Chapter 224: Chasing Shadows

Ellis ignored Morty’s driver and took a cab home. Unbeknownst to her, a car followed her taxi all the way to her apartment complex.

Upon arriving safely at the front gate, a young man in a suit approached her as she exited the cab. “Hello, are you Ms. Harper, Ellis?” he asked.

Ellis took a cautious step back. “I’m not her; you’ve got the wrong person.” With that, she dashed toward the complex.

The young man ran after her, creating a chase scene. Unexpectedly, a Rolls-Royce parked near the entrance, and the man inside, his eyes dark and deep, watched the unfolding events.

The young man was gaining on her, calling out, “Ms. Harper, please don’t—”

Hearing this, Ellis ran even faster. Unable to outrun the young man, who was clearly faster, he blocked her path.

Finding herself in a dangerous situation, Ellis quickly pulled out her phone to call the police. Just then, the young man, gasping for breath, said, “Ms. Harper, your upstairs neighbor accidentally dropped something on your balcony and is desperate to get it back. I tried contacting you during the day, but couldn’t reach you.”

Ellis, taken aback, almost called the police. Could he be from property management? She scrutinized him. “Are you with the property management?”

“Yes,” the young man nodded. A resident on the 13th floor had been pressuring the property management to contact Ellis to retrieve their item. He had checked Ellis’s registration details and called several times during the day, but no one answered. He had planned to call again in the evening, but seeing Ellis return, he decided to ask if he could enter her apartment. However, Ellis denied her identity and ran, causing him to chase her until he was nearly out of breath.

“Can you prove you’re from the property management?” Ellis felt like a startled bird, needing to be extra cautious. “Just a moment…”

Before the young man could finish, another male voice interrupted. “What is it?”

A very familiar voice; Ellis looked in the direction of the sound. What she saw was a sharply handsome, cold face. It was Easton! Such bad luck! She immediately averted her gaze, pretending to forget she was talking to the property management employee, and walked away without looking back.

“Hey, Ms. Harper!” the young man called after her.

“Who are you? What are you trying to do following her?” a cold, imposing voice came from the newcomer.

The young man, sensing hostility, shivered slightly and explained, “I’m with Serenity Estate property management; Ms. Harper’s upstairs neighbor asked me to contact her.”

“Property management?” Easton scanned the young man skeptically. The young man, maintaining a calm and professional demeanor, asked, “Sir, who are you? Which building do you live in?”

As someone unfamiliar, and given the high property management fees, the company had a duty to prevent strangers from entering unchallenged, or else they would face complaints and dissatisfaction from residents, potentially leading to their replacement.

Not a resident of Serenity Estate, Easton pursed his lips and remained silent. He was here purely by chance; perhaps drawn by some mysterious force, he had stopped his car just as Ellis was getting off work and heading home. Seeing her running hastily, eager to shake off the young man, he decided to get out of his car to take a look. Just briefly watching her relieved some of his chronic insomnia.

Meanwhile, Jess, coming out of Building C, humming a tune and cheerfully preparing to go out, glanced ahead and spotted a familiar figure near the complex entrance—Easton. Should I greet him? Suddenly, the image of Victoria hitting Ellis a few days ago flashed through her mind.

Deciding to sneak away quietly, not letting Easton see her, Jess tiptoed back stealthily. However, it was already too late.

Easton called out her name aggressively, and Jess turned around with a frightened smile. “Mr. Hudson…” Pleasing him was futile; Easton’s cold gaze bore into her, tinged with anger. Jess froze, unsure whether to walk away or continue speaking.

Easton strode over, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, his lips pressed into a thin line. Then he slowly asked, “What are you doing here? Did Victoria send you?”

The video Maya sent him showed Jess was also there.