Chapter 69: From Lockpicks to Lipsticks

Ellis breathed a long sigh of relief, now free from the terror of Easton's forced entry. Meanwhile, stepping out of Ellis's rented house, Easton looked toward the locksmith still standing outside the door. The lock was open; why was he still there? Did he expect something?

Just as Easton was about to frown, he remembered he hadn't paid him yet. His gaze briefly rested on the door lock before he calmly ordered, "Install a lock that's not so easy to pick."

Being in the locksmith business, the man was used to all sorts of clients. He'd seen it all before—those who rush inside to check their homes and forget to pay him. So, he patiently waited outside, expecting payment when the client returned. Hearing the new request, and since installing new locks wasn't in his usual services, the locksmith immediately responded, "Sure! What kind of lock would you like, sir?"

"The best and most expensive one."

"No problem!"

After giving the instructions, Easton pulled out his phone to transfer payment. But upon opening WhatsApp, a friend request verification popped up—the one he'd sent using Ellis's phone.

At that moment, he felt unusually perplexed. What am I doing tonight? Why should it bother me that Ellis removed me from her friends list and blocked me? Whether she did or didn't, having one more or one less friend on WhatsApp doesn't matter. Why do I feel annoyed enough to come to her place? She would eventually unblock him and beg him to add her back. This was an unnecessary waste of his time.

The locksmith, displaying the payment code and seeing no transaction from Easton, who was still staring pensively into the house, began to reassess the situation. Easton was more handsome than most celebrities, obviously dressed in expensive clothes. Even though he was in a modest neighborhood, his remarkable presence remained undiminished—a clear sign he wasn't short of money. Is he hesitating over the cost? The locksmith wondered if he should offer a discount. Just then, the payment notification on WhatsApp confirmed the transaction was successful.

The locksmith beamed, "Thank you, sir!"

Without a word, the client headed towards the elevator. Wasn't he here to get into the house? Watching Easton leave by elevator, the locksmith was puzzled.

Equally baffled was Ellis, who had intended to turn off the lights and go back to sleep. But then, strange noises from outside prompted her to quickly get up and put on a jacket. Surely Easton hadn't stuck around?

As she stepped out of her room, she saw a middle-aged man intently working on her door, with a younger man standing beside him. The scene was bizarre and confusing. She recognized the younger man—it was Easton's driver!

Frowning, she asked, "What are you doing to my door?"

Seeing Ellis emerge, the driver's confusion cleared instantly. So Ellis lived in Sunshine Estates, and his boss was here looking for her. Initially, he had been puzzled when, after leaving Sophia's place, Easton changed the destination to Sunshine Estates and had him find a skilled locksmith.

Eventually, Easton ordered him to supervise the locksmith changing the locks.

"Mrs. Hudson, Mr. Easton asked me to oversee the lock change," the driver explained.

"What?" Ellis doubted her ears. "Changing the locks?"

"Yes," the driver nodded. Easton had enough free time to order a lock change!

Ellis rubbed her forehead in disbelief. "Where is he now?"

"Mr. Easton has gone back," the driver said, not entirely sure.

Easton had taken the car keys, so it was just a guess. As long as Easton wasn't here, Ellis didn't care about the lock change. She went back to her room, intent on getting used to locking her door. Easton picking her lock, barging into her home, and waking her from a deep sleep was still chilling to recall. Couldn't he stop being so frightening?

She was supposed to sleep until morning but, startled awake, she had a fitful rest, her mind groggy. She wasn't sure if she had slept at all until Sophia called.

"Ellis, it's the weekend. Do you have time to see me today?"

Faced with Sophia's question, she really wanted to say she was busy, but since she had previously mentioned being free on weekends, she amended, "Mom, I'll come over in the evening."

"Come earlier if you can," Sophia urged. Sophia wanted Ellis to visit primarily to mend the relationship between her son and Ellis. Her son's prenuptial agreement, which had stopped the scheduled payments to Carly from the foundation, was sheer folly. She couldn't let her son turn his life into a mess.

"Okay, Mom, I'll come early," Ellis promised, waiting for Sophia to hang up first, then continued to lie in bed, idly passing time to shake off the fright from last night.