Chapter 352: A Knock That Never Came

As the building manager walked out of Ellis’s apartment, he was already on the phone with the upstairs tenant.

“Mr. Wright, don’t worry. We’ll take care of everything. It won’t hold up the sale of your unit.”

The second the door closed behind him, Ellis slammed it shut and turned, ready to crawl right back into bed. But just as she moved, her eyes flicked to the full-length mirror by the entryway—and her feet froze.

In the reflection, she saw herself in loose, wrinkled pajamas. Her long, waist-length curls, unbrushed from lying in bed too long, were a messy disaster. At first glance, she looked like someone who’d just escaped a psychiatric hospital. If I did go crazy, it’d definitely be because of that damned ex-husband. He was so annoying. Annoying enough to make her want to dig a hole and bury him in it. That way, she’d finally get some damn peace and quiet.

Ellis’s best friend had insisted on living alone, but Maya never quite felt at ease with it. Still, her friend wouldn’t listen, and there wasn’t much Maya could do about it. Today, while running errands nearby, she figured she’d drop in to check on her. But the moment she entered Serenity Estate, she spotted a car with the license plate 4999999 parked haphazardly to the side. The number alone was eye-catching, and the car was clearly a luxury model. Maya had a feeling she’d seen it before. Before she could recall exactly where, the driver stepped out. It was a man. A familiar man. Her best friend’s ex-husband.

Easton was here to see Ellis? Wait—scratch that. That wasn’t even a question. It was a fact. Maybe he didn’t notice anyone around, or maybe the distance was just far enough, but Easton didn’t spot her. He headed straight for Building A, the same building Ellis lived in. Maya immediately called her.

“Ellis, your ex is here. He’s on his way up. Do not open the door!”

When Ellis first rented her place at Serenity Estate, she’d chosen the complex for its privacy—high-end, with only one unit per floor, and elevator access restricted to your own level. A setup meant to keep unwanted visitors like Easton away. But soon enough, she realized that didn’t matter at all. She could live in a standalone villa, and her ex would still find a way.

Ellis rubbed her temples, exhausted. “It’s fine. Doesn’t matter if I open the door or not.” Given the pathetic state he was in lately, even if they were face to face, it wasn’t like he’d do anything. At most, he’d talk too much—ask her a bunch of nonsense—and if she didn’t answer, he’d insist she had to. What did he think she was, a walking encyclopedia?

“I’m downstairs. Should I come up?” Maya hesitated, wondering if she should arrive right after Easton just in case her friend ended up dealing with him alone.

“Wait a bit before coming. Hit the grocery store next to the complex and grab me something to eat?”

Ellis didn’t want Maya to get caught in the middle while she was stuck arguing with her ex. And the stuff he said? Embarrassing. She was already bracing herself for secondhand cringe and didn’t have the energy to put on her usual emotional armor.

“Okay.” Maya understood and spun on her heels, heading for the supermarket. She took her time, dragging out the errand as long as she could.

After the call, Ellis sat back and braced herself, waiting for the doorbell to ring. But one minute passed. Then ten. Then thirty. A whole hour went by, and her ex never showed. Didn’t Maya say he was on his way up? It didn’t take an hour to go up one floor. Ten minutes at most. So where the hell did he go?

The sound of the door opening startled her. She whipped her head toward it in alarm. Thank God it was just Maya—her heart finally stopped racing. If Easton had just let himself in, when she hadn’t even opened the door? That would’ve been terrifying.

Maya was carrying a huge bag of food. She walked over and asked, “Where’s that creepy ex of yours? Did he leave?” She’d delayed as much as she could. Any longer in the store and she wouldn’t have been able to carry everything she bought.

“He never came.” Ellis raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“What?” Maya frowned, thinking it over. “But I’m pretty sure I saw his car still parked out front.”

“His car?”

“Yeah.”

Maya was her closest friend—loyal to the core. She had no reason to lie. Ellis believed her completely but still found it weird. Easton had come to Serenity Estate over an hour ago. If he wasn’t here to see her, then what was he doing?

She still had the text he’d sent her yesterday. She pulled it up and read it again. She had no idea why he was suddenly so desperate to prove he hadn’t cheated with Victoria. But this was the second time he’d tried using so-called evidence to win her over. If he wanted her to believe it, why not just ask her directly if she’d listened to the recording?

Maya, now curious, leaned over to peek at her phone screen. “Recording? What recording?”

Ellis said it like she was telling a joke. “Easton sent a voice recorder through the building manager. It’s a recording of Victoria trying to vouch for him, saying he didn’t cheat.”