Chapter 522 - 516: I Really Want to Strangle That Man, and Then Replace Him
"..."
"He’s young compared to those guys in their sixties or seventies, but you’re obviously older than the male lead. The male lead is clearly a young heartthrob..."
Nora Ainsworth poked Elmer Grant’s head with her finger. "Elmer, what nonsense are you spouting? Can that male lead even compare to your daddy? Huh? Your daddy is the CEO of our Grant Group, a famous eligible bachelor, one of the most renowned men in the world. The male lead in that show is just some minor celebrity. He’s not even worthy of riding your daddy’s coattails."
"But that doesn’t hide the fact that Daddy is older than him..."
"..."
Quentin Grant wondered, ’Are these two little rascals doing this on purpose?’
Dylan Grant smiled faintly. "Daddy, are you really that insecure? We just teased you a little and you couldn’t take it?"
Quentin Grant forced a smile. "Hmph, who’s insecure? You two have some nerve, doing this on purpose... hmm?"
He got up to put in the disc for the finale. Watching it made veins pop on Quentin Grant’s forehead. It was an incredibly romantic kissing scene. Nora Ainsworth had tears in her eyes as the male lead held her face, the show ending on their kiss.
He snatched the remote and flicked the TV off.
He said in a low voice, "From now on, you’re forbidden from filming any more romance dramas..."
"Okay," Nora Ainsworth agreed cheerfully.
Quentin Grant’s expression finally softened. "When I saw that kissing scene, I seriously wanted to strangle that guy and take his place!"
Nora Ainsworth knew just what to say. She was well aware that a jealous man could be far more terrifying than a jealous woman.
"I won’t film any more romance dramas. From now on, any director who wants to cast me will have to give you the script to look over first. I’ll only take the role if you approve. If you don’t, I won’t."
"That’s more like it." He kissed her lips, then said, "You have no idea how much trouble your two sons got into while you were away."
Nora Ainsworth instinctively looked at them. "What trouble did they get into?"
Dylan Grant told Nora Ainsworth everything, leaving out no detail.
After hearing it all, Nora Ainsworth simply couldn’t believe it. "Monty did it?"
Dylan Grant quickly grabbed Nora Ainsworth’s hand. "Mommy, don’t punish Monty. He did it to protect us."
"I won’t punish him. Without him, you might not have made it back to me. But you have to remember this: if your lives are ever in danger again, I won’t say a thing if you do this. But if it’s just a squabble, promise me you won’t resort to killing."
"Okay," the two boys replied in unison.
"Mommy, actually, while you weren’t home, we found Daddy at the company’s annual party... lying with a woman..." Just as Dylan Grant finished speaking, Quentin Grant’s face went pale. "Didn’t you promise you wouldn’t tell your mother? You little traitors!"
"Aren’t you the one who set that example for us, Daddy? We just learned from you."
"..."
Nora Ainsworth looked at him. "Why don’t you tell me about what the children just said. I’d love to hear your explanation..."
Quentin Grant had no choice but to say, "Nora, listen to me. This is what actually happened..."
He told her everything, from the annual party to waking up, and finally to the woman falling from an upper floor to her death on the ground floor.
After listening, Nora Ainsworth said, "Well, since the woman is dead, we’ll let it go. You two, go to your classroom and preview the lesson the teacher is about to teach."
The two boys gathered their things and immediately fled the battlefield.
Quentin Grant gave a nervous laugh and looked at Nora Ainsworth, only for her to turn and head straight upstairs without a word.
His smile froze. He watched her disappear at the top of the stairs, and when he snapped out of it, he immediately ran upstairs after her.
"Nora~~~" he called out, pushing the door open.
Nora Ainsworth was opening the wardrobe. Seeing this, Quentin Grant rushed forward and grabbed her hand. "Honey, what are you doing?"
"Nothing."
"Don’t leave."
"I’m not leaving."
"Then why are you getting clothes out?"
"Just getting something to wear."
"..."
He sheepishly let go of her hand. "Nothing happened with that woman."
"I already believe you. Besides, the boys just vouched for you." Nora Ainsworth was puzzled. "What are you so worked up about?"
"I thought you were angry..."
Nora Ainsworth reached out and hugged his waist. "Of course I trust you. You’re not that kind of person."
Only then did he smile. "Since you trust me, then I won’t ask for the kiss scene to be deleted anymore. But... you have to compensate me."
"And how should I do that...?"
"Tonight, you’ll be on top..."
"..." Nora Ainsworth squirmed for a moment, then answered boldly, "Fine!"
The two boys were sitting in their classroom, previewing their lesson.
Dorothy, carrying her small backpack, came and sat between them.
Taking out her textbook, she said, "Last night my daddy and mommy watched Aunty’s TV show with me in the living room. Why did Aunty have to kiss that man?"
"It’s a camera trick," Dylan Grant said.
"What’s a camera trick?" Dorothy Ellsworth asked, confused.
"It means they make it look like they’re kissing, but they’re not really," Elmer Grant explained.
Dorothy Ellsworth nodded thoughtfully. "Oh, you can do that? That man isn’t as handsome as your daddy."
Dylan Grant puffed out his little chest and said proudly, "Of course not! Just look at us. Our daddy is the most handsome man ever."
Elmer Grant: "..."
’And who was it that was just contradicting Mom and Dad a minute ago?’
"My daddy is handsome too. To me, my daddy is the most handsome man," Dorothy said.
Dylan Grant asked, "What about me?"
"You can only be second. When it comes to my daddy, there’s no room for negotiation."
Elmer Grant nodded in agreement. "In my brother’s heart, our mommy is the most beautiful woman, so you can only be second, too."
"I admit, Aunty is prettier than me."
Elmer Grant laughed. "Haha, looks like we won’t have to worry about my brother having any mother-in-law problems when he grows up."
"Why isn’t the teacher here yet? It’s already two-thirty."
"Maybe he’s old and his eyesight is bad, so he misread the time?"
"You don’t think he’s not coming, do you?"
The three children guessed for a while. When it was three o’clock and he still hadn’t arrived, Dylan Grant went downstairs to ask Nora Ainsworth to call the old professor and see what was going on.
When she called, she found out. The professor had been about to leave when his grandson and granddaughter-in-law came to visit. Unexpectedly, she had a sudden miscarriage, and the whole family had rushed to the hospital.
Learning they had no class that afternoon, the three children, as if they had grown wings, flew out the front door after promising their parents they absolutely wouldn’t leave the residential complex. Only then did Quentin Grant and Nora Ainsworth let them go out.
The three children played on the exercise equipment in the community’s public square. Next to the square was a lake. When the three little ones got tired, they sat on a bench by the lake.
Just then, a middle-aged woman leading a very pretty little girl walked up to them and said, "Hello, little ones. Can my granddaughter play with you all?"
Dorothy Ellsworth extended her hand in a friendly gesture. "Sure!"
Dylan Grant, however, was sizing them up and remained silent. Elmer Grant said, "Yeah, sure. Let’s play together."
The little girl had small braids, a flower in her hair, big eyes, and was very pretty.
In a way, she was even prettier than Dorothy Ellsworth.
The three of them went to play on the slide and got along splendidly. Dylan Grant, however, sat on the bench and didn’t join in.
Children get to know each other quickly after playing for a bit. They learned the little girl’s name was Claire.
"Grandma, I’m thirsty," she called out to the middle-aged woman.
The middle-aged woman chuckled and took a bottle of juice out of her bag, handing it to Claire. "Here, drink up."
Claire took a few sips and handed it back to her grandmother.
Dorothy Ellsworth was also a little thirsty. She called out to Dylan Grant, "Dylan, can you go home and get me a bottle of water?"
Dylan Grant nodded. "Okay."
He was just about to get up when the middle-aged woman handed the drink Claire had just been drinking to Dorothy Ellsworth. "Claire just had some. You drink it, save yourself the trip home."
Before Dylan Grant could speak, Dorothy Ellsworth took it. She unscrewed the cap, took a few sips, smacked her lips, and gave a pure smile as she handed the drink back to the middle-aged woman. "Thank you, Grandma."
"You’re welcome." The woman didn’t take it back. "Little girl, the little boy next to you is probably thirsty from playing, too. Let him have some, then you can all keep playing."
Dorothy Ellsworth handed the drink to Elmer Grant. "Want some?"
Elmer Grant nodded. A child’s mind is incredibly simple. He took it and drank the rest.
The three friends went back to playing. The middle-aged woman took another bottle of juice from her bag and offered it to Dylan Grant.
But he refused. "Thank you, Grandma, but I’m not thirsty."
The middle-aged woman had no choice but to put it back in her bag. Just then, the little girl named Claire came down the slide and sat next to Dylan Grant. "Why don’t you come play with us?"
"No thanks, you guys go ahead."
Dylan Grant politely refused again.
Claire’s little face stiffened slightly. She asked, "How old are you?"
"I’m almost three."
"I’m a year older than you."
Dylan Grant hummed uninterestedly.
After playing for a little longer, Elmer Grant ran over and said, "Brother, I’m thirsty again. Go home and get me a bottle of water."
"Let’s just go home and drink."
"Could you just go get me a bottle of mineral water?"
"Alright then. You and Dorothy stay right here, don’t go anywhere."
Elmer Grant nodded. "I know."
"No need to go back, let him drink this?"
Dylan Grant shook his head. "I’ll go home and get some. We’ve already had your drink."
He turned and jogged home to get it. When he ran back, he found that the others had vanished without a trace.
The bottle of mineral water in Dylan Grant’s hand fell to the ground. ’Logically, Elmer wouldn’t just wander off, and neither would Dorothy. This is right in front of our house... Did they just go somewhere else to play?’
He immediately ran back home again, called for Quentin Grant and Nora Ainsworth, and explained the situation.
Hearing this, Quentin Grant was furious. "How many times have I told you not to casually eat or drink things from strangers! The most likely possibility is that they went to that little girl’s house to play. It’s impossible they left the complex; the security guards on duty recognize you."
"Quentin, go get the surveillance footage," Nora Ainsworth said, her face taut.