Chapter 393: Change of Plans

Ellis resisted the urge to turn back and go home. Instead, she forced herself to drive to work as usual. The second she sat down at her desk, Cleveland showed up, looking more serious than usual.

“Good morning, Ms. Harper.”

That tone and expression? Never a good sign. She didn’t let it show on her face. Smiling lightly, she asked, “Morning, Mr. Cleveland. Something up?”

“There is.”

“Go ahead.”

“It’s just…” He hesitated, frowning slightly. “Mr. Maxwell’s schedule has changed. He’s heading out on a business trip starting tomorrow for a week, and someone needs to go with him.”

“And?” Ellis glanced around and lowered her voice. “You can speak plainly.”

“I can’t go. Would you be able to take my place?”

Cleveland really couldn’t go. His child had been hospitalized with a high fever last night, and his wife was overwhelmed trying to manage it alone. The doctors wanted to keep the child under observation for at least a few more days.

Ellis didn’t answer right away. This wasn’t about her being unwilling—it was about office hierarchy. If Maxwell personally assigned Cleveland to go, then she couldn’t just agree to replace him without permission. That would be stepping out of line.

“I assume you’ve already spoken with Mr. Maxwell?” she asked politely.

It was a nice way of saying: Don’t make me do something behind the boss’s back. I don’t make the rules.

“He hasn’t arrived yet. I saw you came in early, so I figured I’d ask you first.”

“Then…” She glanced toward Maxwell’s office. “Let me know what he says.”

She had no real opinion either way. But she wasn’t dumb enough to jump ahead of the chain of command.

“Alright.” Cleveland nodded and left.

Once alone, Ellis opened up the travel schedule and scanned through it. As the assistant, arranging travel plans was her responsibility. But she’d only just finalized the itinerary for the week—and now it was all useless.

Maybe I should just quit early, she thought. Maxwell clearly didn’t like her. And if she was constantly one step away from being fired, what was the point of sticking around?

Still, she shook off the irritation and focused on work. But barely an hour passed before Cleveland returned. She didn’t even have to ask—his face said it all.

“Ms. Harper,” he said, “Mr. Maxwell wants to see you in his office.”

Then he left without another word. Ellis let out a silent groan.

No wonder Maxwell wanted to replace him. The guy had no sense of timing. Still, Cleveland had been helpful and professional toward her, and for that, she owed him some respect.

With a sigh, she got up and walked over to Maxwell’s office. She knocked.

“Come in,” came his voice.

She stepped inside. “You wanted to see me, Mr. Maxwell?”

Even if she was planning to quit, she still had to do her job properly. No sense burning bridges.

Maxwell, for his part, had already trained himself to keep his expression neutral around her. Even so, his eyes flicked slightly away from her chest as he spoke.

“Cleveland isn’t available to travel this week. I want you to come with me instead. Pack your things—we leave tomorrow.”

Ellis blinked. That was… unexpected. How did Cleveland convince him? And if Maxwell disliked her as much as it seemed, why would he agree?

She stared at him for a second longer, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Maxwell avoided her eyes. “Is it a problem?”

Snapped out of it, she smiled politely. “Not at all.” Then she added, “Where are we going?”

“Bexford.”

That was all she needed to know. No further questions. She nodded and left the office, then headed straight to Cleveland’s desk. If she was going to travel with her boss, it was on her to handle all the logistics—transportation, lodging, everything.

Cleveland, thankfully, didn’t hesitate to send her all of Maxwell’s travel info. She skimmed through the files.

Wait. He’s my age? She double-checked. Yep. Maxwell was the same age as her. Huh. Never would’ve guessed. He gave off such a mature vibe—she assumed he was two or three years older at least.

After arranging all the bookings, it was suddenly noon. Ellis stretched, feeling the beginnings of sleepiness settle in. She figured she’d grab something from the cafeteria and keep powering through.