As soon as Ellis saw ‘Morty’ flash on her screen, she didn’t hesitate to swipe and reject the call. She fundamentally disliked Morty, and now with Zion getting involved, she found it all the more troublesome. In terms of being a nuisance, Morty was second only to Easton. Why can’t these guys find someone else to bother? I’m scared—cough—of them messing things up for me.
Morty didn’t call a second time after his call went unanswered, feeling a slight sinking in his heart. Just when things were starting to look up, Zion had ruined it, and it all stemmed from Easton. But he knew he couldn’t rush things; the more he pushed, the more Ellis would be repelled. The world grew quiet, and Ellis’s mind, once cluttered, cleared completely. She drifted off to sleep without realizing it and entered a deep sleep, forgetting all about her planned wash-up.
Her barely enjoyable time in Kyrador was in stark contrast to Victoria’s frantic distress back in Stonebridge. Her family’s rapid downfall felt like a rollercoaster that was impossible to stop. Her parents weren’t constantly sighing, but their foreheads grew darker by the day, a sign of utter desperation.
Seizing an opportunity, Victoria caught Easton right at the entrance of the Hudson Group headquarters.
“Easton.”
Remembering Easton’s repeated warnings, Victoria didn’t dare address him as her brother anymore. Blocking his path, she dropped all pretense of her wealthy upbringing, only showing desperation and squeezing out tears. “Take it out on me, not my family. My parents…”
“I haven’t laid a finger on your family,” Easton interrupted coldly. “With the state your family’s in, they don’t need me to do anything. You’re giving your family too much credit and me too little.”
“An indirect strike is still a strike,” Victoria knew Easton hadn’t directly intervened. But his indirect actions were a significant blow to her family, signaling to everyone that the Brooks family had angered Easton, causing those who might have helped to back away.
“So, you’re here to beg?” Easton scoffed.
Once upon a time, he might have held a bit of childhood friendship for Victoria, a sliver of goodwill. After seeing her true manipulative nature, he had no friendly feelings toward her, especially since she had crossed his lines.
“Do you think begging will make me soften?” A mocking smile played at his lips. “I warned you. You didn’t listen. Today, you’re paying the price.”
With her company shut down and her family’s assets plummeting into debt, Victoria was cornered with only one option left—to plead with Easton. She gritted her teeth and harshly slapped herself.
“I was wrong to seek revenge on Ellis. I shouldn’t have…”
1/2 1622 Tue, Mar 26 WI Chester 110 The Perks of First class; 59% Finished
…dance from Easton, the security guards at the entrance stepped in to block Victoria from coming any closer.
No matter how much Victoria pleaded or cried, Easton never looked back at her. It seemed predestined by the gods that the Brooks family’s downfall, which began with the broken engagement years ago, was now being realized.
After getting into his car, Easton repeatedly checked his phone. He hadn’t changed his number, and he was sure Ellis knew it by heart. Yet he couldn’t receive a call from her, nor any messages or emails. Of course, he knew that expecting such contact was wishful thinking at this stage. Could she just answer my call? Let me hear her voice?
He had realized before how torturous longing could be, but now he found something even more agonizing—knowing from Lois that she had taken a month off to rest and had traveled to Kyrador, yet he couldn’t reach out to her. Knowing her temperament, if he spoiled her vacation mood, she’d be furious.
What to do? Suddenly, an idea struck him.
When Ellis woke up lazily the next morning, the hotel staff called with some news.
“Ms. Harper, we apologize for any inconvenience these past few days. To show our hotel’s sincerity, we are offering you a complimentary upgrade again.”
She was already in a luxury suite; what more could they upgrade her to? She raised an eyebrow. “To which room?”
“The presidential suite,” the staff replied.
Ellis wasn’t often in hotels; as Easton’s secret lover, she used the card he gave her for such expenses. Returning to ordinary life didn’t mean she was unaware of what a presidential suite cost. From a standard room costing barely over a hundred dollars a night to a presidential suite starting at ten thousand a night, it wasn’t just a leap in quality but a staggering bargain. This hotel isn’t usually fully booked, but are they really this generous?
“Thanks for the generous offer! However, I’m checking out today, so no need for the upgrade.”