Chapter 374: You’re Not My Puppet Master

Seriously, what was he doing? Just bored out of his mind? Did he really think he could control her like some puppet on strings? That he could just tell her what to do, and she’d go along with it!

“Wait,” Maya said, counting on her fingers. “You’ve only been at your new job two days, right? And he’s already trying to butt in?”

“Exactly,” Ellis huffed, flopping onto the couch. “He’s so damn annoying.”

“Is your job still safe?” Maya asked, clearly more worried about her friend’s paycheck.

“Hard to say.” Ellis didn’t know what Easton’s next move would be.

He was arrogant enough to think he knew what was best for her, and he loved blocking her path forward whenever he could. She had a strong feeling he’d go to Maxwell and try to pressure him—just like he once did with Lois. Business people followed profit. If Maxwell thought hiring her would cost him, he’d probably do exactly what Lois did and show her the door.

Having been married to Easton felt like some cursed fate. No matter what she did, she couldn’t escape his shadow.

“He said he’d come find you again tomorrow, didn’t he?” Maya muttered. “Maybe I’ll just come home super late tomorrow. Like, almost midnight.”

Ellis and her ex alone together didn’t seem dangerous, but if she stayed home during their conversation, she’d just be a third wheel hovering in the middle of a battlefield. It wasn’t like they were flirting, but it still felt awkward.

“It’s fine,” Ellis said with a shrug. “I’ll just go out. He wants to drop by? Let him. I won’t even be here.”

If he had his tactics, so did she. When people got their minds right, there were always more solutions than problems. No need to make life harder.

“You could crash at my place,” Maya offered.

But that just made things worse. If Ellis didn’t come home, and Easton came knocking, he’d turn to Maya next. Then she’d be stuck either lying to protect Ellis, or spilling the truth and feeling like a traitor.

“He knows where you live,” Ellis said with a groan. “Forget it. I’ll just stay here.”

Running around avoiding him was exhausting. If Easton insisted on showing up, fine. Let him. She could block him herself.

Maya could tell her friend was completely burned out by the drama. She didn’t blame her.

As quitting time approached, Cleveland kept sneaking glances at Ellis, who was totally locked in on her work. Whatever his suspicions about Maxwell’s interest in her, one thing was undeniable—Ellis was a damn good hire. She was sharp, driven, and clearly the kind of assistant Maxwell needed.

There was no doubt in Cleveland’s mind that she’d be staying late again. So he walked over and dropped a stack of files on her desk.

“If you can finish these tonight, great. If not, tackle them tomorrow.”

Ellis blinked. “Excuse me?”

Wasn’t he the one who just yesterday told her not to overdo it?

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