novelraw Chapter 420 - 422: God-granddaughter
Chapter 420 - 422: God-granddaughter
"The role was originally meant for you. It’s all... Sigh, it was foolish of me to believe her without a thorough investigation. Jeanette Kensington used her status as my benefactor’s daughter to demand the lead role. I’m deeply indebted to my benefactor, so I really couldn’t say no to her."
"But who could have guessed she’s a fraud!" Paul Grant said indignantly. "I had no idea she was an illegitimate daughter of the Kenway Family, not my benefactor’s daughter at all. She faked her identity to deceive me."
Naomi Kenway’s eyes narrowed. "The benefactor you’re talking about... is my mother?"
Paul Grant nodded.
"I never imagined my benefactor’s daughter was actually you, and I unwittingly did so many foolish things. I feel terrible, Nicole... I’ve already terminated the contract with Jeanette Kensington. I just hope you can forgive me."
"Thank you for holding me in such high regard, but I’ll need some time to think about the film."
"Of course, of course," Paul Grant said. "I truly handled this poorly. I’ll come to apologize in person in the next few days. You must not turn me away."
After hanging up, Naomi Kenway saw Anson Colt walking over, his butler following closely behind.
"A call from Paul Grant?"
Naomi Kenway put her phone away and nodded.
Anson Colt stroked his beard and nodded. "I’m always telling him to be more careful, but he’s a bit rough around the edges and easily gets carried away. He must have apologized to you. Don’t be in a rush to forgive him. It’ll do him good to learn a lesson."
Naomi Kenway nodded.
Anson Colt gazed at Naomi Kenway with a kind expression. "Come on, let’s go shoot the next scene."
To celebrate the completion of a filming milestone, Anson Colt treated the entire cast and crew to dinner after the day’s shoot.
Naomi Kenway sat at a table with the other lead actors, while Anson Colt took the seat of honor.
Naomi Kenway didn’t want to drink, but the others at the table were masters of persuasion, relentlessly and enthusiastically encouraging her. Anson Colt stepped in on her behalf. "Since Nicole doesn’t care for it, let’s not pressure her. We’re here to have fun. It would be a shame to do anything that spoils the mood."
With Anson Colt having said his piece, no one else tried to persuade her.
After a few rounds of drinks, a drunken flush colored Anson Colt’s face, but his eyes held a look of profound sorrow, as if he had once again recalled some painful memory.
Naomi Kenway, sitting beside him, advised, "Elder Colt, perhaps you should drink a little less. Your health is important."
The butler sighed. "It’s an old habit of the master’s. He knows his health is poor, but he still loves to drink. He says that drinking lets him have pleasant dreams."
After downing two more glasses, Anson Colt slumped onto the table and sobbed, "Mina, Erin, Yvie..."
He mumbled the names incoherently.
The butler explained that Anson Colt always called out for his departed loved ones when he drank.
Everyone around them sighed sympathetically, momentarily losing their appetite for drinking. Anson Colt had directed so many films and won countless awards. His life should have been glorious and easy. But his family had left him one by one—especially his daughter and granddaughter, whose deaths were so tragic—leaving him with nothing but loneliness.
Anson Colt suddenly sat up straight, tears welling in his eyes. His dry, gaunt hand gripped Naomi Kenway’s. "...Erin, is that you? Have you come to see me? A parent should never have to bury their child... After you left, your father couldn’t sleep, day or night. How could you be so cruel..."
Naomi Kenway was moved. Just as she was about to speak, the butler behind Anson Colt helped him to his feet. "My apologies, everyone," the butler said. "Elder Colt is drunk. I’ll take him home. Please, carry on."
Everyone at the table nodded, and Anson Colt closed his eyes again, appearing to have passed out.
Naomi Kenway stood up. "Elder Colt’s phone is still here. I’ll walk you out."
The butler, supporting Anson Colt, nodded to Naomi Kenway. "Thank you."
「The next day on set」 Anson Colt was back to his old self. His eyes were sharp, and his voice was strong. "I apologize for the trouble I caused yesterday."
"It was no trouble. But Elder Colt, you really should drink less. It’s bad for your health."
Anson Colt’s expression grew distant again. After a moment, he looked down and sighed, a bitter smile touching his lips. "Back when Erin was still with us, she was always telling me to drink less. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye, yet it always feels like yesterday. Every time I drink, I can see them... but it’s bad for my health. I can’t drink often..."
Naomi Kenway said, "I’m sure Erin wouldn’t want you to be so careless with your health. She would want you to take care of yourself and live a long and healthy life."
"COUGH COUGH... You’re right..." Anson Colt was suddenly seized by a violent coughing fit. Naomi Kenway quickly pulled a vial of medicine from his pocket and handed it to him.
It was a chronic condition that flared up every few days on set...
Her eyes filled with worry, Naomi Kenway gently patted his back.
Anson Colt’s coughing subsided. He lowered his handkerchief and smiled at Naomi Kenway, his voice as gentle as ever. "I’m fine. Don’t you worry."
Naomi Kenway took her hand back and nodded.
"My body is getting weaker and weaker. I don’t know if I’ll last long enough to finish the movie and fulfill Erin’s final wish. If I can’t finish it, they’ll surely be angry with me."
"Don’t say such grim things," Naomi Kenway said. "You’re going to live a long, long life."
During their time on set, Anson Colt had helped Naomi Kenway immensely, and her acting had improved by leaps and bounds. In her eyes, he was a highly respected senior who enjoyed mentoring new talent, as well as a kind and gentle elder.
Anson Colt reached up to wipe away a tear, his eyes glistening. "I must be getting old," he said.
He looked at Naomi Kenway again, his gaze gentle. "Nicole, every time I look at you, I get a little lost. I always feel as if my daughter, Erin, has come back to me. Do you think she felt I was too lonely here on earth and sent you to my side? If you’re willing... I’d like to make you my god-granddaughter."
"I have no family left. To feel such an immediate kinship with you... it must be fate. You’re a good kid. I’m not asking you to care for me in my old age. I just hope you’ll visit me when you have time. I can mentor you in your acting, and... when I die, my entire estate will be yours."
Before Naomi Kenway could even reply, she heard gasps of astonishment from those nearby, all marveling at her incredible luck. For starters, Anson Colt was a titan in the entertainment industry, one of the most senior and respected figures around. Who in the business would dare to disrespect him? With his backing, any resource would be effortlessly within her grasp.
Furthermore, Anson Colt’s fortune was no small sum. He normally lived a quiet, reclusive life and never flaunted his wealth, but he hailed from a prominent family whose ancestors had been successful merchants for generations. While not on the level of a top-tier magnate, his assets were certainly in the tens of billions. The Colt Family line had been dwindling for years, and of his generation, he was the sole remaining heir. In the future, that entire fortune would belong to Naomi Kenway. It was as if an immense fortune had simply fallen out of the sky and landed right in her lap.