Chapter 370: Why the Hell Are You Still Here?

Easton was all over the place lately, but the one thing that never changed was how self-centered he was. He never once considered things from her point of view—and it pissed her off to the point of blacking out.

Maya instinctively pulled out her phone. “Hang on. I’m gonna call the cop who checked in on you at the hospital last time.”

“Why?” Ellis asked, puzzled.

“I wanna ask about Victoria.”

“What’s she got to do with tonight?”

“A lot.”

Since Maya was mid-call, Ellis didn’t interrupt. She just waited for her to hang up.

As soon as the call ended, Maya turned to her confused best friend and said, “The evidence is solid, and Easton didn’t go easy on her either. Victoria’s going to prison for sure.”

“And?” Ellis still didn’t get the point.

“His first love is going to jail. What if that’s what made him realize how good he had it with you? And now he wants to get back together, so he’s clinging to you and trying to act like you never divorced?”

“My good?” Ellis slumped like a deflated balloon, all her energy gone.

What the hell was so great about her in Easton’s eyes? What did he miss having her wait on him hand and foot? Please. With his money and status, finding someone even more obedient and devoted than she had been wouldn’t exactly be hard.

She rubbed her throbbing temples. “I can’t think of a single thing he’d miss about me.”

Looking back on their time together, she couldn’t recall one quality of hers that Easton had actually appreciated. It wasn’t about low self-esteem—just reality. She’d loved him so blindly she’d lost her identity, turning into a lifeless puppet who orbited his every move like her existence revolved around him.

“You might not see it, but maybe Easton does,” Maya said thoughtfully. “Maybe… just maybe, somewhere along the way, he actually started to feel something for you. And now he’s realizing it.”

“What, like he fell for me over time?” Ellis let out a dry laugh. “And he’s just now figuring that out?”

She’d known Easton for years and never—not once—saw any sign that he might feel that way. His one true love was himself.

“Yeah, that’s what I meant,” Maya replied.

“Don’t joke like that,” Ellis said, the humor gone from her voice. “If a man doesn’t know what he feels until after the marriage ends—if he needs a divorce to realize he cared—then I don’t want him.”

And that’s assuming he never even cheated with Victoria during the marriage.

“Then why is he so obsessed with remarrying you?” Maya muttered. “It doesn’t make sense. He’s fully dropped his first love, he’s all in on you, and even after you’ve shot him down a million times, he still won’t give up. Why?”

“Back to square one,” Ellis groaned. “I have no idea!” She grabbed a throw pillow beside her and started punching it like it was Easton’s face. “Maybe he’s just bored and looking for a hobby.”

“That’s a pretty weird hobby,” Maya muttered, passing her another pillow for punching. “Anyway, it’s your first week back at work. Don’t stay up late stressing. Go take a hot shower and get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning.”

Chapter 370: Why the Hell Are You Still Here?

“God. I hope so.” Ellis really didn’t want to carry this rage into tomorrow.

Meanwhile, upstairs—

Easton was in his study, running a late-night video call with his senior management. The dinner event had been a detour—he didn’t expect much from it—but instead of feeling satisfied, he felt even more unsettled. There was work to finish, and something even more urgent: getting Maxwell’s background checked.

Sure, Ellis had taken this job for the paycheck, but Maxwell’s status and looks were no joke. They were working together every single day. It was only a matter of time before something happened between them.

Easton gave the order, and Taylor wasted no time. In minutes, he’d dug up Maxwell’s entire life history and sent it straight to Easton’s inbox.

Easton opened it immediately. As he scrolled, his brow tightened more and more. Suddenly, everything clicked.

Ellis used to be glued to his side, wary of every woman who came near him—afraid someone would take her place as Mrs. Hudson. Back then, he thought she was annoying.

Now? He got it. Because now he was doing the same thing. Watching her, afraid someone else would take her away.

When something mattered to you, you guarded it with everything you had. She’d wanted to keep her role as Mrs. Hudson. And now, he wanted to make sure no one else could take her away from him. Especially not Maxwell.