Chapter 344: Confrontation at Dusk

Rumors were always present, and some were not without basis—they arose from certain actions of the people involved, which were then exaggerated. Seeing Taylor not immediately accepting the command, Easton’s eyebrows slightly knitted. “Can’t do it?”

“No,” Taylor waved her hand, “it’s just that the rumors are probably all over the company, and with Victoria coming and going freely, and you personally receiving her whenever she arrived, so…”

Rumors, while still rumors, had a grain of truth beneath them; this truth stemmed from the way Easton treated Victoria. Taylor spoke diplomatically, and Easton understood completely.

So, the whole world thought he had an affair! Everyone except him! Easton remained silent, casting a cold glance toward the door. Getting Easton’s drift, Taylor slipped away as if on greased heels. Usually keeping to herself and not indulging in gossip now proved a major advantage. If Easton really decided to root out the rumor-mongers, the company would shake to its core, and some people would be in big trouble.

“Wait.”

Just as she was a step away from the door, Easton suddenly called her back. Taylor turned stiffly, her face slightly ingratiating as she asked, “Mr. Hudson, do you have any other instructions?”

“Send an informal notice that anyone who fabricates stories behind my back, causing harm to my reputation, will be fired immediately! Those especially prone to making things up, prepare for a lawsuit and legal accountability!”

Easton enunciated each word with clarity, issuing the command slowly. Feeling as if on the battlefield, Taylor quickly responded, “Yes, Mr. Hudson.” Stepping out of Easton’s office, Taylor took a deep breath, thankful once again for her discretion.

Lying in bed for too long inevitably led to stiffness and aches, and Ellis struggled to get up. As she was about to stretch her limbs, Maya called, “Ellis, I made a mistake.”

Confused, she asked, “What mistake?”

“The things sent to me, it seems only the supplements were from Easton, nothing else was,” Maya paused for a few seconds, then added, “Actually, the supplements didn’t even arrive.”

Ellis initially thought she might have unjustly scolded Easton, but then she reconsidered; scolding him was justified—even if he never learned from it, at least it was cathartic for her.

“It seems the items weren’t even meant for you; they were for me.”

Chapter 344: Confrontation at Dusk

“I haven’t figured it out yet.”

“Let me know when you do?”

After some small talk, the call ended, and Ellis ordered takeout. After eating, she went back to lying in bed, adhering to the principle of lying down whenever possible. However, during her recovery, she wasn’t completely idle; she kept an eye on job postings, looking for the right position and company.

At home, she was comfortable, but Easton was not. Over the past few days, he wondered. Nearly everyone thought he had an affair, but what about Ellis? Did she think he cheated? She had never accused him of cheating or forbidden him from seeing Victoria, among other things. Yet, once he started thinking deeply about it, his thoughts spiraled into chaos, though one clarity remained.

Given Ellis’s fiery temper, her approach to Victoria was surprisingly less fiercely protective than it was with other women who might threaten her position as Mrs. Hudson; instead, she seemed disinterested and detached. But one question lingered. Why had Ellis slapped Victoria? No matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t find a clear answer. Easton desperately wanted to confront Ellis directly.

Unfortunately, Ellis hardly ever left her house, locking herself away, making it impossible for him to encounter her outside. To meet her inside would mean entering her home uninvited, which he couldn’t do. Just seeing her had become a challenge, and he massaged his throbbing forehead.

After submitting resumes to several promising companies, Ellis received an interview invitation and finally left her house after over a week, spending an entire afternoon preparing for it. When she emerged from the interview building, dusk was falling. Due to a shortage of parking spaces at the office building, she had to park some distance away. Unfamiliar with the area, she bent over her phone, ready to follow the map’s directions.

“Ellis.”

A familiar male voice seemed to come from above her head. Without looking up, Ellis knew it was Easton speaking. In a city as vast as Stonebridge, with a population over twenty million, the odds of bumping into Easton were slim unless he was tracking her movements—staking her out!

Her face showed undisguised disdain as she briefly glanced at Easton, her eyes signaling him to stay as far away as possible and not to bother her. Easton had become so annoying that she was starting to lose the desire to even scold him.