Chapter 358: The Interview, the Connection, and the Ceiling

Cleveland sorted through the stack of résumés. Among the pile, one photo stood out—a girl with a bright, unforgettable smile. His memory snapped back to last month’s business trip on the cruise. Wasn’t that the same girl Mr. Maxwell had shown interest in? And now she was here, applying to their company? What were the odds?

Remembering Maxwell’s attention toward her, Cleveland took a closer look at Ellis’s résumé. After reading it carefully and cross-referencing HR’s notes, he added her to the second-round shortlist.

With the filtering done, Cleveland brought the selected files to Maxwell’s office and asked respectfully, “Mr. Maxwell, I’ve finished coordinating with HR. You’ve got five interviews this afternoon. Would you like to interview them one-on-one or all together?”

“All together,” Maxwell answered flatly.

“Understood, Mr. Maxwell.”

With that, Cleveland headed downstairs to get things arranged. He also made a point to check in on the applicants waiting in the lounge.

Sure enough, there she was—the same girl he’d seen on the cruise. Her beauty was striking, and even just sitting quietly, she drew attention. He considered saying hello but stopped himself. Fairness mattered, and if HR saw him acting familiar with a candidate, it might look like favoritism.

So Cleveland kept it casual and waited for his boss to come down.

Ellis, completely unaware of this, looked calm on the outside but was mentally checked out. She had zero interest in whatever was happening around her.

Until a voice snapped her out of it.

“All five of you, this way, please.”

HR was calling them. Ellis stood and followed the group into a large conference room. Before the second round started, she’d already been told who the interviewer would be. So when she saw Maxwell seated at the center of the table, she didn’t even flinch. Her body language stayed smooth and natural—just another candidate here for a job.

Maxwell, on the other hand, was clearly surprised. His eyes lingered on her. Ellis met his gaze with quiet confidence and a polite smile. He looked away soon after, and once everyone was seated, the interview officially began.

The Fox Group was a top name in the leisure and entertainment industry. Assistant to the Executive President was a competitive position, and all the candidates brought their A-game—except Ellis, who wasn’t trying to outshine anyone. The other four, though, were determined to stand out.

When the interview ended, all five walked out. Only Maxwell stayed behind.

HR and Cleveland quickly stepped in, waiting for instructions. Maxwell thought back on the five candidates, then picked up Ellis’s résumé again and read through it a few more times.

Former executive assistant at Hudson Group. Former secretary to the president of Tate Group. Holding key roles at two major companies—clearly, she was capable. But something still felt off. He’d met her a few times now, and he could tell she wasn’t some schemer trying to get close to him or use him as a shortcut. But they’d crossed paths often enough that it raised flags. He couldn’t shake the worry that someone in the family might’ve…

12.59 PM

He handed her résumé to Cleveland. “Look into her background—thoroughly.” Then he turned to HR. “Do the standard reference check.” The two immediately understood what he meant. Mr. Maxwell was clearly leaning toward hiring Ellis—assuming the background check came back clean.

Meanwhile, Ellis walked out of the building, found her car, and headed home. As soon as she stepped inside, her phone started ringing.

“Hey, Ellis. This is Cameron Monash.”

He introduced himself before she could even speak. Ellis blinked in confusion. She hadn’t given him her number. How did he get it? And what did he want?

“Why are you calling me?” she asked directly.

“No real reason,” Cameron said, chuckling. “I’ve been trying to reach Maya, but I can’t get through. If you see her, can you tell her to call me back?”

“Sure.”

After hanging up, Ellis was still confused. Cameron wanted to reach Maya—so he went through her? And when did Maya get close with Cameron?

When Maya returned later that evening, Ellis immediately asked, “Be honest—when did you and Cameron get close? He just called me and said he couldn’t reach you, asked me to pass along a message.”

“We’ve worked together a few times,” Maya replied. “I’ve been swamped today, haven’t even looked at my phone.”

“Oh. That explained it.”

Maya was a top lawyer at a major firm. It wasn’t unusual for her to have wealthy clients like Cameron. Work overlap made sense.

Ellis passed on the message and started heading to her room, only for Maya to call after her.

“Ellis, wait.”

She stopped. “What?”

“Upstairs…” Maya glanced up at the ceiling, “I ran into your ex in the elevator. He asked me if I’ve been living here the whole time.”