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.

went down, feeling a deep sense of loss. She had cut ties with them, no

but

The image of Mercer family’s

knot in her

probably thought you were beautiful and obedient, so they wanted to sell you

Chapter 33

women, if we want to stand on our own, we have to

let anyone drain you. Sometimes, family can be even more

quiet. Just then, the

with Ellison, who was in a hurry to leave the elevator. Their eyes met, and for

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

when he saw her. His eyes immediately locked onto the swollen half of her

greeted him politely, her voice a

they saw Ellison in the elevator. They quickly nodded and greeted him.

to allow

thinking. Wasn’t the elevator

I heard there was some trouble outside.” Ellison’s voice, calm yet steady, broke

elevator.

fixed on Joycelyn, who was still standing there with her

“I’m fine. I just worry it might cause some negative attention

voice

exchanged a quick glance at each other

work for someone as powerful and

take the afternoon off. I’m approving it,” Ellison added, his concern

Joycelyn quickly refused, not wanting to

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

are you staying? We should hang out this weekend–go shopping or

nervously swallowed. Tm staying with a good friend for now. Maybe we

good at lying. After saying that, she felt

to look.

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Chapter 34

brief, subtle glance. When the elevator doors opened, he pressed the button to keep