Chapter 27: Auntie’s Trap
Ellis tugged at the door with all her strength, but it wouldn’t budge. She bit her lip in frustration. Did Auntie really care about me? She prepared a feast for me, only to lock me up afterward. Wasn’t attending the party enough? What more did she want from me?
After making sure Ellis was secured, Emma returned to the grand hall, where the party continued. In Ellis’ absence, Victoria acted as if she were the only lady of the house. She greeted guests with an air of self-importance; her pretentious behavior was almost nauseating to watch.
Emma picked up a glass of wine and, with an air of grace, walked behind Easton and Victoria. Then, as if by accident, she pretended to slip her hand, and the wine splashed across Victoria’s white mermaid gown, staining it with a deep violet blotch. Victoria nearly screamed; her perfect gown was ruined.
When Emma turned around, she found Victoria glaring at her. Meeting Victoria’s hostile gaze, Emma remained poised and calmly instructed the butler, “Miss Victoria’s dress is dirty. Take her to my dressing room and help her find a new gown to change into.”
Even if Victoria was blind, she could tell that Emma’s actions were intentional. As the butler moved to take her away, Victoria quickly clutched Easton’s arms and pouted, “Easton, did I do something wrong? Emma doesn’t seem to like me very much today.”
“Do you even have to ask?” Emma wasn’t buying into her innocent facade. “Miss Victoria, it’s important to have self-awareness, and even more important to have respect for oneself.”
After delivering her veiled comment, Emma stared at Victoria’s hands on Easton. Catching the underlying message in Emma’s words, Victoria’s expression shifted. Her lips returned to their original shape as she said earnestly, “Aunt Emma, is there some misunderstanding? Please just tell me, and I’ll explain and apologize.”
From the moment Ellis arrived at the party, Emma had clearly displayed hostility toward Victoria. To Easton, who was observing, his aunt’s hostility was quite baffling.
Not wanting to waste any time, Emma signaled the butler to quickly take Victoria away, whether she was willing or not. As Victoria was reluctantly led out, she glanced at the hand Easton had just pulled out of her grasp and shot a few glares in Emma’s direction.
With Victoria gone, Emma picked up two fresh glasses of wine from a servant. She handed one to Easton, keeping the other for herself, and sighed, “We’re so lucky to have you in the Hudson family. Because of you, we were able to keep moving forward.”
When her nephew first became her son-in-law, one thing Emma was particularly pleased with was that Easton was the most outstanding among the descendants of the Hudson family. With him around, the Hudson family’s success was sure to remain strong, and that meant her wealth and status would be preserved too.
Easton had a lot to drink and wasn’t in the mood for more wine. But as Emma was sipping on her glass, he unconsciously mirrored her actions, downing half the glass before even realizing it and eventually finishing it.
He placed his wine glass on the table, looked directly at his aunt, and said, “Let’s skip the pleasantries; we’re family after all.” But what he really meant was for her to stop with the flattery and nonsense.
Emma understood the situation and stayed silent. She glanced in her father’s direction and headed…
In the brief seconds it took her to turn around, her eyes sparkled with the joy of success.
Locked in the room, Ellis couldn’t figure out what Emma was up to, no matter how much she pondered it. She couldn’t leave the room the usual way, and she didn’t dare to jump down. There was no way I’d risk jumping out of an eighth-floor window; I’d die if I tried that.
She decided to just give up and lie on the couch, maybe Emma would come to her senses and let her out. Not long after, an uncomfortable wave of heat washed over her, slightly irritating her. It was like the air conditioning was malfunctioning; it was barely cooling the room at all.
To make matters worse, her tight dress added to her discomfort. The longer she wore it, the more suffocated she felt. Fortunately, some of her personal belongings were still in the room, so she removed her makeup and headed to the bathroom for a cold shower.
The cold water relieved her, calming the heat that had been bothering her. The tension inside her melted away, and she no longer felt the urge to punch someone.
After washing her hair, Ellis stepped out of the bathroom, running her fingers through her half-dried hair. Her long hair extended to her waist, and she often found it a hassle to dry it after washing, so she often let it air dry out of sheer laziness.
It’s so hot out; should I consider getting a shorter cut?
Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that the door had been unlocked. As she contemplated whether to lie on the bed or the couch, the familiar sound of footsteps echoed through the room. Her eyes snapped up in an instant.
Easton is here! He stood before her, looking down at her with a cold expression, obviously displeased, and said, “Ellis, are you really going to pull the same tricks on me again? Is this fun for you?”
“Huh?” Ellis was caught off guard. I didn’t do anything, she thought. I was simply brought here by my auntie to attend the party. Was it wrong for me to be here? Had I interrupted Easton’s time with his beloved? Was I the reason Victoria might be upset with him?
She turned her head to the side, refusing to acknowledge Easton’s question.