Chapter 193 An Impulsive Choice
Ethan felt a bit guilty about Quentin. Sure, keeping secrets was low, but since Quentin couldn't make Lauren happy, Ethan would step in to protect her.
Lauren heard her phone ring, but it stopped before she could answer. She called back, but Ethan didn't pick up. Shrugging it off, she went back to packing her bags.
Soon, Ethan showed up at Lauren's door again. She opened it and asked, "Why'd you hang up on me earlier?"
Ethan couldn't hide his excitement. "Lauren, I've got some great news. I hope you won't be mad at me for going behind your back."
"What news?" Lauren asked, not really interested. She was too upset about Quentin to care.
Ethan walked up to her, grabbed her shoulders, and said, "Joseph Borgia, the master architect, accepted you as his student!"
"What? Joseph Borgia, the design genius?" Lauren was stunned. She couldn't believe it, feeling it was like a dream.
She looked so shocked, like a cute, bewildered kitten.
Ethan gently patted her head. "It's true! Remember that design I asked you to finish in two days? That was actually Joseph's test. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to get your hopes up. But you did it, Lauren! You stood out among thousands of competitors. I'm so proud of you!"
The news hit Lauren like a ton of bricks. She never imagined someone like Joseph would take her on as a student. Was her luck finally changing?
After the initial shock, Lauren realized it wasn't luck. It was all thanks to Ethan's quiet efforts.
She looked at Ethan with deep affection. "Thank you, Ethan."
Ethan blushed, feeling shy. "You're welcome! You've always wanted to leave, and this is the perfect chance. You'll need to study with Joseph for at least three years, so think it over. The choice is yours. No one's forcing you."
Lauren didn't hesitate. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Of course, I want to go. I won't let you down!"
She hugged Ethan gently and whispered, "Thank you for always understanding me and making sacrifices for me."
Ethan hugged her back, feeling elated. "You're welcome. Knowing you appreciate it is the best reward."
Lauren pulled away from his warm embrace. "You're still so silly! Ethan, will you wait for me? If in three years you haven't found someone else and gotten married, I'll be with you."
Ethan was moved to tears. "Lauren, whether it's three years or thirty, I'll wait for you!"
They embraced each other deeply once more.
Shaking off her reverie, Lauren asked, "When do I need to join the workforce? We're almost done packing."
Seeing her excitement, Ethan decided to drop the bomb. "Lauren, I've looked into Quentin. He's contacting a lawyer to get custody of Matthew."
"As expected, Quentin's a cold-blooded jerk!" Lauren said bitterly. "Forget him. I'm leaving, and he won't find me! I'll make sure he pays for this!"
Quentin was kicking her when she was down, showing just how despicable he could be. She hated him for it.
Ethan felt even more certain that Lauren and Quentin were done for good. Even though Lauren had agreed to be with him in three years, he felt confident.
Under Ethan's arrangements, Lauren, Kimberly, and Matthew quickly got their passports and flew to Paris to study house design with Joseph.
Lauren left quietly, without telling anyone where she was going. Quentin searched all over City A but couldn't find her.
In the Robinson Conglomerate's president's office, Quentin was like a mad lion, fuming with anger.
"Keep looking! Send more people! I don't believe two adults and a child can just disappear!" Quentin roared.
The office staff trembled in fear. They were helpless, too! Quentin wanted them to find Lauren, but City A was huge, with countless hidden paths. Searching aimlessly was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
But Quentin didn't give them a chance to argue, ordering them to keep searching. The staff were in a tough spot.
Noah walked into Quentin's office, shaking his head. "I could hear you shouting from down the hall. Quentin, your temper is out of control. It's bad for your health!"
Noah knew Quentin was in trouble, but he couldn't help him with this. Only after losing something did one realize its value. This was Quentin's reality.
Quentin shot him a sharp look. "What do you want?"
"Just checking on you. The whole company is on edge, afraid of becoming your punching bag. Quentin, Lauren's been missing for a month. Give up! I think she's deliberately avoiding you. Why not let her be?" Noah said seriously.
"I don't even know what that means!" Quentin sneered.
Noah sighed. "Why can't you see clearly? When will you grow up? You've already lost Lauren. Face it. Her leaving means she doesn't love you anymore. You should move on."
"Lauren is my present and my future. What are you trying to say? Do you mean I should be with Sophia again?" Quentin's eyes turned red with anger.
For some reason, Noah had always supported him being with Sophia, maybe because the three of them had been friends for years.
But Sophia was in the past for him and could never re-enter his life. He was confused why Noah just couldn't understand that.
