Ellis’s colleague cast a meaningful glance in Morty’s direction, then winked at her; their envy was unmistakable.

“Do you really think every man and woman who talks is about to fall in love?” Ellis patted her colleague’s shoulder seriously. “Grow up and stop spreading rumors.”

Her colleague’s face stiffened.

Walking past, Ellis glanced back and kindly reminded, “Madam Lois doesn’t like staff who can’t keep their mouths shut.”

Hearing this, her colleague forced a smile. “Ms. Harper, I was just joking.”

Though they appeared to be peers, Ellis was actually a notch above. Smiling, she said, “Jokes are only funny if the other person laughs. If they feel offended, it’s not a joke.”

With that, she walked away from her colleague. After a few steps, she stole a glance at Morty from a distance.

Is it that obvious that Morty was interested in me? How did it seem like everyone could tell?

She scratched her head in irritation and continued with her work. When the event ended, Ellis headed to the elevator, planning to go to the parking lot.

Just before the elevator doors closed, someone else entered—it was Morty.

In the cramped space, they stood less than three feet apart; if she didn’t want to see Morty, her only option was to close her eyes.

Morty started to speak, but she cut him off with a cough. “Mr. Morty, we aren’t that close; could we keep some distance, please?”

“We are keeping it.” Morty looked down, assessing the gap between them.

“Are we really?” Ellis suspected Morty was deliberately being obtuse.

Morty couldn’t be unaware of her resistance. Reflecting on his actions, he wondered if he had been too forward, which might be why she felt the need to talk about maintaining distance.

Morty didn’t verbally respond but shifted away, almost pressing against the wall to show he was trying to keep his distance in the limited space.

In that moment, Ellis truly understood why Easton sometimes seemed to want nothing to do with her. Having someone you dislike this close is truly unbearable—almost nauseating!

She felt it necessary to make her feelings clear, leaving no room for ambiguity.

Carefully choosing her words, she glanced sideways at Morty. “I appreciate your help, but I have no interest in dating right now, and I can’t see myself liking anyone at this stage. I don’t know if—”

It’s always somewhat awkward to be this direct.

Pausing slightly, she continued, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Rejected before he could even confess, Morty’s expression remained unchanged. “1…”

The ding of the elevator announced their arrival at the parking lot. The doors opened, and Ellis didn’t wait for Morty to continue; she walked out.

Morty didn’t follow, and it seemed he had no intention of finishing his sentence. She silently prayed that Morty would find someone else to focus on—there were plenty of other women in the world. He wasn’t her type, and given their unpleasant past, even if her tastes changed, it would still be hard for her to feel differently.

Chapter 277: Too Close for Comfort

Watching her drive away, Morty’s hands clenched slightly.

What was supposed to be a pleasant evening had been upset by Morty’s presence, leaving Ellis feeling queasy.

At an intersection, while waiting for the green light and checking for water in the car to soothe her nausea, a runaway truck hurtled toward her.

In extreme danger, the brain often fails to react in time to move the body out of harm’s way. Her mind went blank, her eyes wide open.

Fortunately, the truck driver frantically maneuvered the steering wheel, gaining brief control and avoiding hitting pedestrians or other vehicles. The truck crashed into a nearby green belt.

The impact was huge, and the truck’s flammable cargo immediately ignited, crackling and bursting into flames.

Being close to the truck, Ellis hadn’t recovered from the initial shock and couldn’t immediately drive away or leave the car to escape the dangerous area.

As she was still stunned, a loud knock came on her car window.

“Ms. Harper, are you alright? Don’t stay here, drive!” a familiar voice urged.

Ellis looked up to see Morty knocking on her window.

Knowing the basics, she realized the truck could explode at any moment. She tried to start the car but found herself too weak to drive. In desperation, she opened the door and got out.

As soon as she stepped out, Morty grabbed her hand and hurriedly pulled her into his car.