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.

at the numbers flicking by as the elevator went down, feeling a deep sense of loss. She had cut ties with

but

they don’t stop?” The image of Mercer family’s hostile faces lingered in her mind,

a knot in

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

Chapter 33

women, if we want to stand on our own,

people, and don’t let anyone drain you. Sometimes, family can be even more dangerous than strangers”

her tone quiet.

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

was looking at her with deep concern, and for a brief second, Joycelyn thought she was imagining it. She instinctively lowered her head, letting her hair fall to cover the side of her face that had been

about to step out, paused when he saw her. His eyes immediately locked onto the swollen half of her face, and the pain in his chest surged. His

Joycelyn greeted him politely, her voice a

saw Ellison in the elevator. They quickly nodded and greeted

gave a brief nod, stepping back to allow them to enter the

Selene exchanged a glance, both confused, thinking. Wasn’t the elevator coming down? Why is Mr. Grant staying

Ellison’s voice, calm yet steady, broke the silence in

elevator.

Joycelyn, who was still standing there with her

just worry it might cause some negative attention for the company.”

its employees, Ellison said, his voice

a quick glance at each other when they heard

powerful and charismatic as you,” Selene said enthusiastically, giving him a thumbs–up.

it,” Ellison added,

fine, really, I don’t need to rest,” Joycelyn quickly refused, not wanting to

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

not even living at home anymore, right? Where are you staying? We should hang out this weekend–go shopping or see a movie,” Selene

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

good at lying. After saying that, she felt

to look.

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Chapter 34

the elevator doors opened, he pressed the button to keep them open, his