Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Several faces were pressed against the car window.

It wasn’t just Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth; the butler and maids were there too.

All their eyes were fixed on them.

The car was well soundproofed, but their actions just now...

Herman Hawthorne opened the car door, got out first, and called out with a wide grin, "Mom, Dad, I have to congratulate you."

"Huh?"

"Zoe’s pregnant."

Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth exchanged a look, their faces lighting up with joy. "Really?"

"Of course it’s true. The baby’s mine."

"Oh, that’s wonderful! It must be thanks to all the praying I’ve been doing these past few days. The heavens have finally answered!"

Herman corrected her. "Mom, that was *my*... handiwork."

Zoe Ellsworth got out of the car, shot him a vicious glare, and strode straight toward the front gate.

The others quickly hurried after her.

「Back in the living room.」

"Zoe, how far along are you?" Mrs. Ellsworth asked.

"A little over a month. Mom... I don’t want this baby," Zoe said sullenly.

Before Herman could even open his mouth, Mrs. Ellsworth snapped, "You dare!"

Zoe said awkwardly, "Mom, don’t you see? The baby would be born into a single-parent home."

Herman quickly interjected, "What single-parent home? I won’t allow that."

Mrs. Ellsworth nodded, satisfied. "Did you hear what Herman said?"

"This baby... its timing is just awful. I was planning on secretly getting it taken care of."

"Zoe, how can you say that? Now that you have a child, you should try to live a good life with Herman," Mr. Ellsworth couldn’t help but chime in.

"I don’t want to live with him. I’ve had more than enough of the years I spent with him."

"You still can’t get an abortion. Zoe, you have the baby. If you don’t want it, I’ll raise it. Though I suspect Herman’s mother would fight me to the death over it, haha." Mrs. Ellsworth chuckled at her own words.

"Mom, look how thrilled you are."

"Of course I’m thrilled."

Zoe lay there, feeling completely drained. "Can’t I just... not have it?"

"No."

"And what would happen if I went and got an abortion in secret?"

Mrs. Ellsworth said bluntly, "Then I’ll disown you!"

"It’s that serious?"

"What do you think?"

Zoe stood up. "I’m going upstairs to rest. I need to think about this."

The moment she was gone, Mrs. Ellsworth shot Herman a look, signaling for him to follow.

Herman got the message and quickly followed her upstairs.

But he was shut out.

He knocked a few times. "Zoe, open the door."

"I never should have come to you tonight."

"No, you did the right thing."

"I shouldn’t have! It would have been better to just get it done first and tell everyone later." She sounded extremely frustrated.

He leaned against the door and said coolly, "Do you really think that’s a good idea? That’s called destroying a life. What’s the difference between you and a butcher? And don’t forget, I got you pregnant once, I can do it again. You get an abortion, and I’ll just get you pregnant again. You get another one, and I’ll keep doing it until you decide to keep it."

Zoe was silent for a moment before saying, "What makes you so sure the baby is yours?"

"You’re saying it’s not mine?"

"How can you be so positive?"

"Because I trust you."

"The baby isn’t yours. You shouldn’t trust me. Just go home. This has nothing to do with you," she said resentfully.

"Do you think I’ll believe a lie like that? I’m the only one who gets to come and go from *that place* of yours as I please. Who else would dare?"

"Hmph." Zoe was dismissive. "I can let anyone I want into *my place*."

"Say that again."

"I’d say it ten more times if you want." She lay back down and closed her eyes.

"Fine."

Herman turned, and his footsteps grew more and more distant.

Inside, Zoe listened to the sound. ’He’s finally gone,’ she thought. ’Now I can get a good night’s sleep.’

But little did she know,

The next moment, the door opened without warning.

He closed the door and locked it behind him.

He walked toward her, one step at a time.

Zoe sat up and pointed at him. "Herman Hawthorne, you... get out!"

He sat on the edge of her bed. "If I’d really left, wouldn’t you be up all night?"

"Why would I be up all night? What are you to me that I’d lose sleep over you?"

"You’d be up all night thinking about me. You ask what we are? Right now, I’m the father of the baby in your belly!"

"I was just saying that. You actually believe me?"

Herman took her hand. "I told you, I trust you. You wouldn’t say something like that lightly."

Zoe lowered her head, lay back down, and closed her eyes. A single phrase escaped her lips: "Just get out."

Herman stood up, surprisingly obedient this time. "I’ll head out then. Get some rest."

The moment the door clicked shut,

Her closed eyes fluttered open again.

Her eyes, which had been placid just a moment ago, now glistened with tears.

She pulled the blanket over her head, and the sound of her crying, sudden and unexpected, came from underneath. No one could have guessed what vulnerability lay hidden behind such beautiful eyes.

’He was right. If she had really wanted an abortion, she never would have told him.’

’All that talk about getting an abortion was just that—talk.’

’She wasn’t short on money; raising a child on her own wouldn’t be a problem.’

’Besides, this was her first child. How could she be ruthless enough to prevent this little life from coming into the world?’

’But accepting the child and letting it be born didn’t mean she had to remarry him.’

’Unless she was one hundred percent certain that he was deeply in love with her, she refused to fight this smokeless war.’

’Without love, all the weapons in the world would still lead to defeat.’

’This was a lesson Zoe Ellsworth had learned from several years of marriage.’

For days on end, Sierra Ainsworth barely left Nora Ainsworth’s side. She slept in the same bed at night and watched over her during the day. Every day, she would sit by the bedside and talk endlessly to the comatose Nora.

She told her she hoped she would get back on her feet, that she would wake up.

But Nora Ainsworth had no intention of remaining lost in an abyss of pain forever.

’And she still didn’t know if her mother was dead or alive.’

When she awoke, it was the dead of night.

She slowly sat up, feeling as though centuries had passed.

"Sierra."

Sierra shot up in bed and flicked on the light. When she saw that Nora was awake, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She threw her arms around Nora. "Sis, you’re finally awake."

"I’m sorry... for making you worry."

"I’m not the one who was worried the most." Sierra pulled back and said, "My brother-in-law has lost so much weight."

"Go get him. I have something to tell you both."

"Okay." Sierra quickly slipped on her slippers and went to the other room to get Quentin Grant.

Hearing that Nora had woken up, Quentin Grant came running. The moment he stood in the doorway and saw her, his heart was finally at ease.

"Nora."

"Quentin, you and Sierra, come sit by the bed. I have something to tell you."

He nodded and, along with Sierra, came forward to sit beside her.