Chapter 326 - 313: Aren’t You Going to See the Mother and Son? (1)

To keep Georgia Thorne from getting suspicious, Hannah Gardner deliberately stayed in the bathroom for a while, putting on a little show by herself.

Hannah Gardner called out to Elliot Sheridan, hugged his leg, and forcibly dragged him to sit across from Georgia Thorne.

"Mr. Sheridan, why are you leaving!" Hannah complained, looking at Georgia Thorne. "Ms. Thorne, did you have a fight with Mr. Sheridan?"

"No!"

Elliot Sheridan denied it, and Georgia Thorne gave an unnatural smile.

After that, with Hannah Gardner as their divine wingman, she managed to forcibly keep the two of them together.

Hannah Gardner was excited to see the big crocodiles. Her small hand gripped Georgia Thorne’s tightly, as if afraid she would run off. She then turned her head and called to Elliot Sheridan, "Mr. Sheridan, hurry up, or we won’t be able to squeeze in later!"

From the corner of her eye, Georgia Thorne glanced at Elliot Sheridan, who happened to be looking right at her.

He strode over and said softly, "Let’s go."

His gaze landed on Hannah Gardner’s face, but it sent Georgia into a daze, making her feel as if he were talking to her.

Her heart skipped a beat, thumping uncontrollably. The man’s arm unintentionally brushed against her shoulder, carrying that same old, subtle fragrance.

Hannah Gardner had an intense taste, loving to see ferocious animals like lions, crocodiles, and pythons.

Georgia Thorne was dragged by Hannah toward the python exhibit, a thousand and one objections screaming in her mind. She was most afraid of animals like snakes.

"Ms. Thorne, look at that man! He’s amazing, he’s holding a big yellow snake!" Hannah pointed excitedly at the person below, but Georgia Thorne only glanced for a second before looking away.

Just that one look made her scalp tingle uncomfortably.

Suddenly, a hand appeared before her, blocking her view. A familiar warmth, a hot palm covering her eyes. "Don’t be afraid. I’m here."

He knew she had always been afraid of this sort of thing.

Georgia Thorne subconsciously clenched her fists and bit her lower lip.

In the afternoon, Georgia Thorne and Elliot Sheridan didn’t talk much. It was basically Hannah Gardner doing all the talking.

When she got excited about something, she would turn and ask the two of them a question. Only then would Elliot Sheridan say a word, with Georgia Thorne chiming in in agreement.

A trip to the zoo is exhausting. On the way back, Hannah Gardner was too tired to walk and ended up being carried by Elliot Sheridan.

After leaving the zoo gates, Elliot Sheridan turned to the person beside him and said, "I have my car. Let me drive you back."

Georgia Thorne glanced at the sleeping child in his arms and, not wanting to make a fuss, nodded. "Okay."

Georgia Thorne sat in the passenger seat holding the child, while Elliot Sheridan drove intently.

Without Hannah Gardner’s lively chatter, silence suddenly fell between them.

"What’s the situation with that child?" Georgia Thorne asked as they stopped at a red light at an intersection.

Her gaze remained fixed out the window, her profile reflected in the glass. Elliot Sheridan glanced over. "The child is with his mother."

"And you? Aren’t you going to see them?"

"As long as we’re not divorced, you are still my wife. And you are the mother of my child. Even if we do get divorced, it will only ever be you in this lifetime. There’s no possibility of me and Quentin Chase getting together."

"Who can say for sure what the future holds."

"Georgia..."

"The light’s green. You should drive," Georgia Thorne reminded him softly.

Elliot Sheridan sighed silently, then stepped on the gas and shot across the road as if venting his frustration, the speed constantly increasing.

After a moment, he slowly brought the speed back down and changed the subject. "How’s that cat been recently?"

"It’s gotten very fat. I think it might be a little overweight. It just eats and then lies on the sofa to sleep."

"If you think it’s fat, take it out for a walk."

"Mm."

"You used to bathe it every three days, and you’d keep shampoo and a comb next to its food..."

"Also, I believe in you."

Georgia Thorne froze for a few seconds, then turned to him in confusion. "What?"

Elliot Sheridan stopped the car in front of her apartment building. "Stick to your convictions. Don’t worry about what other people think. Their opinions have nothing to do with you, and you don’t need to feel bad because of how they see things. I believe you didn’t plagiarize."

What Georgia Thorne had been waiting for, what she had been longing to hear, was nothing more than that last sentence from Elliot Sheridan.

Elliot Sheridan was different from everyone else, so only his words could completely wash away the grievances in her heart.

She gave Elliot Sheridan a brilliant smile, the gloom of the past few days completely swept away.

Finally seeing a genuine smile from Georgia Thorne, Elliot Sheridan’s lips curved into a faint smile as well. "I will always be behind you, supporting you. Go do whatever it is you want to do."

"Thank you!"

With those encouraging words from Elliot Sheridan, Georgia Thorne pulled herself together over the next few days and sent her resume to several design firms.

She was called in for an interview once or twice, but the result was always the same: no follow-up.

Unable to wait any longer, Georgia Thorne called the HR department of one company. The person on the other end apologized, saying they had already filled the position.

Georgia Thorne was in an awkward position. She had just started to become famous when she was accused of plagiarism. No company would hire her.

Except for one person—Erin Irving.

On her way back from an interview with a company, Georgia Thorne received a call from Erin Irving. "I was wondering if Miss Thorne might have time to have lunch with Mr. Irving?"

Georgia Thorne glanced at the time. It was already past eleven, and she had an appointment to meet Shirley Summers at one in the afternoon.

"I’m sorry, President Irving, I have something this afternoon..."

"Don’t reject me so quickly. Don’t be so quick to say no. After all, I did pursue you once!" Erin Irving said jokingly over the phone.

"Where’s the address? I’ll head over now," Georgia Thorne replied after a few seconds of hesitation.

"Turn around."

Georgia Thorne turned and looked at a car parked on the side of the road. Erin Irving got out, taking off his sunglasses.

"I was just driving down this road and happened to see you on the sidewalk, Miss Thorne. Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?"

"You’re joking, President Irving." Georgia Thorne tucked her long hair back. "Where are we going for lunch?"

"Get in first."

Erin Irving snapped his fingers, stepped on the gas, and asked, "Do you like Western food?"

"I’m fine with anything."

In the Western-style restaurant, Georgia Thorne didn’t have much of an appetite. She’d had her water glass refilled twice, while the man across from her continued to enjoy his lunch leisurely.

Half an hour later, Erin Irving put down his knife and fork. "You don’t like Western food?"

"It’s just that I ate a lot this morning, so I’m not very hungry right now." Georgia Thorne placed her hands under the table. "Since you’re finished, President Irving, I’ll be leaving."

As she spoke, Georgia Thorne stood up and grabbed her bag, ready to hurry on her way.

She only had half an hour left before her meeting with Shirley Summers.

Erin Irving, however, was in no hurry. He elegantly dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin. "I heard Miss Thorne resigned from her previous company? Are you looking for a job at the moment?"

"Isn’t this all thanks to you, President Irving?" Georgia Thorne gave a slight smile. "Or could it be that a great man like you has a short memory and has forgotten?"

’She still holds a grudge. In that, she’s just like me.’

"That’s why I made a point of seeking you out today, Miss Thorne. I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in coming to work for me."

Georgia Thorne raised an eyebrow, not particularly interested. She politely refused, "As I recall, President Irving, you don’t run a design company. I don’t think I’m qualified for any other kind of work."

"I don’t have one at the moment, no. But if Miss Thorne is willing to work for me, I’ll open a dedicated studio just for you. What do you think?"

"Open a studio just for me? You’re that generous?" Georgia Thorne was skeptical.

Erin Irving shrugged. "Miss Thorne, if I’m asking you to work for me, it’s because there’s a profit to be made, of course. With your current fame, you could definitely bring in a lot of business for me. Who wouldn’t want to make money?"

"What fame do I have? I’m branded a plagiarist. No design firm dares to hire me. If you want to open a studio with me, President Irving, aren’t you afraid it will be a losing venture?"

"Of course I’m afraid! I don’t have many other hobbies; I just enjoy tackling new challenges. The more dangerous something is, the more I enjoy the challenge!" Erin Irving stood up as well. "You also know that no company will hire you right now. Why not take a gamble and try working for me?"

"If I really wanted a job, I could work at Elliot Sheridan’s company. Why would I need to go to yours?"

"If you really wanted to work at Elliot Sheridan’s company, then of course I’d have nothing more to say." Erin Irving moved closer, leaning down until he was looking right into her angry eyes. The corner of his mouth twitched into a cold smirk. "I heard Quentin Chase had a son for him. Are you really willing to take back a man like that?"

Georgia Thorne, "..."

"Georgia Thorne, you’re a smart woman. You should seriously consider my offer. If you change your mind, give me a call."

Erin Irving waved and walked out.

Georgia Thorne stood sideways, staring blankly at his retreating back. It was a long while before she finally left the restaurant.

The work for Shirley Summers had originally been handed over to someone else in the company.

But the morning before last, Shirley Summers had suddenly called, saying she specifically wanted Georgia to do it personally and didn’t want any other designer.

She went to see Shirley Summers and took back all the clothing designs.

"Miss Thorne, you’re the best designer I’ve ever met. I believe in you," Shirley Summers said, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Thank you!" Georgia Thorne nodded and left with her things.

On the way back, Sharon Ennis called, asking her to return to the Sheridan family home.

"Don’t blame Sharon for what happened with the child. No one could have expected something like this to happen. It’s just a tragic fate! Georgia, please come back. Just think of it as coming to see me, your mother-in-law, alright?" Sharon Ennis said wearily. She was truly at her wit’s end worrying about her son.

Since Sharon Ennis had pulled the mother-in-law card and pleaded like this, Georgia Thorne couldn’t refuse. "I’ll come over tonight."