Chapter 371: Who the Hell Gave You My Code?

Ellis had made it very clear—she wasn’t taking a single cent from Easton, let alone a job he arranged. If she found out he was messing with her job prospects like before, cutting off her income, she’d explode on the spot. And after that! She’d want nothing to do with him even more.

But watching her spend every day working closely with Maxwell? That wasn’t something Easton could just accept, either. The thought alone gave him a pounding headache.

After last night’s incredibly awkward scene, Ellis felt more than a little embarrassed showing up to work today. All Easton’s fault, obviously—turning her into a total public joke.

Thankfully, Maxwell didn’t act any differently. It was like nothing had happened. He gave her tasks like usual, completely normal.

And Cleveland? He had a bunch of work to hand over and wanted her to get up to speed fast. With her full focus on the job, she didn’t even have time to keep feeling embarrassed.

Before she knew it, the sky had gone dark. She was still deep in work, not even realizing how late it was, until Cleveland knocked on her desk.

“Mr. Cleveland? Something wrong?”

He glanced out the window. “Ms. Harper, it’s past working hours.”

Yesterday was mostly orientation, but today had been a storm of real work. She had no illusions of finishing it all in one day—but she figured she’d stay late, maybe an hour or two.

After telling Cleveland her plan, he stared at her for a second. “There’s just one thing…”

Ellis was about to ask what, but he cut her off. “You don’t have to go so hard on day two,” he said. There’ll be plenty of time to kill yourself later—Maxwell’s a workaholic, after all.

Cleveland didn’t say that part aloud, and Ellis didn’t pick up on the implication. She blinked, confused. Wasn’t this a good thing? She was doing him a favor, right?

She remembered him saying he’d be reassigned once she got the hang of things. Once that happened, she’d be the only one working directly under Maxwell. She needed to show she could handle the job.

“You go ahead,” Cleveland said, motioning for her to continue before heading out. Ellis turned her eyes slightly, watching him leave, and felt an awkward twinge in her chest.

From what she’d gathered, the role Cleveland was being transferred into was technically on par with hers—but in reality, it came with less power. A demotion, basically.

Sure, at first glance, it might seem like she was the reason he got pushed out. But anyone with a brain could see Maxwell had already made up his mind. Even if Ellis hadn’t gotten the job, someone else would have. It wasn’t about her. So Cleveland’s attitude didn’t matter.

Not long after, she was back at it like nothing happened. When Maxwell left his office, he spotted her still glued to her screen, typing furiously.

He was the second person to mention leaving work. When it came to the boss, of course, Ellis couldn’t treat him the same as a colleague. So, she said with a polite smile, “Just wrapping up a few things.”

“Alright. Keep it up.” And with that, he left, not wanting to interrupt. As he stepped into the elevator, he caught one last glimpse of her through the slowly closing doors.

He thought back to the awkward scene at the dinner and found himself… curious. Easton clearly wanted to remarry her. Ellis could have easily gone back to her cushy life as Mrs. Hudson, living in luxury, doing nothing. But she didn’t. She chose to work. To support herself. That kind of woman deserved respect. He couldn’t help thinking, hiring her had definitely been the right…

What kind of return did Lois get when Ellis worked for her at Tate Group?

Maxwell left the building just as Ellis finally shut down her computer. Maybe it was the good sleep she got last night, or maybe it was the drive to prove herself in a new place—but she didn’t feel tired at all.

She drove home, parked in the underground garage, and hopped in the elevator, humming a little tune as she got to her door. Then her smile vanished.

Sitting right there in the entryway, like a statue carved from expensive marble, was a face she absolutely did not want to see.

“You broke into my apartment. That’s a crime,” she snapped, stepping inside with ice in her voice. She pointed at the door. “Get the hell out.”

“I didn’t mean to break in,” Easton said, glancing at the lock. “I just guessed your usual password and… it worked.”