Chapter 621
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Tonight, Ellie had finally taken the initiative. She called Alex to thank him, invited him to dinner, and even offered to return his repaired pants. But he turned her down flat. Now, karma was biting him in the back.
Back in his bedroom, Alex couldn’t sleep. He picked up his phone, hesitated, and then finally sent Ellie a message.
The next morning. Ellie saw the message Alex had sent her at 4 am. She didn’t reply. Today, she had to pack up some essentials and move them to the new house.
She also needed to finish setting up the kids‘ rooms so they could move in soon. The daily hour–long commute to drop the kids off at school and get to work was becoming too much.
Around eight in the morning, just as Ellie stepped out of her door, Alex called. “Why didn’t you reply to my message?” Alex sounded displeased.
“I was busy,” Ellie replied.
“I’m convenient today,” Alex said.
“I don’t have time today,” Ellie replied.
Both fell silent. Then Alex hung up the phone. Another tantrum!‘ Ellie thought, unable to suppress her frustration.
An hour later, Alex returned to his office after the morning meeting, his face stormy. Two executives who came in to report nervously avoided eye contact, silently pleading with Chris for help.
“Mr. Warren, these are the new heads of the sales department.” Chris stepped in, trying to ease the tension.
Alex snapped out of his thoughts, forcing down the frustration as he focused on work. About twenty minutes later, the two executives left the office. Alex stood up, took off his suit jacket, and tossed it onto the couch in the lounge area.
He asked Chris, “A while ago, when your girlfriend chased you around the street with a kitchen knife threatening to break up, how did you smooth things over?”
“What?” Chris was caught off guard by the sudden question.
Alex, visibly annoyed, tugged at his shirt collar and headed towards the liquor cabinet. Realizing what was happening, Chris looked embarrassed. “Mr. Warren, this isn’t something I can talk about!”
Alex asked, “What’s there to hide?”
Chris adjusted his glasses, reluctantly responding, “It was everyone–my parents, my sister, my aunt, my cousins–all helping to persuade her. I just didn’t fight back or argue.”
Alex leaned against the liquor cabinet, clearly skeptical. “That simple?”
Chris said, “If all else fails, just hug her, kiss her, or, you know… do that. That usually works.”
Alex asked, “Do what exactly?”
“Uh…” Chris stammered, feeling the pressure. “Mr. Warren, if you’re having a fight with your girlfriend, just swallow your pride, apologize, and maybe give her a kiss or a gift. Most of the time, that’ll smooth things over.”
Chris, feeling cornered, blurted out a mix of advice, some genuine, some not. “Apologize and kiss her?” Alex admired his own reflection in the mirror surface of the liquor cabinet, carefully adjusting his hair.
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05:02 Mon, 3 Mar
Chapter 621
As the workday neared its end, Carl invited Alex to join him at a bar.
“No, I’m heading home to sleep,” Alex declined, his mood still sour.
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At the Zerikith, Unit 7, as Alex entered the elevator, he saw Ellie struggling with two large boxes. Their eyes met, and Ellie paused. As the elevator doors closed, Alex pulled her inside.
Alex shoved his hands into his suit pockets, looking down at Ellie with a stern expression. “Mr. Warren?” Ellie hadn’t expected to run into Alex here and greeted him first. To her surprise, Alex snorted and turned away.
Ellie was confused. She shifted the boxes in her arms, her view partially blocked. She could sense Alex’s reluctance to engage, so she moved to one side of the elevator, giving him space.
The elevator continued to ascend, and after waiting for a while without hearing anything from Ellie, Alex turned back around. Seeing the two large boxes towering above her head, he said nothing but reached out to take them.
“Which floor?” Alex asked, his face still grim.
Ellie replied, “Nineteen.”
Alex hesitated, then asked, “Visiting a friend?”
Ellie answered honestly, “No, I’m moving in here.”
Alex turned his head away, seemingly amused. Ellie thought she heard him chuckle and looked up at his back. “What are you laughing at?”
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