novelraw Chapter 441 - 443: Idle Talk
Chapter 441 - 443: Idle Talk
Naomi Kenway’s long silence made Chelsea Raines feel increasingly uneasy. She lowered her eyes, embarrassed, and coughed softly.
"Before... when that scoundrel Gene Woods was about to hit me and Jared Woods, you stepped in to help. I thought maybe you didn’t hate me so much anymore..."
Naomi Kenway looked her straight in the eye and said, "I just can’t stand to see domestic violence. It had nothing to do with you specifically; I would have saved anyone in that situation. Your apology and regret might be genuine, but the trouble you caused me in the past was also very real."
Chelsea Raines recalled her past tactlessness, and her expression grew even more uncomfortable.
"So... you’ll never forgive me?"
"Let’s see how things go."
Chelsea Raines’s eyes lit up, but she quickly hid her joyful expression. "You’re right," she said. "We’ll see how things go. I’m sure our relationship will change..."
Margaret Jennings said with a smile, "We’ve been talking for a while. Come on, let’s have a toast. We’ll use tea instead of wine, and the little one can use milk, so we don’t drink too much tea and have trouble sleeping."
The group raised their cups.
[I hope Chelsea Raines can prove it with her actions. After all, she used her actions to piss Nina off before.]
[Chelsea Raines really does have a nasty mouth, but she’s not the type to be secretly malicious. Maybe she’ll really change for the better later on.]
[Naomi Kenway is so petty. The girl already apologized, and she’s still holding a grudge.]
[Are you okay, poster above me? How can you say something like that? It’s Nina’s right to forgive or not, isn’t it? You weren’t the one getting chewed out. I can’t stand people like you and Mr. Jennings who think you’re on some moral high ground!]
...
Ruby Preston said, "It’s so much more relaxing to come out by myself. Last episode, I had Old Sinclair with me, and he had to meddle in this and meddle in that. My ears were about to fall off from all his nagging."
Margaret Jennings chuckled. "My Miles Sanders is the same way. They’re all like that. Sometimes, after listening to all the nagging, it actually feels quite heartwarming."
Chelsea Raines didn’t speak up during this topic. There was obviously nothing good to say about Gene Woods.
The others at the table understood and didn’t ask her about it.
Margaret Jennings said, "What about you, Nina? President Shaw doesn’t seem like a very talkative person."
Before Naomi Kenway could answer, Ian piped up, "My daddy talks a lot! Daddy’s favorite thing is to hold Mommy and talk!"
Everyone at the table burst out laughing. Naomi Kenway hadn’t expected her son to drop such a bombshell right off the bat.
She scratched her head, looking a little awkward. "It’s not as exaggerated as Ian says. But Ethan Shaw’s speaking habits... he’s not a chatterbox, but he’s not overly silent either. I think it’s just right. He’s a very self-disciplined person, so I rarely have to keep an eye on him."
"How did you and President Shaw meet, Nina?" Margaret Jennings asked curiously.
Ian turned his head as well, his big eyes blinking as he gazed at Naomi Kenway, clearly just as curious about the question.
Naomi Kenway gathered her thoughts. "We were set up on a blind date by our parents, and we got married after that."
"You didn’t know each other at all before that?"
"We’d seen each other a few times, but we weren’t close."
Margaret Jennings nodded. "Oh, so that’s how it was. I thought you might have been college sweethearts or something. You two have such a great relationship."
"We didn’t go to the same school."
Ruby Preston nodded. "That’s really a matter of fate. The right person will always find you sooner or later."
[So they met on a blind date! Isn’t this a ’marry first, love later’ story? It really has that fated encounter vibe.]
[To be so in love, they must have gone through a lot of ups and downs over the years.]
[A talented man and a beautiful woman, they’re such a perfect match. I don’t even know who to be jealous of.]
It was a rare moment of leisure. Knowing the show was about to end, they talked more than usual. Since there was no one there to be an eyesore, the conversation was especially pleasant.
Ruby Preston began to share the story of how she and Seth Sawyer met on a film set. Back then, Ruby Preston was just a little-known director. Since she couldn’t find investors, she often had to fund her projects with her own money. Seth Sawyer wasn’t famous at the time either. He was location scouting for photos near her set, and after happening upon Ruby Preston, he insisted on taking her picture. He said she had a great aura and repeatedly assured her the photos would be free of charge.
At this point, Ruby Preston couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "At first, I honestly thought he was a scammer. But he came looking for me a few more times, and he seemed too foolish to be a con artist, so I agreed. His photography skills were actually quite good, and I framed all the developed photos. After that, I went back to shooting my arthouse films. The market for them was terrible back then, and everyone around me told me not to shoot them for the sake of sentiment and ideals. They said I had to be realistic—making money was all that mattered."
"I was very lost during that period, and I felt like I had no direction. I was young and didn’t have the mature mindset I have now. During that time, Old Sinclair would come looking for me every few days to take photos. I was in a bad mood and didn’t want to deal with him. He asked me what was bothering me, and I told him about the difficulties I was facing. To this day, I still remember what he said."
"He said he really admired me, that he’d always looked up to people who worked hard for their dreams. He told me I wasn’t an outcast. He also said that his photography project was something he was doing in secret, behind his family’s back, because they wanted him to become an orthopedic surgeon."
’At that moment, I thought, ’So we’re the same kind of person.’’ "As time went on, we grew closer. I persisted with my dream, shooting unpopular arthouse films, and he would empty his savings to help me fund them. Later, we got married. Slowly, I was no longer a nobody, and he became a famous photographer, but our relationship never changed."
Margaret Jennings sighed with emotion. "A relationship where you grow and support each other is truly rare."
Simon Sawyer, sitting next to Ruby Preston, offered a sharp analysis: "Dad definitely had it all planned out from the start. He said he wanted to take photos, but it was really just an excuse to get closer to you."
Everyone around them couldn’t help but laugh. "Sean is such a sharp one, seeing right through it."
[LMAO, I’m dying. That really was a sharp analysis. How is Sean so naturally like a domineering CEO, planning everything out?]
[Oh my god, Old Sinclair looks like someone who’s really bad at socializing. He must have had to give himself a serious pep talk to work up the courage to ask Director Preston for a photo.]
[But still, emptying his savings to support his wife’s dream—that’s seriously cool!]
[Director Preston won major awards at home and abroad for an arthouse film back in the day. Old Sinclair’s support must have been a big part of that.]
[Don’t just praise Old Sinclair! Director Preston did a lot for him too. Years ago, Old Sinclair was in a car accident and almost didn’t wake up. His lower body was paralyzed, and for several years, Director Preston was by his side, never leaving him. She put her work on hold to focus on helping him with his physical therapy. This couple has always supported each other.]
[That kind of love is truly precious and rare.]