Chapter 236: Hearts Under the Hood
“Watch yourself!” With those few terse words, Morty turned and walked away without looking back. Victoria had heard the same phrase just over two weeks ago. Both Easton and Morty had warned her to watch herself; she was no longer the influential Victoria she once was in their tight-knit circle of friends—now, she seemed like their enemy.
In that moment, Victoria nearly bit her teeth to pieces in anger. It was all Ellis’s fault! Next time, she vowed to be more secretive, to ensure no one would discover her actions.
Bored and standing by the roadside, Ellis occasionally touched her own face, her ears ringing with fragments of conversations between Victoria and Morty, mixing disgust with nausea.
About ten minutes later, Morty came down. Approaching her somewhat sheepishly, he glanced back at the office building behind him and said, “I’ve warned Victoria. If she dares lay a hand on you again, I won’t let her off easy.”
Ellis felt dizzy, almost deluding herself into thinking Morty was standing up for her, showing blatant favoritism. Yes, favoritism. Between her and Victoria, Morty’s behavior was no longer bizarre or strange. After his recent intervention, she could distinctly feel his favoritism, unlike anyone else’s. His stark change from the past—why favor me? Because his dog liked me, and he loved his dog so much that he showed affection by association?
After pondering for a moment, Ellis asked directly, “You’ve arranged protection for me and even stood up for me, fearing Victoria might strike. What are you after? I don’t have anything worth your trouble.”
Divorced from Easton and stripped of everything, her life was better than most, but compared to Morty, born into privilege, she was utterly powerless and impoverished, with nothing to offer. Even if she racked her brain, she couldn’t understand what Morty was after.
Morty pondered her question seriously. She waited patiently for an answer, but Morty didn’t reply. His gaze drifted, not focusing on her, evasively laden with meaning.
“Is my question that hard to answer?” she pressed.
“Not time to answer yet,” Morty mused, pausing thoughtfully, “When it’s time, I’ll tell you.”
Ellis was left speechless. What difference did speaking make? However, this blatant favoritism was something she felt for the first time; it was truly astonishing. Morty had always been an enigma to her, someone she disliked. Recently, she hadn’t paid much attention to him, yet now, his presence felt surprisingly comforting, a sensation Easton never provided, irresistibly drawing her in.
The conversation ended, and they returned to the car. Morty offered to drive her home, but Ellis shook her head, “No, thanks.” As long as Victoria harbored thoughts of revenge, her home wasn’t safe. Noticing the fleeting sorrow in the girl’s eyes, Morty guessed her reluctance to return home.
“I have a vacant apartment with better security than where you’re currently living.”
Hearing this, Ellis looked up at Morty.
“You’ve already done so much: I don’t want to trouble you further.”
After politely declining Morty’s offer, her gaze swept over the landscape outside the window.
“Then…should I take you to the hospital to check your face?” Her face was still swollen, and Morty thought it prudent to consult a doctor. Another phrase laden with concern. Ellis didn’t turn to face Morty, yet she could imagine the concern in his expression. This overt favoritism was so clear, she almost wished she could hypnotize herself into believing it was an illusion.
At that moment, the compelling emotions faded, and she felt uneasy. She decided not to ride with Morty anymore, pushing the door open and stepping out. Caught off guard by Ellis’s sudden move, Morty followed suit, stepping out into the autumn air, where leaves from the trees along the street were falling.
Ellis gazed down at the leaves on the ground as if in deep thought, but she was actually clearing some fog from her mind, vaguely catching onto the odd and strange reasons behind Morty’s actions.
“Why did you get out of the car?” Morty stood beside her.
“Just go about your business; don’t worry about me.” While speaking, Ellis’s eyes quickly scanned Morty. Under the sunlight, most of his gaze seemed not to settle on her, yet the warmth in his eyes was unmistakable. Such a look was familiar to her. Not because she had seen it from Morty before, but because it reminded her of her past self.
“I’m free today: I’ll stick with you…” Since receiving a call from the person assigned to protect her, Morty’s plan for the rest of the day was to accompany Ellis and deal with the reckless Victoria. Before he could finish, Ellis interrupted him, “We’re not related; you’ve done enough.”
“Should I find someone to stay with you?” Morty took out his phone, inquiring. Waiting for Ellis to nod, he then dialed Maya’s number.