Ellison And Joycelyn: A Love Beyond The Rules

Chapter 33

Chapter 33

“Mr. Grant, there’s a crowd outside. If you go out now to check on her, your relationship won’t stay hidden for long. William said, speaking calmly.

him, but he couldn’t ignore the reality of the situation. After all, the secret marriage had been Joycelyn’s

He didn’t stop h

request.

Ellison didn’t seem to care. He strode into the elevator, pressing the button for the first floor with determination. William quickly followed and stood behind him, maintaining a calm demeanor.

As the elevator descended, Ellison stood with his hands in his pockets, his expression as cold as ever. The sharp, handsome lines of his face were shadowed by an ominous air.

The tension around him seemed to pulse, as if it could shatter the elevator at any moment. William, stealing glances at him. kept his mouth shut, sensing that any word might make the situation worse.

Joycelyn, on the other hand, felt heavy–hearted. From the scandal about the roses this morning to the mess with her family just now, she knew the office would be buzzing with rumors about her before long.

Aurelia and Selene stayed by her side, offering words of comfort.

“Joycelyn, you handled that beautifully just now. I always thought your mom was a bit soft, but now I see–it’s not softness, it’s just ignorance. How could she hit her own daughter?” Aurelia said, clearly upset.

She had been around long enough to recognize the kind of person Joycelyn was. They’d worked together for two years, and in that time, Aurelia had seen Joycelyn’s diligence and integrity firsthand. She was hard–working and responsible.

As a person, she was kind, considerate, and loyal to her family. Despite being young and attractive, she’d never shown any desire to flaunt it. She’d always put her family first, even sacrificing personal luxuries.

To think that someone like Joycelyn–who had never even dated–was being slandered for having an affair with an older man. It made Aurelia furious.

Joycelyn, now processing the events, realized how brave she had been in standing up for herself for the first time. After all these years, she had finally fought back. Still, the aftermath was hard to shake.

“Your stepsister is obviously a schemer, a classic bitch type. She’s not someone you want to underestimate. Joycelyn, you should move out. You make enough money to support yourself, Selene encouraged.

“I’ve already moved out.” Joycelyn sighed softly, looking at the descending numbers in the elevator. Her eyes were swollen from crying.

“They tried to force me into an arranged marriage because the guy promised a huge sum of money. I didn’t like him, so I ended things with them,” Joycelyn added.

numbers flicking by as the elevator went down, feeling a deep sense of loss. She had cut ties with them, no matter how much she tried to break free, they kept

but

thought, “What should I do if they don’t stop?” The image of Mercer family’s hostile faces lingered in her

a knot in her

fists. “They probably thought you were beautiful and obedient, so they wanted to sell you

Chapter 33

stern. “Don’t let them manipulate you. As women, if we want to stand on our

let anyone drain you. Sometimes, family can

nodded, her tone quiet. Just then, the

Joycelyn stepped forward, she almost collided with Ellison, who was in a hurry to leave the elevator. Their eyes met, and for a moment, everything else seemed to

her with deep concern, and for a brief second, Joycelyn thought she was imagining it. She instinctively lowered her head,

out, paused when he saw her. His eyes immediately locked onto the swollen half of her face, and the pain in

politely, her voice a

stunned when they saw Ellison in the elevator. They quickly

brief nod, stepping back to allow them to enter

both confused, thinking. Wasn’t the elevator coming down?

everything alright? I heard there was some trouble outside.” Ellison’s voice, calm

elevator.

Joycelyn, who was still

replied softly, “I’m fine. I just worry it might

Ellison said, his voice firm. T’ll get to

and Selene exchanged a quick glance at each other when they heard his

lucky to work for someone as powerful and charismatic as you,” Selene said enthusiastically, giving

I’m approving it,” Ellison added, his concern evident as

need to rest,” Joycelyn quickly refused, not wanting to seem weak.

smile, trying to cheer her up. “You’ve had a tough

hang out this

sure how to respond. “T… L.” She hesitated, trailing off as she nervously swallowed. Tm staying

talk much, and she wasn’t good at lying. After saying that, she felt awkward, not

to look.

Ke, 11 Feb

Chapter 34

elevator doors opened, he pressed the button to keep them open, his voice quiet yet firm.