Ellison And Joycelyn: A Love Beyond The Rules Novel

Chapter 36 Chapter 36 Joycelyn wasnt fully awake yet , but the little puppy in her arms was already wide awake , barking at Killion Rocky , Joycelyn mumbled sleepily , patting the puppy in her arms .

The puppy grew more excited , barking louder at Ellison Shut up ! Ellisons voice was cold and sharp , his tone cutting through the air as he glared at the noisy puppy .

Startled , the little dog immediately burrowed its head into Joycelyns arms , whimpering softly , as if it had been deeply wronged .

Joycelyn was completely jolted awake by the sound .

She blinked her drowsy eyes and looked up at Ellison , who was standing a few steps away .

Youre up , she said groggily , her voice a little muffled by sleep .

You slept here last night ? Yeah .

Joycelyn nodded sheepishly , looking at him with a small smile .

The puppy was scared and kept barking I was worried it might disturb your sleep , so I came downstairs to keep it company for a while .

I mustve dozed off She gave a bashful laugh , her pale face flushed with embarrassment .

Ellison didnt respond immediately .

His expression remained unreadable , but his dark eyes seemed to be holding some unspoken emotion .

Joycelyn blinked up at him , instinctively pulling the puppy closer to her chest .

For a dog , you really went all out , Ellison said , his voice flat and indifferent .

Clearly , he couldnt understand why shed spent the entire night sitting outside with a dog .

Joycelyn gave an awkward smile , clearly picking up on his displeasure .

She didnt know how to reply to that .

But its really pitiful , she said softly , her voice tinged with sympathy as she gently stroked the puppy in her arms .

Its only month old and doesnt have a mother anymore .

Ill have William find a dog trainer .

Let it stay with them for a few days , Ellison said , still maintaining his cool demeanor .

But at least he didnt push her further .

What ? Joycelyn blinked in surprise , still half asleep .

She instinctively hugged the trembling puppy tighter , looking every bit the protective mother .

Uh … can I bring it back after that ? she asked quietly , as if the puppy were her most precious possession.

Depends on how it turns out .

If its not trained well , whats the point of keeping it ? Ellison said coldly .

Here you are , a perfectly good person , sitting out all night just for a dog Joycelyn felt a little embarrassed by his blunt words .

Rocky is really smart , she said earnestly , still gently patting the puppy in her arms .

Weve only been together for a day , but I believe in him .

Hell be the best dog .

Ellison didnt say anything , merely nodding slightly .

Its still early .

You should get some more sleep , he said , then turned to 1/3 Chapter 36 head out for his morning run .

Okay , Joycelyn said , gently placing the puppy back in its crate .

Be good now , okay ? Im going to sleep for a while .

Dont bark , or well both be in trouble , she said patiently .

The little puppy sat quietly in the crate , wagging its tail happily Joycelyn was exhausted she hadnt slept well the night before .

After closing the crate , she absentmindedly forgot to latch it and got up to leave .

As soon as the puppy saw she was gone , it began to whine restlessly .

It pawed at the crate a few times before the door popped open .

The puppy immediately leaped out and dashed into the living room to explore .

One hour later , after finishing his run , Ellison noticed the open crate from a distance and immediately had a sinking feeling in his stomach .

When he returned to the living room , he saw a puddle of urine in the middle of the floor , soaking into the rug .

His anger flared instantly , nearly clouding his judgment .

Meanwhile , the guilty puppy was happily chewing on his cotton slippers .

Stupid dog .

Ellison gritted his teeth in frustration .

The puppy , startled by his outburst , barked once and then scrambled under the couch with the slipper in its mouth .

Ellison was absolutely livid .

Without a second thought , he grabbed his phone and called William .

After Joycelyn woke up from her nap , showered , and changed into a fresh set of clothes , she was shocked by the scene in the living room .

She quickly threw on the hood of her loungewear and , looking confused , asked William , who was already there that morning .

Wait … are we moving ? Joycelyn froze on the stairs , staring at the nearly empty living room .

The spacious room was filled with activity .

A dozen bodyguards were quickly moving all the furniture out to a truck , and near the door , she saw a familiar dog crate .

Her heart sank , and she hurried down the stairs .

Inside the crate , the little puppy , which had been curled up earlier , was now excitedly pawing at the bars when it saw Joycelyn .

The puppy got out of its crate earlier , William explained .

It went to the bathroom twice in the living room and chewed up Mr.

Grants shoes .

Mr.

Grant ordered all the furniture to be replaced .

Joycelyn was still processing the situation when the gravity of Williams words hit her .

Oh no , I mustve forgotten to lock the crate when I was half asleep .

Where is he ? Is he really mad ? Joycelyns heart raced .

Ellison was already obsessive about cleanliness and didnt like dogs .

She felt like shed stepped into a minefield .

Mr.

Grant didnt look happy.

He went upstairs , William said , his tone reluctant .

It was clear that even he didnt know how to properly explain the intense frustration in Ellisons voice when hed called earlier .

Great .

Just great .

Joycelyn sighed , looking at the lively little dog .

She crouched down beside it , her face full of regret .

Chapter 36 Ive already arranged for a professional dog trainer to take care of the puppy , William continued .

Itll stay with the trainer for a while until its more obedient , and then we can bring it back Okay , thanks so much Joycelyn had originally wanted the puppy as a companion , but now it felt like shed only invited trouble into her life .

Its no trouble at all , William said with a calm efficiency , instructing the bodyguards as they continued to replace the furniture .

After everything was sorted , he took the puppy with him .

Joycelyn stood at the door , feeling a pang of reluctance .

She hoped the little guy would be trained well and wouldnt cause any more trouble , so that she could keep him later .

As she turned to go inside , she spotted Ellison coming down the stairs .

Ellison was in a sharp suit , looking colder and more imposing than ever .

His presence radiated power , and he carried an almost oppressive aura that seemed to weigh down on the room .

Joycelyns heart skipped a beat .

Im sorry , Joycelyn said , fidgeting nervously with her hands as she stood in front of him.

I didnt lock the crate properly .

The puppy made a mess in the house .

Ellison barely glanced at her , his expression as cold as ever .

He simply turned and walked toward the dining room .

Im n upset with a dog .

Joycelyn bit her lip , watching him .

His words said one thing , but the deep furrow in his brow told a different story .

His expression looked as if he might be moments away from snapping .

not You dont like dogs because you think theyre dirty , or is there another reason ? Joycelyn asked softly , trying to understand Theyre dirty , Ellison replied curtly Joycelyn nodded thoughtfully .

If you take proper care of pets , they wont carry a lot of germs .

Ill give it a bath every week Okay .

Ellison didnt sound convinced , but his answer was still short and neutral .

Ill make sure its all clean and smells nice , Joycelyn added , looking directly at him .

Then , you wont mind it , right ? Her words held a hint of playfulness , but her tone was genuine .

What she really meant was , You wont be scared of the puppy anymore , will you ? It struck Joycelyn as funny a grown man so afraid of a dog .

The contrast was too much , and she couldnt help but stifle a laugh What are you laughing at ? Ellison turned around sharply , his gaze cold .

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