Chapter 176: The Ex Who Won’t Leave

“Thank you, Madam Lois.” Ellis immediately picked up on the underlying meaning of Lois’s words and took a step forward. Before she could take another, a tall, broad figure blocked her path. Easton. Towering over her, he looked down with those dark, unreadable eyes, clearly up to something. Did he want to make a scene in public and embarrass them both?

She clenched her jaw, holding back her temper, and tried to walk around him. Easton’s brows furrowed slightly before he reached out and grabbed her wrist—deliberately.

“I’ll go with you.”

His tone was light, but Ellis immediately caught the defiant edge beneath it. Her expression shifted. She didn’t have time to glare at him properly before she noticed Lois and Mary watching them, their attention drawn by Easton’s actions. To avoid making a bigger scene, she simply shook off his hand—not too hard, not too soft—and walked toward the pavilion on her own. Easton followed.

She cursed him in her head at least eight hundred times and picked up her pace. Watching the two of them leave one after the other, Lois and Mary exchanged confused glances. Once they were sure no one else could hear, Mary spoke in a normal tone, “You really went all out hiring Hudson Group’s boss’s wife as your secretary, huh?”

Given Easton’s wealth, power, and status, every little move he made had a ripple effect. The rumors about him had been endless lately, so much so that Mary had lost track of what was true or false. Now, seeing Easton trailing behind Ellis, and Ellis clearly acting like she wanted nothing to do with him, Mary was starting to think the gossip was nonsense. Maybe Easton and Ellis had never divorced in the first place.

“I didn’t go all out. Ellis’s salary isn’t that high,” Lois corrected. Ellis had told her directly that the divorce was real, but bringing it up now felt too much like gossip, so she left it at that.

“Still, you’re making a fortune—hiring a high-value employee at such a low cost!” Mary’s real envy wasn’t about Ellis as an employee. It was about Lois’s potential access to Easton. From a business standpoint, Hudson Group was a behemoth, still in its prime expansion phase. One didn’t need to be Easton’s best friend—just a simple connection to him was enough to secure a lucrative deal. When Ellis had applied for the job, Lois and her business circle had all thought the same thing—Ellis could be a useful bridge.

But Easton wasn’t an easy person to approach, and Ellis was no longer Mrs. Hudson. Her leverage was limited. Lois lightly swung her golf club. “Let’s focus on the game and stop worrying about other people’s business.”

Mary immediately caught the hidden meaning. Golden opportunities to profit off high-value connections didn’t always come for free. And even if they seemed free, sometimes the real cost depended on how much another person was willing to give. Still, she wasn’t ready to let go of the idea just yet. “So, should we go over later and chat with Mr. Easton and his wife?”

Easton was too powerful to ignore. Every time she saw him, her business instincts kicked in. If there was a shortcut to…

“We won’t be chatting with them,” Lois reminded her, voice light but firm. She was practically spelling it out—Easton hadn’t entertained their conversation earlier out of politeness or interest. He only tolerated it because Ellis was working under her.

“If you push too hard, you’ll only embarrass yourself.”

“I get it!” Mary said, though she was still tempted. “Then let’s set up another gathering and invite Mrs. Hudson. I’d like to get to know her better.”

This time, Lois didn’t hold back. She glanced toward the pavilion, where Ellis and Easton were seated, and lowered her voice. “Ms. Harper isn’t Mrs. Hudson anymore. There’s no point in cozying up to her.”

Mary was stunned. “You’re not joking?”

“I’m not.”

Mary stared at Ellis and Easton from a distance, observing their expressions and body language. “They don’t look divorced.”

Being harassed by an ex-husband was truly exhausting. Ellis was thoroughly annoyed. They had both gone their separate ways—why couldn’t he treat her the way she treated him? Like she was invisible? Like she didn’t exist? It was such a simple concept. But no. Instead, Easton had to keep bothering her. And this wasn’t the first time.

She glared at the man sitting beside her, her tone sharp. “Do you even know what it means to be a proper ex-husband?”

She looked like an angry kitten, trying to act fierce but failing miserably. Her eyes were round and bright, her cheeks puffed slightly with irritation, completely unaware that her attempt at intimidation had zero effect. Easton’s gaze lingered on her face, taking in every detail.

“I know your definition,” he said slowly. “But unfortunately, the world doesn’t revolve around you.”