Chapter 233: Under Surveillance

Ellis frowned and couldn’t help but touch her face. Did Morty know her injury was related to Victoria? Even though Morty had asked about how many slaps Victoria had given her, he seemed well-informed.

She shot back, “What, you have a third eye or something? Know everything?”

Morty, somewhat annoyed, said, “I wish I hadn’t asked you the whole day to prevent any injuries.” He added, "to hire a bodyguard; I should’ve just assigned mine to shadow you."

Ellis was baffled by Morty’s comments. Since when did he start worrying about her safety? Are we that close?

As the police continued their questioning, noting down everything Ellis said, one asked, “Did you have any personal disputes with them?”

At this, Ellis shifted her gaze away from Morty and resumed her statement. Morty remained quiet afterwards, not disrupting the process.

Once the statement was finished, another officer came in and announced, “We’ve apprehended those two from Serenity Estate.” It wasn’t just the culprits; the property management had come along too, apologizing profusely to Ellis.

With criminals breaking into the community intending to harm residents, the property management had to accept some blame, as security was part of their job. Ellis understood why they were apologizing; it was just a bid to gain her forgiveness and dodge responsibility.

She ignored the property management, identified the culprits, and then left the police station. Looking out into the expanse before her, Ellis massaged her forehead, plagued by a headache. Is there such a thing as a completely safe place? Can I even go home?

Seeing her distress, Morty asked, “How about not going home just yet? I’ll take you somewhere.”

“Where to?”

“Get in the car.”

In her vulnerable and hurt state, the presence of someone else might bring a sense of security, subconsciously trusting that they wouldn’t harm her. Right now, Ellis found herself unguarded and got into his car.

Soon after, Morty pulled over to the curb, saying he needed to pick something up. Waiting was dull, and Ellis’s eyes roamed, taking in her surroundings to pass the time.

Noticing Morty returning from a pharmacy, she blinked curiously. Unexpectedly, as soon as Morty got back into the car, he handed her something. “Here, use this ice pack on your face; it’ll help you heal faster.”

For a moment, she was as if spellbound. Had he specifically bought an ice pack? After a while, realizing she hadn’t reached out to take it, Morty placed it in her hands.

The coolness of the ice pack in her palm, Ellis looked down at it, puzzled, and asked, “There were things you didn’t tell me at the police station; can you tell me now? And all your strange actions, what’s your angle?”

Morty looked thoughtful. “If I tell you, will you promise not to get mad?”

“Out with it!”

“Since I advised you to be more careful lately, I’ve had someone secretly protecting you, keeping tabs on your movements.”

Ellis fell silent, realizing her lack of sensitivity to her surroundings. She hadn’t felt a thing despite being followed for half a month. But that wasn’t the main issue right now. Morty hadn’t answered her second question about his motives for protecting her.

She thought hard, then finally asked, “Why protect me? What do you gain from it!”

Morty raised an eyebrow. “Not everything people do is about gaining something.”

That made sense to Ellis. But the Morty of the moment was like a mystery box, intensely compelling her to figure out what was really inside him. While pressing the ice pack to her face, she scanned him.

Morty drove normally, catching her gaze and saying, “By the way, the place I’m taking you to? We’re going to see Victoria. She should be confronted with the police: she’s the mastermind behind those thugs.”

If hitting Victoria had been an initial act of defense and this was merely a tit-for-tat response, Ellis was reluctant to involve the police. But Victoria’s retaliation had been vicious, not just a mere slap.

“Not every problem should be handled with—”, At a red light, waiting for green, Morty took a moment to glance at the girl beside him, police intervention.

Ellis found Morty’s remark somewhat cryptic. Not wanting to puzzle over what Morty meant, she focused on using the ice pack on her face. The rest of the ride passed in silence, neither of them feeling awkward.

Arriving at a bustling office park, they exited the car and followed Morty into a towering skyscraper. The skyscraper wasn’t solely occupied by one company; several businesses shared the space, and the management was fairly lax. After a quick visitor check-in at the lobby, a property manager provided them with an access card for the elevator.

As the elevator ascended, Ellis caught a glimpse of Morty, watching the floor numbers change.

“Is Victoria here!”