Chapter 387: Avoidance and Assumptions
Talking about your boss at work? Never a smart move. Ellis didn’t respond to Cleveland’s comment. But Cleveland didn’t need her answer to keep going.
“I’m being reassigned soon. You’ve got to get up to speed. If Mr. Maxwell assigns something to me that I have to pass to you, that extra step’s gonna slow everything down.”
Ellis understood what he was getting at. It wasn’t just about efficiency; adding a middleman raised the risk of miscommunication. Cleveland was worried that something would slip through.
She returned the jar of coffee beans to the shelf and said, “Aren’t you busy?” She tried to steer the conversation away, but Cleveland wouldn’t let it go.
“Just think it through. Did you mess anything up this week? You don’t want Mr. Maxwell forming the wrong impression.”
He’d been reassigned because Maxwell wasn’t satisfied with him—and Ellis had come in as his replacement. But in her first few days, Maxwell had clearly been happy with her. So what had changed this week? Something felt off. Cleveland had been trying to figure it out. Was Ellis slacking? Had Maxwell started regretting hiring her?
Ellis took the advice for what it was. But the truth was, she didn’t have much to review. She hadn’t been there long. Her assignments were few, and she hadn’t slacked off at all. Most importantly, Maxwell wasn’t refusing to let her work—he just wasn’t assigning her anything directly.
She answered honestly: “There’s nothing to review. If there’s an issue, it’s not something I’ve picked up on yet.”
Her calm, unbothered tone made Cleveland sigh with a mix of admiration and envy.
“Not surprising. You used to be a rich guy’s wife. No wonder a change in your boss’s attitude doesn’t shake you.”
Ellis didn’t feel like talking anymore. Being Mrs. Hudson was like carrying a criminal record—no matter how she tried to move on, people wouldn’t stop bringing it up. If he hadn’t been a coworker, she’d have clapped back already.
After finishing his coffee, Cleveland paused at the door and added, “If Mr. Maxwell gives you something to do, I’m not relaying it anymore. You go straight to him. And keep an eye on how he reacts.”
That part stuck with Ellis. She hadn’t been at the company long enough to afford being on thin ice. If Maxwell really had an issue with her, losing this job could stain her résumé—and possibly hurt her chances at her next one. She couldn’t let that happen.
So an hour later, when Cleveland messaged her about work, she headed straight to Maxwell’s office.
“Mr. Maxwell.” She greeted him as she entered, carefully watching his expression.
Maxwell clearly hadn’t expected it to be her. He paused for a second. Then his face returned to its usual calm.
“Where’s Cleveland?” He wasn’t sure if he could call himself a gentleman. But one thing was clear—he wasn’t immune to temptation. Ever since accidentally catching a glimpse of her that day, the image kept popping into his head. He’d been avoiding her, and even now, he felt that same tension building.
He’d asked for Cleveland. Yet she showed up. A small crease formed between his brows. Reading people’s moods was one of the most basic skills a good assistant needed. Ellis didn’t need the job to teach her that—she’d learned it long ago from dealing with Easton. Years of tiptoeing around his moods had made it second nature.
So when Maxwell frowned right after asking for Cleveland, she caught it immediately.
Great. Don’t tell me he really is unhappy with my work?
She spoke up. “Mr. Maxwell, Cleveland was busy. But if you have work, I’m happy to handle it.”
“Tell him to come in.”
So much for that. Ellis turned around and left to go get Cleveland. She didn’t say much, but Cleveland noticed her slightly frustrated look and asked, “Didn’t go well?”
Ellis ignored the comment and just waved for him to follow. “Mr. Maxwell wants you.” Then she headed back to her own desk.
Cleveland scratched the back of his head, confused. Of course, he knew Maxwell wanted to assign work through him. That was the whole point of sending Ellis in the first place—to cut out the extra step. So why was I still called in? Could it be… I’m not getting reassigned after all? But that seemed unlikely. If Maxwell didn’t want to move him, he wouldn’t be using Ellis as the point of contact in the first place. So why avoid her now! Did something happen between them that I missed? Is that why Mr. Maxwell doesn’t want to face her directly?
Cleveland stepped into Maxwell’s office, a bit unsure of himself.
“Mr. Maxwell…”
Now that it was Cleveland and not Ellis, Maxwell finally relaxed. The tension that had been riding him all week quietly slipped away. He handed over a file and gave instructions.
Cleveland reeneridad with a mick “Car ir” bur internallu kis mind un eselne with a deve (This final sentence appears to be corrupted and unintelligible.)