throat. Quentin Grant immediately hoisted Ethan Ellsworth onto his back and rushed out the door.

Chloe Marshall’s face was a mask of terror. She pulled Nora Ainsworth to her feet, and they ran outside together.

A perfectly fine awards ceremony had come to an abrupt and tragic halt.

With such a major incident, the awards ceremony simply could not continue.

The atmosphere turned ice-cold.

Since the awards ceremony was being broadcast live, Ethan Ellsworth’s accident was witnessed by everyone watching online.

Ethan Ellsworth’s fans, in particular, went into a frenzy online, demanding to know who was responsible for installing the light fixture and praying for Ethan to pull through.

The entrance to the hospital was mobbed by a huge crowd of fans, making it difficult to even get in or out. Everyone was desperate to know how Ethan Ellsworth was doing.

Given how quickly he was bleeding from his back, people couldn’t help but speculate that his kidney must have been injured. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been so severe.

Outside the hospital’s emergency room, Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth, Zoe Ellsworth, and Herman Hawthorne arrived in a hurry. Even Mr. and Mrs. Grant and Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne rushed over.

Nora Ainsworth gripped Chloe Marshall’s hand tightly, trying to offer her some support.

No one spoke, the silence broken only by the sound of soft sobs.

The hallway was relatively quiet as everyone waited for news from the surgery.

Compared to the quiet tension at the hospital, the awards ceremony venue was a scene of utter chaos.

Dorothy Ellsworth couldn’t keep up with her mother, so she left with the two Grant boys.

”Dylan, let’s go to the hospital and find our parents. My daddy was bleeding... Is my daddy going to die?”

Dylan Grant held her small hand and answered firmly, ”He won’t. Come on, we’ll take a taxi to the hospital.”

The three children managed to flag down a taxi. Elmer Grant climbed into the front passenger seat, while the other two sat in the back.

”Mister, to the General Hospital, please.”

”Kids, do you have any money?”

Elmer Grant pulled a few hundred-dollar bills from his pocket. ”Sir, is this enough?”

”That’s enough. Alright, let’s go.”

The driver started the car. As he drove, he asked, ”Are your parents okay with kids as young as you all going out alone?”

”We’re going to the hospital to find our parents.”

”Oh, you’re pretty brave, then.”

Elmer Grant’s brows furrowed. ”Sir, please just focus on driving. Safety is what’s most important.”

”You’re a smart kid. Hey, let me ask you, is your family rich? A kid like you carrying around hundreds of dollars...”

”Our family isn’t rich,” Elmer Grant replied cautiously.

The driver, of course, didn’t believe him. The car kept going, but it was now heading toward the outskirts of the city.

Dylan Grant spoke from the back, ”This isn’t the way to the General Hospital, is it?”

”Well, there’s a lot of traffic in the city center, it gets congested easily. If we take the suburban route, it’ll be a little faster.”

”Mister, I may be young, but don’t try to fool me. This road doesn’t lead to the city.”

The driver’s heart skipped a beat. He couldn’t believe a child this young knew so much. ’Is he a prodigy or something?’

”Of course it does. What do you kids know about directions?”

”But we have GPS,” Dylan said, holding up the phone that was hanging around his neck for the driver to see. ”Sir, you’re heading towards the mountains.”

The driver had nothing to say now.

”Turn around.”

Dylan’s words had no effect. The car kept driving straight ahead, and the driver fell silent.

Seeing this, Elmer Grant’s expression turned cold. ”Didn’t you hear my brother? Turn around!”

”Hey kids, it’s not easy to turn around on this road. We’ll do it up ahead.”

But there was no way the two Grant boys were going to believe him now.