The male doctor’s face flushed with embarrassment, and for a moment, he seemed at a loss for words.
"Who dares to insult my woman? You think you have the right to talk down to her?" A cold voice cut through the tension, and Ella turned around in surprise, only to see Eric striding into the room, his expression icy as he cast a disdainful glance at the doctor.
"Mr. Nelson!" someone exclaimed, recognizing Eric. Another doctor quickly stepped forward, trying to diffuse the situation. "Mr. Nelson, please don’t be upset. This is just a misunderstanding, a simple mistake!"
The male doctor looked nervously between Eric and the others, as a female nurse whispered in his ear, "That’s Mr. Nelson, Ella’s boyfriend, and a close friend of the director’s son!"
The doctor bowed his head in fear, "Miss Davis, I apologize. I spoke out of turn earlier."
Ella glanced at him coolly, a faint, cold smile playing on her lips. "It’s fine to show sympathy for someone, but don’t be so quick to make them out to be an angel."
Eric, with a smirk, wrapped his arm around Ella’s shoulder. "Perhaps this doctor has had experiences similar to Miss Hannah’s and feels a special kinship with her?"
Eric had overheard the doctor’s earlier remarks but was caught up in an important phone call and hadn’t intervened immediately. Now, the doctor’s face turned ashen. "No, no... I’m truly sorry, it was my mistake..."
"Let’s just leave. This place is too depressing," Ella said, gently tugging Eric towards the exit. She didn’t want to escalate the situation further.
After all, the doctor had spoken out of impulse, and though Ella hadn’t suffered any real harm, she knew the man must have been left seething inside after her sharp rebuke.
"Rare to have some free time to spend with you, and someone had to go and upset my girl!" Eric sighed as he opened the car door for Ella to get in.
Ella was surprised he had come to pick her up, and as she settled into the car, she looked at him in astonishment. "How did you know I was here?"
"I took a guess. I was going to pick you up at Chloe’s, but as I drove past here, I happened to spot you, so I decided to stop by."
The floor where Hannah’s room was located faced the road, making it easy to see her from outside.
"Why didn’t you call me first?" Ella asked.
"I wanted to surprise you. Is that so wrong? Besides, I’m curious about what you’re up to when I’m not around..." Eric teased, pulling her onto his lap.
Ella blushed, lowering her voice as she asked, "What are you up to?"
"Just want to kiss you..." Eric replied playfully.
"Let’s not. I really don’t place," Ella said, frowning. The sounds from the psychiatric hospital—screams, strange yells, cries—made her uneasy. The atmosphere was too unsettling for her to feel comfortable.
"Alright, I’ll let you off the hook this time. How about we head to Richard’s place? It’s Amelia’s birthday, and she’s invited you to join us. But I have one question—are you sure you didn’t send someone to get Davis Group’s products tested?"
Eric’s tone grew serious as he posed the question. Ella shook her head. "No, I had nothing to do with that."
Eric’s brow furrowed, a rare expression of concern crossing his face. He remained silent for a moment, and Ella, too, was puzzled. "Could it really have been one of Brianna’s people, doing it for money?"
"I met the guy who did it," Eric said, his tone serious. "He told me someone paid him to do it. I thought it was you at first." Eric didn’t like it when someone interfered with Ella’s plans, and the food safety report was clearly not part of their strategy.
Their plan had been to let Robert slowly experience the pain of losing his company, but the unexpected release of the report had changed everything.
"My idea was to release the report online and notify the press, to give Robert a heavy blow. I didn’t expect it would push Brianna over the edge and lead her to kill him," Ella explained.
"It’s all in the past now. They got the revenge they deserved," Ella said, thinking Eric might be feeling guilty and trying to comfort him.
Eric squeezed her hand tightly. "I’m not feeling guilty. It’s just that I’m sensing someone suspicious might be watching you from the shadows. And this person’s actions seem to be helping you. Or maybe they’re trying to use this as an opportunity to get close to you."
Ella blinked in surprise. "Really? I don’t think I have any obsessive admirers, except for you."
"You cheeky girl! How dare you call me an admirer? I’m your husband already, you know?" Eric teased, tapping her forehead with a smile.
Ella’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "Alright, my dear husband, if you think someone’s watching me, have you found out who it is?"
"My dear, not yet... but I believe he’ll show himself soon. He’s probably upset that I took credit for releasing those reports and was likely planning to use them to win your favor first."
Ella felt a sudden unease. If this person really had those intentions, then... it could be dangerous!
Has Eric finally encountered a rival? She really didn’t like the idea of being watched from the shadows! No matter who this person was, she would never like them. She only loved Eric! But for someone to go to such lengths, it was clear they knew about her desire for revenge against Robert and Brianna.
Whoever this person was, they knew too much. It seemed they weren’t an ordinary individual.
Seeing the concern on Ella’s face, Eric lifted her chin and gave her a quick kiss. "Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of this. Let’s head to Richard’s place."
Eric smiled as he spoke, and Ella blinked. "Richard is throwing a birthday party for Amelia?"
"Yes, just a small gathering with a few close friends."
Eric started the car and drove away from the gloomy hospital.
Ella didn’t say much. After all, she didn’t have any other plans for the day, and she got along well with Amelia, who was a good friend.
While Ella was debating what gift to bring, Eric pulled up in front of Richard’s villa. "Don’t worry about the gift—I’ve already taken care of it."
Ella looked at him in surprise, amazed that he could so easily read her thoughts. It was truly impressive.
"Eric, you’re really getting better at understanding women."
"Actually, it’s more that I’m getting better at understanding you. Haven’t you heard the saying ’two hearts beat as one’?" Eric leaned in closer, his mischievous smile widening. "Ella, with Mr. Nelson treating you so well and being so in sync with you, don’t you think you should reward me?"
Ella glanced at him calmly. "I’ve been rewarding you almost every night!"
Eric’s expression instantly darkened.
Is Ella becoming more like me? he wondered, feeling a mix of pride and exasperation at her increasingly sharp wit.
Ella jumped out of the car, dressed in a simple black dress paired with a red blazer, making her look both fresh and elegantly sophisticated.