Chapter 127: New Beginnings Brew

Ellis shook her head. “Aside from locking me up and having someone watch my every move, they really treated me well.”

“That’s a relief,” Carly replied as she pulled Ellis to sit down. “I’ve realized we can’t mess with Easton; you better tread carefully around him.”

Despite Carly’s dual role as a family member and mother-in-law, Easton never showed her the slightest respect.

“I’ll definitely keep my distance!” Ellis vowed, raising her hand as if taking an oath.

Meanwhile, back at Dynasty Estate, the butler was busy directing the staff as usual. With Ellis no longer residing there, her former room needed to be restored to its original state. Not needing to supervise personally, the butler still decided to check on the room. He hadn’t even stepped through the door when he ran into Easton, who seemed to have just come out. The butler instantly snapped to attention, “First…”

“Finish up here, then head back to Azure Estate.”

“Yes, sir.”

The butler watched Easton leave, utterly puzzled. Having worked at the Hudson mansion for many years, serving both Easton and Ellis, the butler thought he had a grasp on their marital dynamics, but this summer had left him completely baffled.

With Ellis out of Dynasty Estate, there was no need for Easton to stay there either, so he returned to his original home. The few days he spent changing residences were uncomfortable for him. Staying in a familiar environment didn’t alleviate his discomfort since the house was the one Ellis had carefully chosen for their marriage, filled with reminders of her everywhere. Having grown accustomed to a place, he was reluctant to move. Adapting to a new environment seemed troublesome.

For now, he needed to steady his emotions and not let Ellis disturb his peace. His elite upbringing, the battles for his inheritance, and his success in the business world all reminded him strongly tonight that his recent emotional instability regarding Ellis was not prudent. Losing control of his emotions could impair his judgment, keeping him from maintaining a calm and rational state. His wealth and power didn’t allow for emotional instability; he needed to stay logical, and Ellis, as the source of his emotional turmoil, needed to be erased from his world. She was nothing but a vain, scheming, temperamental, independent woman with poor character. Why should I stoop to her level, wasting time and experiencing bizarre new emotions I’d never felt before?

Rubbing his slightly throbbing temples, Easton looked around and commanded the servants, “Throw out all of Ellis’s things!”

The sight of them only reminded him of how vehemently Ellis had despised him.

At his command, the servants sprang into action, embarking on a major cleanup. However, they soon faced a dilemma; even the smallest item of Ellis’s was worth tens of thousands of dollars, and her closet was full of dresses and bags worth up to 140,000 dollars, which could be sold on the market. They dared not discard them without asking, but with Easton in his study, they were afraid to inquire directly.

So, the servants decided to call the butler for advice. After some thought, the butler instructed, “Don’t get them dirty or damaged. Carefully store them in the storage room.”

Disregarding the high value of the items, and considering that Ellis was still officially the lady of the Hudson family, it was possible she might return to Azure Estate. It was best to store her belongings for now; Easton didn’t need to know, and no one would have to take the blame. Having lost her freedom once, Ellis now treasured it immensely.

Yet, a pressing issue was at hand – the financial crisis.

Ellis returned to the manor again. Ellis didn’t refuse; she simply asked Carly to find her a new room. Settling into bed, it was nearly dawn, and she slept straight through to the afternoon.

Waking up, the first thing modern people do is check their phones. Opening her phone after several days, Ellis was overwhelmed by the explosion of new WhatsApp messages, texts, and missed calls.

Scanning through WhatsApp, she saw numerous messages from Maya, all expressing concern and mentioning that she and Carly had visited Easton, attempting to persuade him to release her before resorting to legal action.

Indeed, the person who cared about her most in the world was Maya. And maybe Carly cared a bit too! Initially, Carly seemed to view her as nothing more than a tool for financial gain, but fortunately, Carly had come to realize that getting money from Easton was as difficult as reaching the heavens.

After replying to Maya, Ellis quickly skimmed through her missed calls and new texts, noting that the bank and Tate Group’s human resources department had tried to reach her several times. She decided to call back the human resources department at Tate Group first.

“Ms. Harper, sorry to disturb you, do you have a moment?” the representative asked politely.

“What’s up?” Ellis hadn’t forgotten that her bank account was frozen by Easton, preventing Tate Group from transferring her salary and compensation.