Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 141: Elizabeth & Chloe

On his way back from dropping off Claire, Chris decided to go see his mother especially since he had woken up to several missed calls from her.

Though he had wanted to return the call but he had been too engulfed in Claire's presence to remember calling her back.

She must be worried about me now, he thought, a smile gracing his lips as he made U-turn to his mother's house.

A short while later, Chris stepped into the grand but empty foyer of his family estate, the sound of his shoes echoing against the marble floor.

The familiar scent of lavender and fresh roses filled the air, reminding him of how his mother always insisted on keeping the house pristine and welcoming. He let out a deep breath, raising his hand to tousle his hair as he headed toward the living room.

"Christopher?" his mother's voice called out from the hallway before she appeared, looking as elegant as ever in her pastel cardigan and pearls. Her sharp green eyes softened when they landed on him. "You finally decided to come see me. Where were you? I've been to your house," she asked looking him over, her worry lines clearly visible.

Chris hesitated briefly but then smiled. "Well, I went to drop off my girlfriend," he said winking at her.

Elizabeth Jacobs froze for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise and delight. "Your girlfriend?" she repeated, her voice lifting with excitement. "Oh, Christopher, that's wonderful! Why didn't you tell me sooner? When did she accept? Please tell me she's the same person you talked about," She asked as she hurriedly walked over to him, her smile radiant.

Chris chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"You sound more excited than I am, mom and yes, it's the same girl," Chris said and his mother smiled happily.

"That's great. I can't wait to see her, Chris! How long has it been and why didn't you tell me sooner?" she asked with a pout and Christopher chuckled, shaking his head at her.

"We only just started dating yesterday and I didn't tell you because I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, Mom—"

Elizebeth's hands flew to her chest, and she beamed, cutting Christopher off. "How could I not make a big deal? My son finally has a girlfriend! Do you know how long I've been waiting to hear you say those words?" she asked in mock annoyance.

"Mom..." Chris groaned lightly, but he couldn't stop the small smile tugging at his lips. "I really don't want to scare her off. She's still getting used to all this," he said and she smiled, still unfazed.

"I won't scare her," She said and then grabbed his arm and gently pulled him toward the couch. "Sit. Tell me everything about her. What's she like? Do you think we could kick off immediately? I really want to bond with her so we won't have to be competing for attention for you," she said excitedly.

Chris laughed as he sat down, shaking his head at her enthusiasm. "Like you already know, her name's Claire."

His mother's brow furrowed. "I know that already so why start with that? Tell me other things I don't know about her," she said letting him know she was indeed anticipating whatever he wanted to say.

"Well, she's older," he said, studying his mother's face, wanting to see if she'd have an objection or if her enthusiasm would flatter.

He smiled when he saw his mother's grin returned, her face free of judgement. "Well, as long as you love her and she keeps you happy, I don't care if she's younger or older. After all, they say age is just a number when you're in love. So, what else?"

"She's beautiful, smart, independent... and she's not someone I want to rush things with," Chris admitted, leaning back against the couch. "She's... special, Mom. Although I already know I love her enough to want to spend forever with her, I really don't want to scare her off by throwing her into the deep end with meeting you or anyone else yet."

His mother tilted her head, studying him with a knowing look, glad that her son had someone other than her and her sister now.

"Look how sweetly you said that. If I weren't so in love with your father, I would've already been wondering what it feels like. You like her a lot, son," she said proudly, glad she didn't raise a child that wouldn't get to experience love on his own.

Chris gave a soft chuckle, his eyes softening. "Yeah, I do. More than I ever expected or intended to."

Elizabeth's face lit up, and she reached out to pat his hand. "Oh, Christopher, I'm so happy for you. I knew it would happen one day. I just knew. And don't worry—take all the time you need to bring her here. I don't want to do anything that'll make her uncomfortable either."

"Thanks, Mom," Chris said, his shoulders relaxing.

"But," Elizabeth added, leaning forward slightly, "promise me this: don't let this one slip away. I don't care how long it takes, as long as she stays. If she makes you happy, that's all I care about. I just want to see you settled in this lifetime of mine."

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Chris smiled, his chest feeling lighter. "I'll do my best, Mom. She's worth it."

Elizabeth sighed contentedly, sitting back in her chair with a smile that didn't fade. "I can't wait to meet her. Whenever you're ready, of course. Just make sure you don't take too long. You know how impatient I can get."

Chris chuckled, shaking his head. "You'll meet her soon enough," he said even though he wasn't sure how soon.

He just hoped that Claire would relax around him soon and let her guard down at some point.

As Chris and his mom sat in comfortable silence, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a surge of hope. It had been so long since she'd seen her son this relaxed, this content.

Whoever this Claire was, she already liked her. After all, anyone who could make her son smile like that had to be someone extraordinary.

Away from there, the grand doors of the Stone mansion creaked open as Chloe stepped inside, her heels clicking against the polished marble floors.

The house, usually a place of poised elegance, felt heavy with tension today. She paused in the foyer, her brow furrowing as she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps pacing back and forth.

"Dad?" she called out, her voice echoing through the spacious hall.

"Chloe," her father's voice boomed from the study. She followed the sound, finding him by the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back as he paced with an air of restless frustration.

His usually composed demeanor was replaced by something unnervingly agitated.

All his life, he had never been placed in the kind of situation he was facing. On one hand, his son was threatening to get himself cut off from the family while on the other hand, his late wife's legacy was going down in ruins and he needed to save that one piece of her she left him.

What was he going to do now? He mused, willing himself to focus on whatever Chloe was saying.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked, setting her handbag down on the edge of a nearby chair.

Mr. Stone stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, his expression grim. "It's your brother," he said with a sharp edge in his voice. "He's completely lost his mind over that girl."

Chloe raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. "What did he do this time? Don't tell me he went to confess the truth to her already," she said, wanting to know if she had succeeded in pushing him into taking the wrong decision as usual because she was the one with the business mind.

Her father let out a bitter laugh. "Hunter has decided to cut himself off from this family. Can you even believe that stupid son of mine? He thinks he neither needs or wants my help. That fool had the guts to tell me he doesn't want anything to do with the legacy I've built and the one his mom left him," he said, unable to cover it up again.

He gestured wildly to the room around him, his voice rising. "The restaurant empire, everything—he's walking away from all of it! All because of that girl!"

Chloe blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Wait... he said that?" she asked looking at Mr. Stone with a hidden smirk.

Though she had thought he would do something reckless after she went to provoke him today, she had and never in her life time had thought he'd go this far.

What does this Ivy have against Hunter to make him back down for her? Because of that restaurant, Hunter had put up with her discreetly creating rifts between him and their father but then, he had never thought of giving everything up.

What happened? Was he in love with her? If so, why had he foolishly bet on her dignity? What was missing? Chloe thought, forcing herself to focus on what her father was saying.