If he hated her spit so much, she'd make sure to cover him in it until he was absolutely miserable. But Easton said nothing. He just stared at her, completely still. She had no idea what he was planning. Trapped in a small space with him, knowing he had never treated her fairly, she briefly worried he might actually hit her. Then again, Easton wasn't the kind of man who would stoop so low as to hit a woman. That thought calmed her down. He had seen many sides of her, but lately, all he saw was her complete resistance toward him. It wasn't like before when she would throw tantrums but still secretly crave his attention. Now, there was only defiance. His brows furrowed even deeper. "What the hell are you staring at? Keep looking, and I'll gouge your eyes out," Ellis snapped. She hated the way he stared at her, especially with that deep, unreadable gaze. It made her uneasy. Gone were the days when she foolishly thought that every extra glance from him meant he might start caring about her, might even fall for her.But Easton ignored her warning and kept staring, watching her like an outsider observing a performance. She knew this look all too well. It came with a faint sense of humiliation. People are greedy. When they can't have the person they love, they dream of someday winning them over. And when they finally do, they start hoping for love in return—hoping that person will cherish them, and will care for them the same way. She had been lucky in one way—she had at least gotten the man she loved. But fate had denied her his love, giving her only humiliation in return. Most of the time, that humiliation came from his cold indifference. She had spent years desperately trying to get him to notice her, to care even a little. Even though it was all in the past, the emotions still stung. Ellis turned away, pretending to admire the scenery. Once they left Petal Estates, he could drop her off wherever the hell he wanted. She had long legs and money—she could take a cab home. But then, as she watched the road ahead, she noticed something strange. They were heading toward the Hudson family estate. The car didn't take her inside, though. It stopped at the entrance to the villa community. Easton was the one who told the driver to stop. His gaze flickered toward her, the meaning behind it unmistakable. I meant what I said. The day you walked out of the Hudson family's doors, you lost the right to ever step inside again. She was nothing to him. Just someone he despised. He wouldn't regret driving her out, not for a second. She lifted her chin, refusing to let him see her falter, and stepped out of the car. She knew the car doors had an automatic closing function, but that didn't stop her from wanting to slam it shut just to vent her anger. Just as she was about to do so, Easton turned his head slightly, glancing at her. "You have nothing to say?" His posture was composed, his sharp profile visible. But even without looking at him fully, she could feel the same condescending air he always had when speaking to her, like he was offering some kind of benevolent gift. She had never understood why, no matter what, he always looked down on her—always regarded her with that superior, dismissive attitude. Was she a beggar in his eyes? She wished, more than anything, that one day, someone would break that arrogance of his. That someone would make him kneel, force him to experience what it felt like to be utterly powerless. She wished he would lose everything and be at the mercy of others, relying on someone else's pity to survive. "What is there to say to someone like you?" she shot back. "You may have nothing to say, but I do." Easton stepped out of the car, standing before her. "Don't let me see you with that guy again. If I see another photo, if there's even a whisper of me being cheated on—" he paused, then lowered his voice, enunciating each word, "You. Better. Watch. Yourself." The double standard was staggering. Ellis was amazed.So he could cheat on her as much as he wanted, but the moment someone so much as hinted that she might be unfaithful, he lost his mind? Even if the accusation was baseless, did he still feel the need to threaten her? "Watch myself?" She took a step back, meeting his gaze. "You've got a lot of experience with false accusations, don't you? If wearing a green hat is such a crime, then shouldn't you have dropped dead by now?" The moment the words left her mouth, his gaze turned razor-sharp, terrifyingly intense. But Ellis didn't think she had said anything wrong. After all, it was a fact that he had cheated on her with Victoria. Then again, she wasn't stupid. She wasn't about to sit around and let him lash out. Before he could react, she spun on her heel and ran—straight across the street. In one smooth motion, she flagged down a taxi, got in, and shut the door. The entire process was seamless, not wasting even a second. In the car, the driver sneaked a glance at his boss's expression, which was so dark it looked like he was about to merge with the night itself. The man shrank back slightly, sensing that his job had suddenly become a lot harder. Just as he was wondering how to make himself as invisible as possible, he heard Easton pull out his phone and give a cold command. "Look into Ellis' whereabouts for the past month. I want every detail."