Chapter 390: The Truth and the Apology

“It’s not at the firm—I already checked!” Maya looked like she was ready to flop onto the floor and give up. “Forget it. If I lose the first trial, I’ll just go for the appeal.”

“You’ve got this,” Ellis said, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat.

“Ellis… men ruin everything,” Maya said dramatically, staring out into the night. “I got drunk one time, blacked out, and now I can’t even remember where I put that damn piece of evidence.”

“There was only one copy? No backup or archive?”

Her own ex-husband was proof enough.

“There wasn’t time,” Maya muttered with a bitter laugh. “I’m so screwed.”

“You’re not. One case doesn’t make or break your career.” Ellis rolled up her sleeves. “What does the evidence look like? I’ll help you look.”

Maya described it in detail, praying Ellis would be the one to find it.

They tore the place apart. Almost flipped the apartment upside down—and still nothing.

Just as Maya sat there looking like a defeated little eggplant, the doorbell rang.

Ellis glanced at the screen before opening. Easton.

What the hell? We just saw each other. Why is he back again?

She didn’t want to open it, but she also didn’t want to deal with him standing out there pressing the bell every ten seconds.

The doorbell rang again. When she didn’t move, Maya looked over.

“Who is it? You not going to open it?”

“It’s my annoying ex-husband,” Ellis said flatly.

Maya didn’t even blink! She’d seen enough of Easton’s nonsense to be desensitized by now. She didn’t offer advice either. Ellis could open the door or not—her call.

If she did, Maya was heading straight for her room.

On the screen, Easton stood pressing the bell again. This time, though, he didn’t look so composed—he actually looked tense.

Ellis rolled her eyes but opened the door.

“What do you want now?”

She didn’t even finish the sentence before something dark blocked her vision—and suddenly, she was enveloped in warmth that definitely wasn’t hers.

She froze, completely thrown off.

“Sorry!” His voice came from above.

She blinked and looked up. Easton’s shoulder was right in front of her. His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist.

He hugged me? Seriously?

This wasn’t the first time Easton crossed a line. She should’ve been mad. But his apology—genuine and unexpected—made her pause.

She tilted her chin and stared up at his face.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

She told him to go figure out who actually drugged him. And instead of doing that, he came here… to hug her?

His eyes met hers, filled with something she wasn’t used to seeing from him. Regret.

“Sorry,” he said again, even more seriously this time.

Ellis narrowed her eyes. “If you’re going to apologize, then say what the hell you’re apologizing for. Don’t play guessing games with me.”

“I’m apologizing for accusing you of drugging me.”

There it was. Wait. What?

She blinked again, confused. “You already found out who really did it?”

Suddenly aware that Maya might overhear, she shoved him away, stepped into the hallway, and locked the door behind her.

Now they were alone.

“I was wrong. I’m sorry,” Easton said, facing her directly.

Ellis stared at him like he’d grown a second head. What the hell is happening? Is this some alternate universe?

This man—cold, arrogant, self-righteous—was apologizing. For real.

She’d spent years under the weight of that accusation, blamed, shamed, humiliated. And now he wanted to say sorry?

For a second, she wanted to scream at him. Call him every name in the book. But what’s the point? No apology can undo that kind of damage.

She crossed her arms and stared him down.

“So? Who actually did it?”

“I found out it was my uncle. Shawn.”

Ellis’s expression didn’t change, but something in her eyes flickered.

Of course. Shawn Hudson. Dirty, manipulative, power-hungry bastard.

“The inheritance fight was brutal,” Easton said quietly. “Every uncle and cousin I have was ready to do whatever it took to cut me out of the race. Drugging me was just one option.”

Ellis didn’t respond. Her jaw clenched.

All this time, I’ve carried the blame for something I never did. I took the hits, and he just stood there, letting me drown in it.

Now the truth was out. But that didn’t mean it made things better.

She didn’t want forgiveness. She wanted…