Chapter 290: Chapter 287: A Term of Years (7)

"I didn’t realize you kept an eye on the Ainsworth Group."

"I check it out from time to time. No harm in it."

Jean Grant watched him, noticing he had a calm and composed air about him.

She held out her glass. "Come on, let’s toast!"

He clinked his glass against hers. "Did you come here alone?"

"Yeah. I’ve been on my own since the divorce."

Nicholas Ainsworth’s gaze was placid. "Same here."

Jean Grant glanced aside and saw Marlon Marshall standing at the entrance of the bar. She didn’t know when he’d gotten there.

Her pupils constricted. "Do you want to go to a private room upstairs?"

"Alright." He readily agreed.

The two of them went upstairs, one after the other.

Once inside the room, Jean Grant quickly bolted the door. Nicholas Ainsworth was a little surprised by her action.

"Are you hiding from your ex-husband?"

She didn’t hesitate to tell the truth. "You saw him, didn’t you? We’re divorced, but he still hounds me for money whenever he feels like it."

He scoffed. "A man like that deserves no respect."

His confidence, Jean Grant thought, was quite attractive.

They ended up talking for a long time, bringing their two lonely hearts much closer together.

Jean Grant knew that in this lifetime, there was no hope for her and Ethan Ellsworth. She didn’t dare face him again, a guilt that permeated her to the core.

A man like Marlon Marshall was a bottomless pit; she would never get back together with him.

She longed to find a man’s shoulder to lean on and truly start over. ’But is there still a chance for me?’ she wondered.

As she spoke of her sorrows, her eyes welled up with tears, and she impulsively grabbed Nicholas Ainsworth’s hand.

"What do you think of me?"

Nicholas Ainsworth replied, "You’re great."

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"I did. Not anymore."

"Then... do you mind that I’ve been married before?"

Nicholas Ainsworth immediately understood what she was getting at.

"You want to be with me? You think I’m trustworthy? We’ve only just met."

Even he felt this was a huge risk.

"I’m just asking you one thing: do you, or do you not, mind that I’ve been married before?"

"If two people feel it’s right, things like that are secondary."

"I’m serious."

"Do you think I’m not?"

Jean Grant replied, "Good."

Outside, Marlon Marshall waited for a long time. When the two didn’t come out, he was furious.

Time dragged on. After a long wait, he grew impatient and went to sit in the men’s restroom to kill time.

After waiting for a long while, he finally came out and saw the two of them already at the top of the stairs. He rushed after them.

The sight of Marlon Marshall made Jean Grant’s heart POUND. "Let’s get out of here, fast," she urged.

Nicholas Ainsworth glanced at her, then left the bar with her.

By now, the sky was indeed growing dark.

It was the second day of the Lunar New Year, so the sky was filled with an endless display of fireworks, and the sound of firecrackers was overwhelming.

They were holding hands.

This moment was captured by the paparazzi and made the news. Halfway through their dinner at a restaurant, Jean’s phone rang. It was her mother.

"Are you together with that boy from the Ainsworth Family?"

Jean didn’t deny it. "We just got together today."

Mrs. Grant was furious. "Jean, you were already marrying down with Marlon Marshall. Now you’ve found another one like this? Do you even know him? Don’t be so impulsive."

"I’d rather take a chance on everyone than miss out. What if he’s the one I’ve been searching for? I’d regret it for the rest of my life."

Mrs. Grant sighed. "You’re always like this."

"Alright, Mom. I’ll be home in a bit."

After hanging up, she smiled at him. "My mom’s just worried about me."

He finished cutting her steak and passed the plate to her. "I can tell."

"I hope you don’t mind."

"It’s nothing."

After dinner, they exchanged phone numbers, and Jean Grant drove back to the Grant Residence.

Just as she pulled up to the gate, she received a new text message.

She thought it was from Nicholas.

But when she opened it, it wasn’t.

It was from an unknown number, with only a few lines: "Get the money ready. If you dare try anything, the second you make a move to kill me, the media will get a full story about your messy private life and the murder attempt. Don’t believe me? Just try it! On top of that, I’ll be sharing your nudes with the entire internet."

One look was all it took to know it was from Marlon Marshall.

Jean Grant trembled with rage. She was suddenly struck by what a complete scoundrel he was.

She deleted the message, blocked the number, and got out of the car.

"Mom," she said, stepping inside.

Mrs. Grant stood up and slapped her across the face.

The blow caught her completely off guard.

"Jean, stop causing trouble! You’ve broken everyone’s heart, you’ve made it so the Grant Family can never hold its head high in front of the Ellsworths again, and we owe them a huge debt! And now you’ve found this boy from the Ainsworth Family? Are you trying to anger me to death?"

Jean’s face stung, but she pulled her mother down to sit. "Mom, just listen to me."

Mrs. Grant sat down reluctantly. "What is there to say?"

"Do you really think a divorcée like me can still marry up to someone like Ethan Ellsworth? Let’s be real, Ethan doesn’t even want to see me right now. If I wasn’t your daughter, he would’ve had me thrown in jail long ago. And even if I managed to land some other rich heir, do you think he’d ever truly respect me?"

"And whose fault is that?"

Jean’s expression dimmed. "I know. I brought this on myself. I don’t blame anyone—it’s all my fault. But Mom, I want to be happy, too. I want a chance to meet a good man. Why can’t you just let me try?"

Mrs. Grant sighed, unable to bring herself to say anything more reproachful.

"You made your choice. If you fail, don’t blame anyone else."

Jean Grant nodded.

The mood at the Ellsworth Family’s home was somber this New Year.

Ever since Chloe Marshall’s disappearance, Ethan Ellsworth had put his work on hold.

He spent his days at home, never stepping outside.

Just a few days prior, the police had concluded their search. They hadn’t found any trace of Chloe Marshall, but it was highly likely she had been eaten by marine animals.

Mrs. Ellsworth had made dumplings by hand and brought a bowl upstairs.

The room was pitch black, but his silhouette was starkly visible.

Seeing how much weight he’d lost recently, Mrs. Ellsworth’s heart ached. "No matter what happens, you can’t stop eating. Chloe would be so distressed if she knew. Son, please eat this bowl of dumplings. It breaks my heart to see you like this."

She turned on the light.

Her eyes welled with tears.

Ethan Ellsworth turned around, his expression utterly haggard.

His face held none of its former vibrancy.

"Mom," he asked, "how... how do I make it stop hurting so much?"

Mrs. Ellsworth placed the dumplings on the table. "Son, Chloe was a good girl. I know that, and I hoped she would be my daughter-in-law. But that’s impossible now. She’s gone, but you have to keep living. Honestly, you’re the only heir to the Ellsworth Family. I absolutely refuse to watch you waste years pining away like you did over Jean. I’ll give you a deadline, son. Three years. How about that? Just three years, starting from this New Year. After three years, you’ll have just turned twenty-nine, not even past your birthday. I’m giving you three years to heal. Even if you can’t forget her, I’m begging you, for my sake... marry another woman."