Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Mr. Ainsworth was just about to speak when Nicholas Ainsworth returned. He quickly asked, "Nicholas, is there any news about Miss Callahan?"

Nicholas knew Catherine Callahan had already returned to Grestin, but of course, he wouldn’t tell his father that. "No. You should stop thinking about her."

"Exactly, Dad. It’s obvious that woman is just after our family’s money. Why are you still thinking about her?!" Sharon Ainsworth handed her phone to Nicholas. "Brother, look at the news! Jean Grant became a nun. She even took the dharma name Serena."

His expression was grim. "I’ve already seen this news."

Sharon took back her phone and said with a chuckle, "She’s such an idiot. Her family is so rich and powerful, yet she becomes a nun instead of enjoying her life."

Nicholas replied, "Stop worrying about other people’s business. Go to Martin’s place and tell him to come over."

"Why don’t you just call him?"

"His phone is off."

"Fine, I’ll go now." Sharon hurried back to her room, adjusted her wig, put on some makeup, changed her clothes, and then left the Ainsworth Residence.

She arrived at Martin Grant’s apartment complex, a place she knew he frequented.

She rang the doorbell. After a long wait, the door finally opened.

Martin Grant looked groggy and sleep-deprived. "What are you doing here?"

"My brother sent me to find you. He said he couldn’t reach you by phone."

"My phone’s off." He flopped back onto the bed and went back to sleep.

Sharon moved closer to him. "He said it’s urgent and that you need to go to my house. Stop sleeping."

He opened his eyes and pulled her into an embrace. "How about you take care of me first?"

"Okay." They had just made up, so of course, Sharon agreed to his request.

She used both hands to pull down his pants. He slowly sat up.

Then he pressed a hand to the back of her neck, but feeling it wasn’t enough force, he grabbed her hair instead.

But with that sudden grab, the wig on Sharon’s head was instantly pulled off.

Martin stared at the long wig in his hand, then looked at Sharon’s pitifully sparse hair. In an instant, all his desire vanished.

He held up the wig, his voice turning cold. "What is this?"

Sharon wiped her mouth and stood up. "It’s all Jean Grant’s fault. She set fire to the second floor of my house, and I went back to my room to get my bankbook. When I came out, this is what happened..."

"Seeing you with no hair... It’s honestly... disgusting..."

Sharon quickly put the wig back on her head. "It’s not disgusting like this. My hair will grow back. It’s not like it’s gone forever."

Martin pulled up his pants and walked to the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later. "Let’s go. To your place."

Seeing that he wasn’t angry, Sharon smiled and linked her arm with his as they left.

A little over ten minutes after getting in the car, they arrived at the Ainsworth Residence.

Only Nicholas Ainsworth was in the living room; Mr. Ainsworth had gone upstairs.

When Nicholas saw him arrive, he said, "Follow me to the study."

The two men went upstairs, leaving Sharon alone on the sofa. ’I wonder what important business they’re discussing,’ she thought. But then she decided against going up, afraid she would disturb them and make her boyfriend angry again.

She lay there playing on her phone. After more than an hour, they finally came down.

Nicholas left immediately, while Martin sat down next to Sharon. He let out a long sigh, leaned back against the sofa, closed his eyes, and didn’t speak.

"What did my brother call you over for?"

Without even opening his eyes, he said, "It’s men’s business. It’s better for women to know less."

Sharon pouted but could only say, "Martin, do you want to have dinner together tonight?"

"Where?"

"I know a new restaurant that just opened. It’s supposed to be pretty good. We haven’t been out to eat together in over ten days." As she said this, Sharon felt a little anxious. Ever since their last fight, she felt like she had become insignificant to him.

’Maybe it’s just my imagination.’

"I’m not free tonight." He stood up. "I have something to take care of. I’m leaving."

Sharon replied, dejected, "Okay."

Mrs. Grant had just passed away. Unexpectedly, Master Grant didn’t emerge from his room for an entire day. Mrs. Grant and Mr. Grant checked on him several times, only to find him sitting silently by the bed.

Everyone assumed he was too grief-stricken to overcome this difficult time.

But they never expected that when they went to check on him again that night, they would find he had taken poison and ended his own life.

It caught everyone completely off guard.

They could not be born on the same day, but they sought to die on the same day.

The loss of a lifelong partner is an almost fatal blow to the one left behind.

Two members of the Grant Family died in a single day.

The media praised the elderly couple’s profound love, moved by their story, but they also boldly speculated about one issue.

According to tradition, when an elder in the family passes away, no direct descendants can marry for three years.

Therefore, the most discussed topic online was that even though Nora Ainsworth and Quentin Grant already had two sons, a wedding was out of the question for the next three years.

「Three days later, the funeral service concluded.」

The two elders’ coffins were interred together, to be buried in the same grave even in death.

After returning from the cemetery, Quentin Grant and Nora Ainsworth went to the Azure Cloud Temple together.

Jean Grant had to be told about this.

This was the decision the Grant Family had come to.

Standing at the entrance of the Azure Cloud Temple, they asked where Jean was and then headed directly for the rear courtyard.

When they reached the doorway, they saw Jean Grant at a glance. She was dressed in monastic robes, chopping wood with great focus.

"Jean."

Her movements paused. She turned around and called out, "Brother, Sister-in-law."

Nora Ainsworth stepped forward with a smile. "Are you getting used to life on the mountain?"

"It’s quite nice."

She pointed to her room. "Follow me."

Nora and Quentin walked over and followed her inside.

They sat cross-legged on cushions, facing each other. "Brother, didn’t you have something you wanted to tell me?"

"Jean, our grandparents have passed away."

Her smile froze. "How...?"

Quentin told her the truth. Upon hearing it, Jean was, as expected, unable to bear it. "Actually... it should have been me who died..."

"Grandma was already very ill. It’s understandable that Grandpa chose to follow her. After all, they were together for decades. The pain of suddenly losing the person by your side is immense. The reason I came to tell you this is because I feel you have to know. You will always be a member of the Grant Family."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. She murmured "Amitabha," then said, "I will pray for Grandpa and Grandma every day and every night."

Quentin nodded. "As long as you’re sincere, that’s what matters."

As they left the Azure Cloud Temple, Nora was silent, and Quentin didn’t speak either. It wasn’t until they were both in the car that Quentin finally said, "Nora, have you seen the news?"

"I have. Weren’t they saying we can’t hold any celebrations for three years?" Nora looked at him. "Do you think I’m the kind of woman who would force you into a marriage?"

Quentin began, "Actually, I was already starting to prepare for our wedding... I never expected something like this to happen... I kept thinking I could hold our wedding before Grandma passed away, to give you a proper title."

Nora broke into a smile. "If you don’t give me a wedding, does that mean no one will know I’m your woman and the mother of your children?"

"My wife and my woman are two completely different concepts. Nora, ever since we met, you’ve suffered so much and been wronged so many times because of me. I want you to wear a beautiful wedding dress and marry me."

"As long as I’m with you, no hardship is truly hard, and no grievance is worth mentioning. What’s another three years?"

Quentin pulled her into his arms, unable to say another word.

When they got home, their two treasures were sitting on the sofa. Nora’s voice was coming from the television. It turned out that the twenty-episode drama starring Nora Ainsworth was a prime-time hit on Apple TV. The two boys were now watching a rerun from last night.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Elmer Grant shouted, then pointed at the TV. "This show is so good! Especially the kissing scene between Mommy and the male lead in the first episode!"

Quentin sat down next to his two treasures and calmly explained, "That’s all fake. It’s called forced perspective."

Dylan Grant shook his head. "How could that be forced perspective? It was clearly a French kiss. I even saw the male lead stick his tongue in Mommy’s mouth..."

Hearing this, Quentin flew into a rage. He whipped his head around to look for Nora, only to find the space behind him empty.

He shot up and strode upstairs.

Nora, feeling guilty, had hidden right by the door. Quentin pushed the door open, glanced inside, saw no one, and went back downstairs. Nora emerged and stood at the doorway, where she heard him roar, "Get the tapes of my wife’s TV show and bring them to me immediately!"

Nora’s brow furrowed with worry. The director had insisted on the kiss in the first episode. It couldn’t be faked with camera angles, and it was a surprise kiss, so it had to be real. And the kiss at the very end... that one was real too...

She had only been sitting at the desk for a few minutes when Quentin came back up. Before Nora could react, he had already seen her.

"Quentin... don’t be impulsive... Impulse is the devil..." she said, standing up with a dry laugh.

He stood before her and gritted his teeth. "What did you tell me? You said it was all forced perspective. Then how come there was a French kiss...?"

"The one in the first episode had to be real, and the one in the last episode was for the sake of the plot..."

"There was another one!"

Nora stood there, her head lowered, answering like a chastened wife who’d been caught doing wrong, "Yes..."

Quentin grabbed her hand and pulled her downstairs. Just then, someone from Apple TV arrived with the tapes. Quentin put the first episode into the DVD player, sat on the sofa, and stared intently at the screen.

Although he had prepared himself mentally, seeing the handsome young male lead kiss the woman beside him with his own eyes still made him deeply jealous...

’This scene is too beautiful, too jarring. I can’t watch...’

"Daddy, are you angry?" Dylan asked cautiously.

"No!"

"Then are you jealous?"

"No!"

"Then are you just jealous that the male lead is younger than you?" Elmer blurted out.

Quentin’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. "Your daddy is only twenty-nine years old. Am I old?"

"..."

"Am I old?"

"Well... you’re not young..."