Chapter 260: Chapter 258: Will You Take Responsibility for a Lifetime? (9)

But as soon as he said it and reached for his wallet, he couldn’t find it anywhere. He gave an awkward laugh. "Miss Marshall, I’m so sorry, but I seem to have forgotten my wallet. Could you possibly—"

Chloe Marshall immediately stood up. "It’s no problem. I’ll pay."

Walking out of the restaurant, Nora Ainsworth was ready to scream. "Tell me that guy wasn’t a total piece of work."

Zeke Marshall cursed. "A grown man shows up to a blind date without his wallet? He made a woman pay for a bowl of ramen."

Chloe Marshall took a deep breath. "It’s fine. That was just the first one. Four more to go."

But the truly infuriating dates were yet to come. The next three were each worse than the last. By the time she met the final one at eight o’clock, Chloe Marshall had lost all of her initial enthusiasm.

The final date was clearly a step up, set in a classy coffee shop in a prime location.

Melodious music filled the air, and the atmosphere was lovely.

Chloe Marshall waited for a while before the fifth blind-date prospect finally sauntered in late.

And he wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by a middle-aged woman who appeared to be his mother.

The pair sat down across from Chloe Marshall, and the middle-aged woman spoke first. "You’re Chloe Marshall?"

"Yes, ma’am."

"You looked so wholesome in your photo. Why are you made up like a vixen now?"

Chloe Marshall’s lips twitched. She had no idea how to respond.

The woman continued, "What do your parents do for a living?"

Chloe Marshall answered honestly. "My parents have passed away."

"So you have no parents. No wonder. What do you do for work?"

Chloe Marshall replied, "I work as an assistant."

Then, the middle-aged woman asked, "And your education?"

"An associate’s degree."

She snorted. "My son has a bachelor’s degree, and our family is well-off. We’re looking for someone who is average-looking and doesn’t wear makeup. She must have a bachelor’s degree and a marketable skill. She must also cook dinner every day, do all the housework, and raise the children. I won’t be babysitting any grandkids."

Just as Chloe Marshall was about to say something, her gaze froze on the coffee shop’s entrance.

Ethan Ellsworth, in a white down jacket, was walking in their direction with Jean Grant on his arm. He soon spotted Chloe Marshall and seemed unable to believe his eyes.

If he hadn’t seen Nora Ainsworth and Zeke Marshall sitting at a nearby table, he never would have recognized the stunning woman as Chloe Marshall.

His eyes swept over the people at her table, and it was instantly clear what was happening.

A blind date.

’She’s on a blind date at her age!’

’Is she that desperate for a man?’

A flicker of anger sparked in Ethan Ellsworth’s eyes, though he himself didn’t seem to notice.

Chloe Marshall didn’t answer the woman right away, so the older woman felt compelled to remind her again, sternly.

"An elder is speaking to you. Didn’t you hear me?"

Chloe Marshall snapped back to reality. "Of course I heard you. But, ma’am, I have to ask... you have so many requirements for your daughter-in-law. Besides having a bachelor’s degree, can your son cook? Can he do laundry? Can he do any other chores? Does he even have a job? What’s his monthly salary? If his mother and his wife were drowning, would he save his wife first? And what about this: can *he* give birth to and raise a child? If your son can’t do all these things, what gives you the right to demand them from his wife? Just because your family is a little well-off and he’s a little handsome? You’re looking for a daughter-in-law, not hiring a maid, okay?"

The middle-aged woman was stunned speechless by the barrage of questions.

The blind date, who had been slouching idly without a word, finally lifted his head and looked at Chloe Marshall with newfound seriousness, a sly smile glinting in his eyes.

He sat up straight, his eyes fixed on Chloe Marshall. His voice was surprisingly pleasant. "Sis, you can leave now."

The middle-aged woman beside him nodded and stood up.

Seeing this, Chloe Marshall was stunned. "She’s not your mom?!"

The man nodded and extended his hand. "That’s right. Hello. Let’s introduce ourselves properly. I’m Liam Preston."

Chloe Marshall politely extended her hand for a quick shake. She hadn’t really looked at him until now. She saw that while his expression was cool and detached, his smile for her was genuine, reaching all the way to his eyes.

Their hands clasped, but Liam Preston’s grip tightened, and he didn’t let go.

The sight was a sharp sting to Ethan Ellsworth’s eyes.

Jean Grant had also recognized Chloe Marshall. She glanced at Ethan Ellsworth, but she couldn’t quite decipher the expression on his face.

So, Ethan Ellsworth took a seat with his back to Chloe Marshall, their chairs positioned very close to one another.

Chloe Marshall pulled her hand from Liam Preston’s grasp and gave a strained laugh. "I think we should call it a day."

"Call it a day? How could we? There’s a raised platform over there. How about a dance?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Chloe Marshall shook her head. "I don’t know how to dance."

He pulled her to her feet. "I’ll teach you."

The music switched to something with a faster tempo. He untied her green silk scarf, revealing the low-cut top underneath. Her cleavage was deep and clearly visible.

A smile played on Liam Preston’s lips as he watched her clumsy steps. ’It’s been a long time since I’ve met a girl this innocent,’ he thought.

But Chloe Marshall truly had never danced before.

She kept stepping on his feet.

She could only apologize over and over.

Ethan Ellsworth’s eyes were fixed on their every interaction.

The color of his eyes deepened.

Jean Grant was clearly displeased. After barely two sips of her coffee, she stood up. "I don’t like it here. Let’s go home."

"Weren’t you the one who wanted to come for coffee?"

"Well, I don’t want it anymore. Let’s go."

Ethan Ellsworth stood up, and the two of them left as quickly as they had arrived.

Nora Ainsworth and Zeke Marshall watched them leave, then glanced at each other.

"Zeke, go get your sister."

Zeke immediately nodded and walked over to Chloe Marshall.

"Miss Marshall, how about we exchange numbers?"

Chloe Marshall gave a strained laugh. "Let’s not. I don’t think we’ll be seeing each other again."

With that, she left the coffee shop with Nora Ainsworth and Zeke Marshall.

Liam Preston followed them, all the way until Chloe Marshall entered her apartment building.

He parked his car just outside the building.

He gauged the time it would take, then looked up at the building, noting which floor lit up. Now he knew where she lived.

After waiting for half an hour, he watched Chloe Marshall’s companions come out and enter a villa across the street. Then, he got out of his car.

He entered the building.

When Chloe Marshall opened her door and saw it was him, a chill went down her spine. "How did you follow me home?"

"Since you wouldn’t give me your contact information, I had no choice but to be shameless and follow you."

Chloe Marshall could only say, "I didn’t give you my number because I don’t think we’re a good match."

It was a blunt rejection.

But he clearly didn’t believe her. "Not a good match? Then what would be a good match?"

Chloe Marshall fell silent for a moment before replying, "A man who can give me a simple, peaceful life. A man who makes me feel secure. A man who leads a clean life and doesn’t mess around. Are you that man?"

He chuckled softly. "Then you’ve come to the right person. I rarely smoke or drink. I don’t gamble, I don’t hit women, and I don’t flirt around. In my entire life, I’ve only been in a relationship once, when I was sixteen. By today’s standards, I’m a cut above the rest. Am I still not good enough for you?"