Chapter 166: Seeing Ellis Again

“Right now, I’m your boss’s business partner. From a professional standpoint, if you’re polite to me, I can put in a good word for you. It might get you a promotion and a raise.”

“Using my boss to pressure me? Are you crazy?”

“I’m not pressuring you. I’m just pointing out that being polite to me could be beneficial.”

“And being impolite to you isn’t causing me any trouble either, is it?” Ellis said matter-of-factly. Up to this point, she hadn’t noticed any negative consequences from being blunt with Morty.

“That actually makes sense.” Morty glanced inside. “You’re just going to stand here? Your boss is in there.”

“Mind your own business.”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Why are you so nosy?” Ellis was getting impatient.

“I’m not nosy. You just look pitiful standing here all alone.” Morty glanced at the directory. “There’s a restaurant upstairs. I’m heading there for dinner. Wanna come? My treat.”

The banquet inside provided dinner, but only for those seated at the main event. Ellis had eaten something before coming, but it wasn’t enough to keep her full for long.

For a moment, she was tempted by Morty’s suggestion. But then, she found it odd. She and Morty never got along. Why was he suddenly acting so nice to me? Gone was his usual sarcastic and insufferable attitude. Now, he was speaking to her with surprising courtesy. Since when had their relationship improved enough for him to invite her to dinner?

“I’m afraid you’ll poison my food,” she said half-jokingly.

“Whatever.” Morty turned and walked into the banquet hall.

Ellis remained where she was, hesitating. In the end, she texted Lois, came up with an excuse, and slipped away to head home.

There was an air of disinterest about Easton, as if he found the event utterly dull. Taylor thought she was imagining things, but the next moment, he stood up and made his way toward the exit. That confirmed it; he was about to leave. She quickly followed, contacting the driver to prepare the car.

Just then, a young man approached, chuckling softly before speaking to him, “Easton.” Taylor tried to figure out who this person was, but Easton didn’t even spare him a glance. He walked past him as if he were invisible. The young man was Morty. But Easton’s complete disregard didn’t seem to faze him in the slightest. Morty simply continued on his way, glancing in the direction where Ellis had been standing moments ago. She was gone. Either she had moved elsewhere or had left entirely.

Taylor wasn’t mistaken. Easton did find the banquet dull. But what exactly was so uninteresting? Perhaps it was the fact that everyone here was too tactful, too considerate, too… well-behaved. Unlike Ellis.

Outside, the driver was already waiting. The moment Easton stepped out, the door was promptly opened for him, but he paused before getting in. The driver was confused. A familiar figure stood by the roadside. Easton’s gaze flickered, and a subtle, nearly imperceptible trace of surprise flashed in his eyes. It was Ellis. She’s here too?

Ellis, meanwhile, was focused on checking the license plates of passing cars, trying to spot her ride. So concentrated was she that she failed to notice anyone around her. A car approached with its hazard lights on, honking a few times. She confirmed the plate number and got in, all within two minutes. In fact, the moment she opened the door, she was facing the hotel entrance. Had she simply lifted her gaze slightly, she would have seen her ex-husband standing there. Their eyes might have even met.

The rideshare car merged into traffic and disappeared from view, yet Easton’s gaze remained, and his brows were furrowed slightly. He was standing in a very open spot, so there was no way she wouldn’t have noticed him. Yet, she didn’t. In the past, he never had to be in an obvious place. Ellis could always locate him with uncanny precision, even in a crowd. She would always appear before him, as if drawn by some invisible force. She didn’t even need to see his face; just the sound of his footsteps was enough for her to know it was him.

Sometimes, he wondered if Ellis had some kind of supernatural ability. How else could she always find him so effortlessly? Now, it was clear she didn’t. He could be standing right in front of her, and she wouldn’t even notice. The contrast between then and now was jarring. So much so that he couldn’t quite adjust to it. The thought repeated in his mind; she didn’t have a supernatural ability. So why did it feel like she did before?

As Easton’s car pulled away, Taylor debated her own ride home. But she couldn’t help glancing at him curiously. The girl who had just gotten into that black car… Isn’t that Ellis?

Taylor had only met the former Mrs. Hudson twice. She didn’t know her well enough to form an opinion. But the human heart was a mystery. She had no idea what her boss was thinking, whether he was still occupied with making amends to Ellis, or whether she herself would need to continue dealing with Ellis in the future.