Chapter 161: A Mansion Too Far
The elevator dinged open, and just before stepping in, Easton turned to glance back at the door behind him. Hasn't Ellis realized yet that her place isn't secure? The property management was just for show; the door was easy to pick. My ex-wife really shouldn't have to live in such squalor!
After cleaning up the leftovers and finishing her nightly routine, Ellis practically collapsed into bed and fell asleep. She didn't make much of Easton's bizarre late-night visit, where he appeared out of nowhere, said some odd things, and then just as mysteriously left.
The next day, she had pushed the incident from her mind, expecting no follow-up; however, she was surprised when, around noon, a woman claiming to be Easton's assistant called her. The woman spoke with utmost respect.
“Mrs. Hudson, I’m not a scammer. My name is Taylor, and I’m Mr. Easton’s newly promoted assistant. I was formerly one of the vice directors in the mobile division; you can verify that!”
The caller seemed worried Ellis might suspect a scam and even provided her background to prove her credibility. Ellis had left Hudson Group, and with Jackson's recent firing, as mentioned by Easton the night before, it wasn't unusual for Ellis Easton to have a few assistants. She didn't doubt the caller's identity; verifying it would be easy enough.
But what puzzled her was why this person was contacting her, especially with the constant “Mrs. Hudson,” which felt oddly formal.
“What does Easton want with me?” Ellis asked bluntly, not waiting for Taylor to state her purpose. The last thing she needed was Easton playing tricks on her; she wasn’t leaving Stonebridge!
“Mrs. Hudson, Mr. Easton has instructed me to arrange a new apartment for you,” Taylor said, glancing at the weather outside the window. “Do you have time today? I could accompany you to see it, and we could also transfer the title to your name.”
“What?” Ellis’s face was a picture of confusion. Easton has his assistant arrange an apartment for me and transfer it into my name? What’s going on, literally? A flurry of questions left her feeling dazed.
“Mrs. Hudson, if you don’t like the apartment, I’ll find another until you are satisfied and happy,” Taylor added as she opened her email to send pictures and details of the apartment to Ellis’s inbox. “If you’re busy today, please check your email, and we can arrange to transfer the title another day.”
What game is Easton playing now? Ellis silently logged into her email and reviewed the contents sent by Taylor. The email included a thorough introduction to the apartment, along with photos showing every aspect of its style and design. Finally, her eyes locked on the address of the property.
Stonebridge was a highly sought-after international city, with real estate prices among the highest globally. Even in the suburbs, a small patch of land cost a few thousand dollars per ten square feet, making owning an apartment a distant dream for many. And this was no modest apartment; it was a large flat in the central business district, spanning a massive 5300 square feet. According to the latest market rates, it was worth millions.
Is Easton really gifting me a massive flat? It seemed highly unlikely. She recalled their first visit to the Civil Affairs Department to file for divorce; she’d been docked half a day’s pay for taking time off, which he had transferred to her, pretending generosity, only to demand it back later. He hadn’t given her a dime in the divorce; she had left the Hudson family with nothing. Moreover, the day she moved out, he had been paranoid about her taking anything valuable, having the housekeeper check her luggage to ensure she took only her personal documents.
Closing her email, Ellis took her phone from her car and looked at the screen. It was still showing the call was ongoing. Putting the phone back to her ear, she said, “Did Easton not tell you we’re divorced? Stop calling me that; just use my name or Ms. Harper.”
Easton’s orders had to be carried out perfectly, but Taylor was taken aback by Ellis’s correction and her insistence that she was no longer Easton’s wife. Is this flat a form of compensation for his ex-wife?
Taylor, hiding her curiosity, continued with the same respectful tone, “Ms. Harper, Mr. Easton didn’t say anything else; he just instructed me to arrange the apartment for you.”
“Tell him I’m not interested in his gift,” Ellis said and hung up the phone. No one likes to turn down money, and a million-dollar flat is tempting. But knowing Easton’s character, she couldn’t praise it. A man who didn’t care if she lived or died had prepared her to leave their marriage with nothing. If he was giving her this apartment, he could just as easily take it back whenever he wanted. No matter his reasons now, she wouldn’t accept the apartment. She was sure if she moved in, it wouldn’t be long before he had her thrown out, possibly enduring further humiliation from him.