Chapter 55: An Unwanted Visit

A few days ago, Morty had mentioned running into Ellis near his home, and Easton had assumed she'd moved into Petal Estates. Now, Morty had seen her there again, confirming her residency. But who was the boy in the photo?

“What was your purpose in taking that picture? And why did you send it to me?” Easton didn’t believe for a second that Morty had taken the picture for fun—or that he’d sent it accidentally.

“I just thought it was strange. Your wife was alone with another man in a house, and they seemed close,” Morty said, his tone casual. “Maybe I was just overthinking it, so I retracted the picture.”

Though his words sounded innocent enough, the message was clear: Ellis was living with another man. Was he implying she was cheating? That she was making a fool of Easton?

The thought barely registered before Easton dismissed it. Impossible. There wasn’t a single man in Stonebridge with better circumstances or more money than him. Given Ellis’s greed and her dependence on him all these years, she wouldn’t be stupid enough to betray him and risk losing everything.

“You’re too bored. Delete the photo,” he ordered. “And send me the house number.”

“Sure, no problem.” Morty quickly sent the address. As for the photo, of course, he wasn’t deleting it.

Work had no mercy; Ellis was finally starting to understand that. Casey had gone downstairs to retrieve something he’d left behind. On the way, he saw her on the balcony and immediately scolded her for slacking off. If she didn’t get back to work, he threatened to report her poor work ethic to his mother.

She wanted to throw something at him. Even a servant deserved a break! She spent all day working at Tate Group, and now she had to babysit a difficult “kid” at night? She might as well become a full-time, never-stopping spinning top!

Forced to abandon her peaceful moment, Ellis grudgingly checked if anything needed cleaning. The house was already well-maintained—probably cleaned regularly by hired staff. Some things were disorganized, but after exhausting herself last time, she wasn’t about to do it again. This time, she used her brain; she hired someone else. Lois had told her that any expenses related to Casey were reimbursable.

While the hired workers tidied up, Ellis relaxed on the sofa, scrolling through a delivery app to stock up the empty fridge with food.

2:45 PM

The groceries had arrived. Excited, Ellis got up and opened the door, only to be met with a tall, imposing figure instead of a deliveryman. Easton.

Her mood soured instantly. Why was he here? Did he know about Casey? She frowned. “What are you doing here?”

Easton didn’t answer. Without hesitation, he stepped inside. Ellis quickly moved to block his path. “I asked you a question.”

He ignored her. His sharp gaze swept across the room, scanning his surroundings. Was he looking for something?

Her patience wore thin. “Did you lose your voice? Who poisoned you?”

Easton finally looked at her, his brows furrowing. “Who are you living with?”

Ellis was baffled. Given her current financial situation, she could barely afford rent, let alone an entire luxury villa. Even if she somehow scraped together enough for rent, she wouldn’t be able to cover the maintenance fees—especially in a high-end community like this. What the hell was he talking about? And why was he even here?

“Who I live with is none of your damn business,” she shot back. “Are you really this bored?”

“So you’re admitting you’re living with someone?” Easton’s eyes darkened as he recalled the boy in the photo. Looking at the spacious house, big enough to accommodate multiple people, his initial sharpness faded, replaced by visible displeasure. “You don’t think before you act. You’re ruining my reputation.”

Reputation? Ellis nearly laughed. Easton cared about his reputation? Did he even have one left? Crossing her arms, she said matter-of-factly, “If you’re really that concerned about me ruining your precious name, then sign the divorce papers. Once that’s done, we can go get the certificate finalized.”

“Other than throwing tantrums about divorce, is there anything else you know how to do?” Easton sneered, towering over her effortlessly. “Being stubborn won’t get you anywhere.”

“Better than you—who can’t get hard anywhere,” Ellis shot back without hesitation.

Easton’s expression darkened. Ellis smirked. Taking advantage of the moment, she pointed toward the door. “Get out.”

“Whether you bought this place or rented it, you used money from our marriage. That means I have a legal right to be here,” he said smoothly, stepping forward, using his height to his advantage as he loomed over her.