Mr. CEO, You Look Strangely Familiar

Saphira Sutton’s breath caught. Her eyes flew wide, and she grabbed his hand with both of hers, desperately trying to loosen his grip.

"If you didn’t do it, then who did?"

"I... I don’t know..." Saphira Sutton’s eyes were wide with panic. "It just wasn’t me..."

Toby Dalton’s hand tightened, and her breathing became faint and shallow.

"Don’t..."

Toby Dalton’s hand gradually loosened. He wanted to strangle her right then and there.

But when he thought about the days he had been crazy about her, Toby Dalton couldn’t bring himself to do it.

"Stop the car."

The car screeched to a halt. His expression was unreadable as he ordered, "Get out now. Get the hell away from me. The farther, the better. Otherwise, I’ll make sure you die a little faster."

Saphira Sutton didn’t dare stay in the car a second longer. She immediately shoved the door open and scrambled out.

The moment her feet touched the ground, her legs nearly gave out.

The ordeal had scared her half to death.

Toby Dalton’s car sped away, leaving her alone, shivering on a desolate road in the middle of nowhere.

But this was still better than being taken back and tortured.

’It seems I can’t stay here any longer.’

’Luckily, he didn’t kill me. As long as I’m alive, there’s hope.’

「Harrowin, the Imperial Palace.」

Quinn Sullivan was five months pregnant, and her belly was getting cumbersome.

In truth, the pregnancy had been quite a surprise to her. After all, as far as she could remember, he had only touched her on their wedding night, and only that once.

He hadn’t been with her since, and Quinn Sullivan was resentful.

They were husband and wife, after all. She didn’t want to live the rest of her life as a widow in all but name.

But in fact, Lillian Bancroft seemed perfectly intent on making her do just that.

He always spoke to her in a cool, detached tone and never said anything warm to her.

The weather was hot. At eight in the morning, she was already breaking a sweat.

"Where is the Supreme Leader now?"

"The Supreme Leader is currently attending to official duties, Madam."

Quinn Sullivan stood up. "Mm, take me to him."

Winding through the corridors, they twisted and turned until they arrived before a door.

"Wait here. I’ll go in alone."

She stepped up the stairs. Just as she reached the door, the guards were about to greet her, but she waved her hand, signaling for them to be quiet.

Gently pushing the door open, Quinn Sullivan walked in, cradling her belly.

Because her steps were so light, Lillian Bancroft didn’t notice anyone had entered.

So when Quinn Sullivan peeked around the screen and saw him, she almost thought she was hallucinating.

He was holding a photograph, his eyes gentle and a smile playing on his lips, as if he were looking at the person he loved most in the world.

Quinn Sullivan didn’t need to guess who he was looking at.

She stood there quietly, watching him for a full ten minutes before he finally noticed her presence.

"You... When did you get here?" He slipped the photo he was holding into a drawer, his earlier expression vanishing completely.

Quinn Sullivan suppressed the gloom in her heart and said, "A while ago. You looked so focused, I didn’t want to disturb you."

He frowned. "You should have said something."

"Next time, I’ll... be careful." She stepped forward. "Has Dorothy called recently?"

Lillian Bancroft shook his head. "No. She’s probably busy with school and forgot."

She sat beside him and said tonelessly, "The Matriarch came to see me yesterday."

Upon hearing this, Lillian Bancroft asked, "What did she say?"

"Nothing much. Just that she wanted to see how I was and brought me some food."

Lillian Bancroft paused. "Was the food poisoned?"

"She really doesn’t want me to have this child. This is the thirteenth time."

No one felt worse than Lillian Bancroft. His own mother had tried to kill him when he was seven, and now she was trying to harm his child, again and again. ’Does she really hate her own flesh and blood that much?’

"Just be careful. Have all the food she sends checked thoroughly before you eat. Anything she gives you, food or otherwise, just accept it and put it aside. Don’t use it and don’t eat it. Just remember that."

Quinn Sullivan nodded. "I always remember what you told me."

He stood up. "I’ll be right back."

Quinn Sullivan watched him leave, her gaze falling on the drawer.

She couldn’t resist opening it. She picked up the face-down photograph, and when she turned it over, the woman in the photo, with her graceful features and radiant smile, was none other than Chloe Marshall.

She quickly put it down and closed the drawer, a faint sadness for herself welling up in her heart. ’Don’t all romance novels say that after marriage, the husband will fall in love with his wife?’

’Why won’t he...?’

’From beginning to end, she’s the only one in his heart...’

’It’s a hopeless dream for me to ever win his heart in this lifetime.’

Lillian Bancroft went straight to the Matriarch’s residence.

Pushing open the door, he found Jonathan Bancroft was also there.

Upon seeing him, the mother and son inside visibly tensed.

He stood there with a cold gaze, looking at his own mother seated there, and sneered, "I have tolerated this again and again. Stop sending Quinn things intended to poison her and our child. This is my final warning. Next time, I’ll make you eat what you sent yourself..."

The Matriarch showed no guilt at being caught. On the contrary, she was brazenly defiant. "You dare! Lillian Bancroft, let me tell you, you’re just temporarily warming the Supreme Leader’s seat. Don’t you get too comfortable. If your father were alive, you wouldn’t even be able to dream of setting foot in the Imperial Palace!"

"Don’t talk about ’if’. Why don’t you just bring him back to life? And even if you don’t admit it, I am your biological son. I am the eldest son. If I don’t take this position, who will? Don’t push me too far, or it will get ugly for everyone."

Jonathan Bancroft shot to his feet. "That’s enough! Is that any way to speak to our mother? We have tolerated you and yielded to you this whole time. Don’t push your luck!"

"Push my luck? Who was behind the Fravia airport tragedy? I think you know better than I do, Jonathan Bancroft. Your little tricks might work on others, but if you want to fool me, you’ll need more practice. Besides, if you want to seize the throne, you should first worry about staying alive."

He turned without another word and slammed the door on his way out.

Jonathan Bancroft frowned and looked at the Matriarch. "Mother, I think he’s really going to make a move against us this time. Should we stage a coup ahead of schedule?"

"Don’t underestimate him. He’s no pushover," the Matriarch said slowly. "I’ve just thought of a better way. A way to drive him absolutely insane."

"What is it?"

The Matriarch continued, "His weak spot is Chloe Marshall. Even though she’s married in Fravia, he hasn’t forgotten her. The Ellsworth Family protects Chloe Marshall so tightly we can’t get near her. That makes Quinn Sullivan the easiest target. Send someone to force himself on her. At worst, we can just execute the man afterward. But Quinn Sullivan and the child in her belly will be hard to save."

"What if the man exposes us?"

"What’s there to be afraid of? Threaten his family, and he won’t dare run his mouth. Even if Lillian Bancroft suspects we’re behind it, he won’t have any proof. He won’t be able to do anything to us openly."

Jonathan Bancroft nodded. "That is indeed an excellent idea. Mother, just wait for my good news."

The Matriarch nodded.

Seeing him leave, an old nanny beside the Matriarch spoke up. "Madam, that was a brilliant move. Letting the brothers fight and kill each other is an excellent idea indeed."

"Lillian Bancroft wants to fight me? Heh. I’d love to see what he thinks he can fight me with."

"Yes, Madam. Your moves are always made in the shadows. He can neither see nor touch them, and can only wait for the fatal blow."

"It’s only a matter of time."

When Lillian Bancroft returned to his chambers, Quinn Sullivan was sitting there waiting for him.

"Your Excellency, I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it?"

"The Imperial Palace is too stifling. I want to go home for a few days. I haven’t seen my parents in a long time."

Lillian Bancroft asked, "You really want to go back?"

"Yes, I really do."

"Alright, I’ll allow it. I’ll have the guards escort you home for a short stay."

Quinn Sullivan nodded. "Okay, then I’ll head back in a bit."

After speaking, she stood up, took the initiative to take his hand, and said, "Your Excellency, sometimes I really regret it. I regret stealing your wallet, trying to be clever. If I hadn’t, I could have married an ordinary man—an ordinary man who I either loved, or who loved me. It wouldn’t be like this, where I don’t love you, and you don’t love me. We’re just husband and wife in name only."

He hugged her. "I know. This has been unfair to you."

"But, I hope that in the days to come, you can spare just a little bit of the love you have for Chloe Marshall for me. Just a tiny bit is enough. And I’ll give a little bit to you, too."

He didn’t speak. ’Love isn’t something you can just portion out.’

Seeing his silence, Quinn Sullivan forced a cheerful smile. "I’m heading home now. I haven’t seen my parents in a long time, and I miss them."

"Alright."

Quinn Sullivan left, packed a few things, and returned to her own home under the escort of the Imperial Palace guards.

The moment she saw her parents, she closed the door and burst into tears.

Seeing her cry, Mrs. Sullivan rushed to support her. "Quinn, why are you crying? Don’t cry, it’s not good for the baby."

"Mom, when I think about having to spend the rest of my life in the Imperial Palace, it feels like torture."

"There’s nothing to be done about it. You have a long life ahead of you. He’ll be good to you. Maybe he’ll even come to love you."

Quinn Sullivan wiped away her tears. "Mom, what do you know? He’ll never love me. He’s in love with someone else—the former First Lady."

"Is that really what’s happening?" Mrs. Sullivan’s expression grew serious.

"Of course! Today, I saw him completely lost in a photograph of her."

"So what if he loves her? You’re his wife now, the rightful First Lady."

Quinn Sullivan heard this and felt it made sense, but her heart still ached. Because Dorothy knew him as her godfather, they would surely meet again in the future. Especially after her own child was born; Chloe Marshall would come to visit, and she would see him.

She spent the entire day at home thinking about this.

As a result, she was still awake late into the night.

When the doorbell at her family home began to ring again and again late at night, Quinn Sullivan put on her shoes, and from the living room, she cautiously called out, "Who is it?"

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