Just like that, Eric dropped Ella off in front of LX Fashion Company before rushing back to Nelson Group to take care of his own business.
After helping out at the company all afternoon, Lauren left for something, and Chloe and Ella had dinner together before casually strolling through the Fashion Plaza.
While they were happily shopping, a pair of eyes glared at Ella with resentment from a distance.
That person was Rachel.
Rachel had been staying at home for several days, enduring scolding and beatings from her parents. A video of her having an affair with someone during the Treading Immortal Mountain production had spread, and now everyone in the neighborhood knew about it.
As soon as the gossip started, Rachel’s parents caught wind of it too.
Even though their family wasn’t well off and her parents had a gambling habit, they still demanded that Rachel maintain a good reputation. But in reality, every time they stepped outside, they’d hear rumors about their daughter’s disgrace.
Rachel was emotionally and physically drained from the beatings, and her life seemed hopeless.
And she blamed Ella for it all!
She never once reflected on her own mistakes. If she hadn’t repeatedly tried to frame Ella, she wouldn’t have been exposed! If she hadn’t tried to get into Eric’s bed, she wouldn’t be in this situation!
Some people’s minds just work differently, which is why there are criminals!
Rachel pinned all the blame and wrongdoing on Ella. Over the past few days, every time she got beaten, her hatred for Ella deepened!
Since her reputation was already ruined, and even Olivia, whom she had tried to use, had cut ties with her, Rachel had nothing left to lose.
Rachel wore a colorful, revealing dress, oversized sunglasses, and heavy makeup—if you didn’t look closely, you’d hardly recognize her!
"Ella! I won’t let you off tonight, hmph..." Rachel sneered, gripping a bottle filled with a clear liquid in her hand.
Ella had two bodyguards by her side, plus Chloe, so getting close wouldn’t be easy.
But if Rachel pretended to be just another shopper, waiting for the right moment to strike, there was still a chance!
As she quietly browsed through clothes, keeping an eye on Ella, Rachel’s plan seemed to be coming together.
But sometimes things don’t go as planned. After Ella and Chloe had been looking at clothes for a while, a familiar face approached to say hello.
Rachel frowned—it was Henry.
Wasn’t Henry usually distant from Ella? Back at school, he rarely ever greeted her and always went out of his way to avoid crossing paths.
So why now... had he noticed her? Rachel suddenly felt a surge of anxiety!
But after observing for a moment, she realized Henry wasn’t even looking in her direction, and she let out a quiet sigh of relief. Still, if she didn’t act now, once Ella got in the car and went home, she’d miss her chance!
Rachel began walking step by step toward Ella.
Henry was speaking to Ella, "You should talk to my brother... tell him to go home and check on Dad."
Ella glanced at him calmly and held a dress up to herself to see how it looked.
"He’s already aware."
"There’s something else..." Henry hesitated, looking a bit unsure.
Ella raised an eyebrow. Ever since he had helped her out and stayed quiet most of the time, her dislike for him had slowly faded.
Besides, Henry now knew his true identity, so the heated look in his eyes had completely disappeared.
"Lauren... I hope you can talk to her, convince her not to focus on me," Henry said, with a hint of unease in his eyes.
Even though he knew there was no possibility between him and Ella, he just couldn’t bring himself to love Lauren.
Ella became even more displeased. "Henry, isn’t that something you should be saying to her?"
"I’ve already rejected her, but she keeps texting me," Henry said helplessly, looking at Ella.
Ella couldn’t help but find it amusing. It seemed like... she had been the one encouraging Lauren to boldly pursue her true love, right?
Now it seemed like she had caused Lauren some trouble. Ugh, she really shouldn’t have meddled!
"You’re not handling this right. Ella and Lauren are friends, and if you ask Ella to talk to her, Lauren might get upset with her," Chloe said, shaking her head, thinking the idea wasn’t a good one.
They were all caught up in this conversation and didn’t notice that a flirtatiously dressed woman, while pretending to browse clothes, was edging closer!
You had to admit, Rachel was smart. She knew if she appeared too nervous, the two bodyguards would grow suspicious of her. But if she acted like a regular customer, the bodyguards would relax their guard a bit.
She was getting closer to Ella.
Ella was still distracted by Henry’s dilemma.
"Henry, can’t you really accept her? Actually... I was the one who foolishly encouraged her to pursue you boldly. Even though I used to dislike you, I’ve come to think you’re not so bad..." Ella sighed softly, admitting it candidly.
Henry was Grace’s son, and Grace was a woman who had hurt both Eric and her.
But Ella had really tried to separate her feelings about the two of them. Henry was Henry, and Grace was Grace!
Ugh... if Eric knew what she was thinking, would he be upset with her?
Henry’s eyes were full of surprise, and suddenly, he felt a sweet emotion swelling in his heart.
So, she didn’t hate him as much as she had before.
It seemed his commitment to being kind, upstanding person had truly been worthwhile!
"If it were really that easy to accept someone, so many people wouldn’t be suffering," Henry said, lowering his head to hide the burning emotions in his eyes.
Ella was momentarily at a loss for words, realizing she had, once again, messed things up with good intentions!
But for a girl, if she really liked a guy and never even tried or took a chance, she might regret it years later, right?
Chloe raised her eyebrows, feeling awkward from the strange atmosphere, and escaped to a different section of the store, throwing herself into some serious shopping to relieve her frustration at being caught up in this drama.
Ella put the dress she had been holding back on the rack.
Henry suddenly noticed someone browsing nearby. The perfume she was wearing... why did it smell so much like Rachel’s?
A few days ago, Henry had borrowed Rachel’s phone and just so happened to catch the scent of her perfume.
He shot a glance at the woman. She had long hair, wore large sunglasses, and was fiddling with something while facing away from him, making it hard to see what she was up to.
But Rachel had already caught Henry’s attention.
Because in his memory, Rachel never dressed so flamboyantly or provocatively.
As Henry pondered this, the woman suddenly turned around and flicked her hand in Ella’s direction—
Henry was standing close to Ella, and his suspicion had already been aroused, so the moment Rachel moved, he instinctively lunged toward Ella!