Chapter 177: Who’s Avoiding Whom?

Ellis gritted her teeth, tempted to punch her ex-husband in the face. “You act like running into me is the worst luck imaginable, so why the hell are you sticking around now? Not unlucky anymore?”

“Drop that habit of insulting me every time you open your mouth.”

“Why should I? If I want to curse you out, I will. Not like you can stop me.”

“You can, but it’s a waste of breath. Nothing you say will change anything. Save your energy.”

Compared to being ignored, Easton didn’t mind if Ellis cursed at him. But if she kept it up, she was bound to wear herself out. And… he didn’t want her to storm off.

Ellis saw the way he was looking at her—like he was doing her a favor. She laughed. Not because she thought it was funny, but because she was pissed. So now she was supposed to thank him? Thank him for reminding her to save her energy?

The laughter disappeared as quickly as it came. She glared at him. “You’re seriously messed up.” Like, need-to-be-hospitalized levels of messed up.

Without another word, she turned away from him, cutting off eye contact. But the moment she looked ahead, she noticed Lois and Mary eyeing them from a distance. She wanted to pretend nothing had happened, but Easton, being completely oblivious—no, scratch that. On purpose, he shifted even closer. Was he trying to get on her nerves?

She smacked the back of his hand before he could brush against her fingers. The touch was brief, but her warmth lingered, along with the faint scent that was uniquely hers. Easton found himself rubbing the back of his hand absently, as if trying to hold onto that warmth.

Silence settled between them. He didn’t try to reach for her again, but that didn’t mean she was willing to tolerate his presence. Lois had given her a reason to stay here, not to sit next to her ex-husband. And he just kept hovering in front of her like an annoying fly. Enough was enough. She stood up, ready to leave. But Easton had anticipated it.

“Instead of running around trying to avoid me, why don’t you just stay put? I’ll be leaving soon anyway.”

He wasn’t lying—he had urgent business to handle at the office and wouldn’t be here much longer.

Calling him insane wasn’t even satisfying anymore. So he was just as bad as Morty. Another one of those people with too much free time. They really did say birds of a feather flock together. But she wasn’t going to sit around just because he told her to. She got up and left.

For the second time today, Easton watched her retreating back, feeling not just annoyed, but irritated. He only wanted a few more minutes with her, and she was running away like it was a matter of life and death. Like being around him was unbearable. The cool autumn breeze drifted through the air, but it did nothing to calm the frustration building in his chest. Why the hell did Ellis act like she had to avoid him? And in the middle of trying to figure that out, he overlooked a more important question. Why did he want to spend more time with her? Playing golf with her boss and leaving with a stomach full of anger. What a first…

This time, Ellis was smarter. Unless Lois specifically called for her, she was staying out of sight. Lois didn’t summon her until two hours later. By then, Easton was gone, but a new person had joined her boss. When Lois introduced her, Ellis put on her most professional smile.

The client, Hailey, studied her for a moment, as if recognizing her name. Then she asked, “Isn’t the president’s wife of Hudson Group also named Ellis Harper?”

Ellis’s smile froze for a split second. Or maybe… she should be asking if it was possible to be Hudson Group’s former president’s wife?

“Hailey,” Mary cut in, subtly pulling her a little farther away and lowering her voice. “Ms. Harper was the president’s wife. She and Mr. Easton are divorced. It’s a done deal.”

Business was business. If someone had a scheme, chances were others had already thought of it too. Mary was kind enough to warn Hailey before she started plotting ways to use Ellis as a connection. The moment Hailey heard that, she immediately dropped the idea. Her expression didn’t change, but her thoughts shifted. Smart businesspeople didn’t waste time on useless investments. And more importantly, they didn’t make enemies they didn’t have to. The tides could turn at any moment—someone who was insignificant today could be untouchable tomorrow. So Hailey pretended she had never asked the question in the first place and continued as usual. Ellis noticed. But being a professional meant knowing when to act like nothing had happened.

By the time she and Lois got in the car to return to the office, Ellis was mentally exhausted. As she was about to zone out, Lois suddenly spoke.

“Not used to it?”

Ellis blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

“People love to suck up to the powerful and step on the weak,” Lois said lightly. “You’ll run into this again.”

Ellis understood exactly what she meant. She gave a small smile. “Thank you for your concern and advice, Madam Lois.”

She had been raised by Emma, introduced to high society, married into the Hudson family, and then left with nothing after the divorce. Her twenty-four years had been one giant rollercoaster ride.