?<strong>Chapter 171:</strong>


    Elyse’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at Jayden. He returned her gaze with a calm expression. Was he really behaving like a dog? He had literally bitten her. Refusing to be outdone, Elyse pinched Jayden’s thigh again. Despite the pain, Jayden, driven by his frustration with her boldness, bit her lip once more. The pain brought tears to her eyes, and she groaned, struggling to break free.


    Just then, Freddy arrived with a notice in hand, only to find Elyse moaning in the embrace of a muscr man, their lips locked in a kiss. It was all too much to take in, especially in a public ce. Stunned for a few moments, Freddy turned away, trying to ignore the scene before him. However, remembering the notice he was supposed to deliver, he hesitantly turned back.


    “This is the new notification, Elyse. I think it’s important. You should take a look,” Freddy said, one hand covering his eyes, the other holding the notice as if he was ready to bolt.


    Elyse had never felt so embarrassed. Her mind went nk, and she remained frozen in Jayden’s embrace. Jayden loosened his hold, took the notice from Freddy, nced over it a few times, and handed it to Elyse. “Take a look,” he urged.


    Peeking through his fingers, Freddy watched closely. Why were they both dressed properly? Realizing his misunderstanding, he sighed in relief. Elyse stiffly took the notice, read it, and snapped to attention. “Gary Hank has pulled out of thepetition.”


    “It waspletely unexpected,” Freddy responded. “I heard that Grace Fuller and Bart Gino respectively paid a visit to Merlin. Although I am close to Bart, he declined to share any details about his meeting with the director. I have a feeling there’s something suspicious going on.”


    Standing up, Elyse murmured, “The notice was released because Merlin was worried Gary might change his mind. This way, Gary can’t back out and keep campaigning, and Darren Reynolds will not face another rival.” She couldn’t let Merlin’s n work. She needed to talk to Grace and Bart.


    Jayden, I have something to do. Go to the lounge and wait for me.” Noticing the determination in her eyes, he waved his hand, indicating she should go ahead. With a smile, Elyse hurried away.


    Seeing her departure, Freddy touched his nose awkwardly and said to Jayden, “I know you two are together, but could you keep it down a bit? This is a public ce. You can save it for when you two get home.”


    Jayden nced at him and replied, “You’re overthinking it. You should feel lucky it was me who saw that. If it had been someone else, the rumors would be swirling by now,” Freddy stated loudly.


    Jayden said calmly, “You should feel lucky it was you here, or someone else would have got the chance to talk.” Freddy felt a chill as Jayden’s gaze lingered onest time before leaving. He realized then just how precarious the situation had been.


    After wandering for quite some time, Elyse spotted her first target, Bart, who was seated in the lounge, cradling a violin and lost in thought. Elyse approached and sat across from him. Bart looked up, recognized her, and asked, “What’s up?”


    “I know Merlin asked you to drop out of the election. I want you to refuse,” she said.


    “How do you know? I think he suggested it for my own good. Besides, I’m not even sure I can win.”


    “Can you promise you’ll be the concertmaster next year? Gary has already pulled out of thepetition. He agreed to Merlin’s terms, thinking he would be concertmaster on next year’s tour. All he ended up with was empty promises,” Elyse exined.


    Stunned by this revtion, Bart then realized Merlin had spoken to Elyse as well. “Did he say the same to you?” he asked.


    “There was no guarantee either of us would be concertmaster next year,” Elyse’s expression hardened. “Yes, but I turned him down. I want topete. I want Cody to choose me.”


    Jayden interjected in surprise, “So it’s not just a baseless rumor that Cody is scouting for new talent?”


    “It’s true. That’s why Merlin is so concerned about thispetition. He wants us out of the picture so Cody doesn’t notice us,” Elyse concluded firmly.


    .


    .


    .