Brandon was really desperate, willing to go to such extremes just to win her favor, even if it meant compromising himself. Ella was both disgusted and amused by his actions. With a light laugh, she said, "Brandon, that’s enough. I don’t want your so-called ’gift.’ Besides, Hannah’s reputation is already in shambles. I have no interest in bringing her down further."
With that, she stepped around Brandon and strode downstairs without looking back.
"Ella..." Brandon called out, clearly flustered. He had gone all out, shamelessly offering something so incriminating, yet she wasn’t even tempted in the slightest.
At that moment, a lanky boy appeared on the stairs below, taller than Ella. He glanced curiously at Brandon, who was chasing after her.
Realizing he couldn’t pursue her any further, Brandon stopped in his tracks as Ella quickly descended the stairs and headed toward the back hill.
As she jogged towards the hill, she soon spotted Eric’s assistant, Mark, along with a few burly men dressed in black, waiting at the base.
"Miss Davis, Mr. Nelson is waiting for you in the pavilion up ahead," Mark informed her with a polite nod.
Ella smiled and nodded back, quickly making her way up the hill.
The pavilion wasn’t far, and within a few minutes, she reached it. The sight that greeted her made her stop in her tracks, staring in disbelief. Under the tree in front of the pavilion, a round table was set up, covered with all of her favorite dishes!
Ella couldn’t believe her eyes as she looked at the man who was smiling warmly at her.
Eric’s face was full of tenderness, his eyes gleaming like colorful stones, radiating a mesmerizing light. His lips curved into a seductive, teasing smile that made Ella blush.
Dressed in all black, Eric looked even more striking, his tall frame relaxed as he lounged in his chair, legs crossed, exuding an air of effortless elegance and authority.
Ella was both surprised and delighted. Having dinner here, surrounded by cool breezes, with no trace of the summer heat, felt like a dream.
"What’s the matter, sweetheart? Are you in shock? Your ever-dutiful husband is here to treat you to a meal!" Eric teased with a playful smirk.
Ella couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She had missed him so much these past few days.
She quickly ran over and sat down beside Eric, only for him to catch her by the chin and pull her in for a possessive kiss.
After having his fill of teasing her, Eric finally let go, smiling as he asked, "So, did you miss me these past few days?"
Even though they talked on the phone every night, it hadn’t eased his longing for her. That’s why Eric had decided to leave behind a pile of unfinished work and had everything prepared early, arriving at the hill by four to wait for Ella.
"Of course, I missed you... But I can’t believe you dared to set up a banquet here. Won’t the principal have my head for this?" Ella joked, knowing that the back hill was a popular spot for students to relax. From the way Eric had arranged things, it seemed like he had reserved the entire hill for them.
Eric snorted dismissively. "Who do you think I am? The principal wouldn’t dare disrespect me."
Ella laughed so hard that tears nearly came to her eyes.
After calming down, she happily picked up the utensils and sampled the food, recognizing the flavors of Sapphire Shores Tavern.
It turned out that the dishes were all from Sapphire Shores Tavern, some of her favorites, and others she hadn’t tried before.
Ella smiled brightly, her face glowing with satisfaction. "This is perfect—having dinner here with the natural breeze, a great view, and fresh air..."
Especially dining under the maple tree—this was a first for her.
"It would be even more beautiful if the ground were covered in red autumn leaves!" Ella said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Eric pinched her cheek affectionately. "You really do love romantic things. You might not say it, but I know you’re always hoping for a little romance. We can come back when the ground is full of red leaves."
Ella was deeply moved. Reflecting on her past life with Brandon, she realized that while he had been good to her, it was all just an act. Eric, on the other hand, was genuinely kind and caring. She suddenly felt incredibly fortunate to have been given a second chance, to meet Eric instead of anyone else. She couldn’t be sure if any other man would be as attentive, considerate, and romantic as Eric.
Seeing the contentment on Ella’s face, Eric felt a sense of accomplishment. As the gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and the night deepened, fireflies began to emerge from the woods, their tiny lights flickering and decorating the hillside in a breathtakingly beautiful display.
Ella was mesmerized. She had heard rumors about how beautiful the night view from the back hill was, but she had never seen it for herself until now.
Enjoying the delicious food while taking in the stunning scenery, Ella felt like she was in paradise.
"Is it good? There’s some lemon juice here—would you like a glass?" Eric asked with a soft smile, his eyes filled with affection as he watched Ella’s smiling face.
"I’ll drink it after I finish eating!" Ella said, her appetite fully awakened. Eric couldn’t help but be captivated by her, his thoughts wandering as he watched her small mouth moving as she ate.
Suddenly, he grabbed her head and turned her towards him. Ella looked at him in surprise, "Why did you stop... mmph..."
This shameless man! Couldn’t he wait until after dinner to kiss her? How could he be so... ugh...
While the two of them were lost in their tender moment, a series of shocking posts began to spread like wildfire across several popular gossip forums.
The posts were titled, "The Ugly Truth About Brianna, Wife of the Davis Group President!"
The post contained a video featuring Mrs. Jones, who recounted the tragic story of her life. The video began with Mrs. Jones revealing how she had witnessed Brianna poisoning Robert’s first wife, Isabella, leading to Isabella’s agonizing death.
Afterward, Brianna had hired someone to kill Mrs. Jones, but the hitman couldn’t go through with it and instead sold Mrs. Jones into a red-light district.
Mrs. Jones tearfully recounted her ordeal and even played an old recording of the man who had threatened her and sold her. The recording captured the man’s voice as he menaced her and discussed selling women.
Fortunately, Mrs. Jones had a recording device hidden in her coat pocket, which allowed her to preserve the evidence.
The post quickly went viral, with major news outlets picking it up, and public outrage was directed squarely at Robert’s current wife, Brianna.
The comments under the post were filled with people condemning Brianna.
When Brianna and Hannah saw the post, they broke out in cold sweats, terrified that the police would come for them. However, after analyzing the situation, Hannah pointed out that the recording never actually mentioned Brianna by name, so even if the police got involved, the evidence wouldn’t be conclusive.
Mrs. Jones had clearly thought of this, which was why she chose to expose the truth online rather than going directly to the authorities.
But both Hannah and Brianna knew that Mrs. Jones was just an ordinary maid. Even if she had managed to escape from the mountains, she wouldn’t have the resources or knowledge to expose everything so effectively.
There had to be someone backing her.
And that person was likely Ella.
Realizing this, Brianna’s heart filled with dread. The seemingly innocent and naive girl had grown far more dangerous than they had ever imagined.
"It must be that wretched girl Ella who taught her! No wonder she wanted to move out—after she decided to break ties with us completely, she must have felt unsafe staying here!" Brianna said through gritted teeth.