Chapter 26: Behind Closed Doors

Emma kept her smile, but her tone shifted to something colder. “Easton, stay here with your grandfather. I’m going to check on Ellis. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Easton glanced at Emma in acknowledgment. He wasn’t too concerned about whether his aunt was actually going to see Ellis or what she planned to do when she found her. He simply figured it wouldn’t be long before Ellis came looking for him anyway.

Once Emma left the hall, she began to look for Ellis. She knew that “resting” was just an excuse for Ellis to find an escape. In a quiet room far away from others, Ellis lay on the couch and tried to calm her emotions. She muttered scoldings under her breath, cursing both Easton and Victoria.

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Ellis was startled and immediately looked toward the entrance. Emma walked in with a displeased face and immediately shut the door behind her.

“Ellis Harper, get up right now!”

The humiliation she felt earlier still weighed heavily on her, but she knew better than to resist. After all, it was her foster mother who had forced her to attend the event in the first place. Out of respect and gratitude for the woman who had raised her, Ellis reluctantly stood.

“You’re Mrs. Hudson now. Isn’t it improper for you to be hiding away in here instead of being by Easton’s side with his grandfather?”

Before Ellis arrived, Victoria had claimed the role of Mrs. Hudson as if it were her birthright, practically declaring her ownership of Easton to the entire world. She constantly reminded Scott how grateful she was to Easton for saving her life, stressing how she could never repay such a debt, all with such an annoying tone that would irritate anyone.

“Auntie, I’ve already embarrassed myself enough today. Could you… could you please not give me a hard time right now?” Ellis hesitated for a few seconds before voicing her plea.

“Embarrassing yourself is one thing, but losing the title of Mrs. Hudson? Now that would be a disaster,” Emma said sternly.

Ellis fell silent, thinking how she might escape and make her way home.

Realizing that scolding Ellis wasn’t going to get them anywhere, Emma softened her expression, offered a warm smile, and said, “I heard you haven’t eaten anything today; you must be hungry, right? Let me have someone bring you something to eat.”

Seeing how Emma cared for her, Ellis felt a trace of warmth in her heart.

“I am a little hungry,” Ellis said, rubbing her flat stomach. “Thank you, Auntie.”

Emma nodded and promptly left the room to give instructions to the chef.

About half an hour later, Ellis was greeted with a table full of delicious dishes. Emma re-entered the room and joined her, filling her bowl with food.

“Look at you; you’ve lost weight recently. Your face was already slim, and now your eyes look even bigger and tired. Those kidnappers are to blame for all of this! You should eat more to nourish your body. Here, drink this soup; it’s specifically made to replenish women’s health. You have to drink it.”

Emma handed her a bowl of steaming soup. As Ellis drank it, the warmth spread through her body, and for a moment there, the tension in her heart eased up.

Maybe, in time, Auntie will accept my decision to divorce Easton.

“Are you full?” Emma glanced at the empty bowl in Ellis’s hands, her thoughts seemingly elsewhere. “If you are, come with me to Easton’s room. Don’t stay here in the guest lounge alone. I don’t want anyone to see or hear anything that might invite gossip.”

“Auntie, I’ve rested enough. I’d like to go home,” said Ellis. She understood Emma’s concern for appearances, but the thought of possibly running into Easton in his room filled her with dread. If they were alone in the room together, it could easily escalate into another fight.

“What’s the rush?” Emma stood up and said, “Come take a walk with me. I’ll help with our digestion.”

“Alright.” Ellis didn’t want to make things difficult with Emma, so she agreed.

After a walk through their secluded little garden, Emma suddenly mentioned needing to go upstairs to get something, leaving Ellis with no choice but to follow.

What Ellis didn’t expect was for Emma to press the button for the eighth floor when they stepped into the elevator. The ninth floor, the highest in the building, housed Scott’s room, while the eighth floor was entirely Easton’s.

Ellis had a vague sense that something wasn’t right. As they stepped out of the elevator, she glanced at Emma and asked, “What are you looking for, Auntie?”

“I’ll let you know when I find it,” Emma replied, with her eyes scanning the hallway.

Ellis followed Emma’s lead, but before she could process what was happening, Emma grabbed her hand by force and, with the other hand, opened the door to Easton’s bedroom. At that very moment, two maids appeared out of nowhere. Still in confusion, Ellis barely had time to react before Emma shoved her into the room. She stumbled and hit the floor hard.

“Close the door and lock it!” instructed Emma.

Ellis scrambled to her feet and said, “Auntie, what are you doing?”

Emma didn’t respond. As the door closed, Emma’s cold expression remained vividly imprinted in Ellis’s mind.

Ellis felt a flicker of panic and pounded on the door, “Auntie, you can’t just lock me in here like this! What’s going on? What are you trying to do?”

“I’m making sure that you get plenty of rest! Oh, and don’t forget to freshen yourself up before you head to bed,” said Emma, finishing her instructions before quickly heading downstairs.

“Auntie! Auntie! Let me out!”

The footsteps outside gradually faded into silence, and Ellis knew that no matter how much she called, Emma wouldn’t respond.