Chapter 303: Intentions

Morty asked with confusion. “I don’t interact with Ellis that much. What exactly did I do to upset you?”

Morty’s reaction seemed normal, but Easton knew the face he was putting on now differed from the one he’d worn when he sent that photo, publicly discussed his divorce with Ellis, and even claimed she wasn’t good enough for him. Easton frowned slightly. “Are you playing dumb? Have you forgotten what you did?”

“I’m not pretending. I just don’t understand,” Morty smirked. “Enlighten me.”

“Cut the crap. Do you think I don’t know what kind of person you are?” After being childhood friends for so many years, Easton could easily see through Morty’s act. He was pretending not to understand on purpose. “You know exactly what you’ve done.”

“In what way, exactly?” Even when caught, Morty maintained his smile. “Easton, you’re acting a little strange. Ellis is already divorced from you. Her life or death has nothing to do with you, so why are you so concerned about her? Why do you care who she interacts with?”

“Her life or death instantly transported Easton back to the day the kidnappers called him for ransom. That day, he had used the exact same words: ‘Tell Ellis that whether she lives or dies, I don’t care.’ Stop playing these stupid games.”

He thought the call from the kidnappers was just another one of Ellis’s schemes. His constant perception that she loved playing such tricks had made him fail to act immediately. As a result, she was injured by the kidnappers, hit on the head, and even passed out, ending up in the hospital.

For the first time since then, a question surfaced in his mind. When the kidnappers called him, was she there, listening to what he said?

He had never thought much of his own words, but hearing Morty repeat them now made him see them from a different perspective. If she had heard them that day, how would she have felt?

She was fine now, so what did Morty mean? Was he cursing her?

His thoughts spiraled, momentarily putting aside Morty’s words to focus on that day: After the kidnappers fled, they dumped Ellis and Victoria in some random place. Looking back now, he could still vividly recall what he saw when he found them.

Ellis looked fragile, her face completely drained of color. The first thing she said when she saw him was, “I’m not dead.”

Then, she spoke again, “Let’s get a divorce.”

He hadn’t taken it seriously at the time, brushing it off. But she meant it. After waking up in the hospital, she remained firm in her decision. She had even asked Maya to draft the divorce papers.

At first, he had thought she wanted a divorce simply because he hadn’t saved her in time. But now, he realized he had overlooked something. She must have been terrified and helpless during the kidnapping.

When the kidnappers called him, she was probably hoping he would come to save her right away. Instead, he relayed his words to her.

Wasn’t that just too cruel? The more he thought about it, the tighter Easton’s brows furrowed.

Morty and Cameron, standing beside him, had no idea what he was thinking. His expression had shifted from dark and stormy to filled with regret.

Cameron wanted to speak up, but this was between Morty and Easton. There was no place for him to intervene. If he said the wrong thing, he might just make things worse. He could end up offending both of them, and if they lashed out in frustration, he’d be the one who suffered for it.

Morty, on the other hand, remained patient and didn’t interrupt Easton’s thoughts.

A moment later, Easton pulled himself back. He looked at Morty coldly.

“Divorce doesn’t mean we have nothing to do with each other anymore. It doesn’t mean we won’t get back together. Sooner or later, Ellis will return to me and become my wife again.” He pointed at Morty’s phone on the table. “You tried to sow discord between us. Do you think I’m stupid enough not to notice?”

With that gesture, he silently referenced the photo Morty had sent. Morty felt a flicker of regret. That move had been a terrible one. Because of it, Ellis wouldn’t accept him, and Easton had seen right through his intentions. But Easton wants to get back together with Ellis?

Morty’s focus zeroed in on that information. “Easton, you misunderstood. I never tried to come between you and Ellis. We’ve been friends for years. With our bond, of course, I want you to be happy and find a wife who truly matches you.”

“Who Ellis is or isn’t worthy of is none of your business,” Easton sneered. “You don’t have the right to say.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to listen to you; it’s just that I can’t,” Morty replied. “My company and Ellis’s company have a business partnership, so…”

“So what?” Easton cut in. “Everything leaves a trace. Do you really think I wouldn’t find out why you two have been in contact?”

Easton had already looked into the collaboration between Nexus Group and Titan Group. He wasn’t surprised that Ellis and Morty had regular work-related interactions.

What was strange was that Morty had gone beyond that, acting like he was close to Ellis. Close enough that it felt inappropriate. There was something off about it.

Their familiarity had supposedly developed because Ellis needed to provide services for Lois’s son, Casey. Casey just so happened to be Morty’s neighbor, so with Ellis frequently visiting Petal Estates, she had naturally grown close to Morty.