?<strong>Chapter 254:</strong>


    Peyton felt a headacheing on and said, “Don’t you think you owe Elyse an exnation? She really cares about you.”


    Jayden’s expression remained unreadable, showing little emotion. “You know the dangers I constantly face. I can’t selfishly involve her in that.”


    Elyse was delicate, and Jayden felt it was his duty to protect her from the risks of his world, prioritizing her safety above everything. Realizing Jayden’s firm stance, Peyton stopped trying to change his mind and suggested, “I’ll take care of Corrie. You should head home.”


    Jayden looked like he was about to argue, but Peyton cut him off, saying, “You’re hurt as well, and you’ve neglected Elyse today.”


    Jayden fell silent, confronting the fact that he had indeed let Elyse down. Thus, he decided to go home. Peyton saw Jayden off, showing no concern for Corrie’s well-being.


    As soon as Corrie was alone, she opened her eyes, a self-satisfied smile spreading across her face. On the other hand, when Elyse woke up, she felt something was off and reached out for a hand, expecting to find Tracy’s familiar touch. To her surprise, the hand she touched was not as soft as Tracy’s. Startled, Elyse’s eyes snapped open to see Jayden beside her, causing her to quickly suppress her swirling emotions.


    Jayden checked his watch, his brow creased. “You’re not going for rehearsal today. Wouldn’t you like to sleep a little more?”


    Silently, Elyse turned away, choosing to sleep further. Jayden sensed her lingering anger. He pulled her closer and gently said, “Are you still mad? I’m sorry about yesterday.”


    Elyse’s voice was heavy with fatigue as she answered, “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m no longer interested in your business.”


    Jayden was disturbed by her words. “Are you serious?”


    Elyse replied with impatience, “Yes, I’m staying out of your business from now on. I’d prefer it if you stayed out of mine as well.”


    Elyse had spent much of the previous day deep in thought, only to be ovee by exhaustion. She grappled with understanding why her rtionships consistently culminated in being abandoned by men. First it had been Theo, and now Jayden. She had thought Jayden would be different. However, Jayden had sumbed to Corrie’s maniptive tactics.


    After reflecting, Elyse realized that Jayden’sck of genuine love for her was the root cause. Hisck of true affection meant he didn’t value their rtionship. With a new perspective on her situation with Jayden, Elyse decided to let go of any false hopes she had harbored. It was foolish to cling to those fantasies.


    Jayden, feeling her pull away, became slightly agitated when he didn’t get the reaction he expected. He drew Elyse closer, demanding her attention. “Are you this upset just because I wasn’t there for you yesterday?” Jayden questioned, his voice tinged with irritation.


    Recalling Brook’s remarks about the previous day’s events made Elyse reflect. Jayden really was clueless about love. Elyse looked him directly in the eyes, unflinching. “As I said earlier, Corrie’s fainting was a deliberate ploy. She nned it to disrupt my birthday celebration, but you didn’t see it that way. Instead, you rushed her to the hospital, prioritizing her first.”


    Jayden felt a mix of frustration and helplessness wash over him. “I’ve already told you I have no intentions of being with Corrie. Why can’t you move past this?”


    Elyse’s tone was cold. “I want to know why, despite your assurances, you’re still so attentive to Corrie. You never really answered that.”


    “You’re never going to drop this, are you?” Jayden retorted, annoyed by her continuous questioning. He wondered why she couldn’t just trust hismitment to her. Why did she always feel the need to question everything?


    Suddenly, Elyse noticed the bandage on Jayden’s left arm. Surprised, she asked, “What happened to your arm?”


    Jayden looked down at his injury, realizing he couldn’t hide it and decided to be truthful. Yet he couldn’t reveal the real reason behind yesterday’s car ident as it was linked to a past event. With a heavy voice, Jayden exined, “I got hurt. There was a car ident on my way back yesterday, and I broke my arm.”


    Elyse was visibly upset as she asked, “Then why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you respond to my calls?”


    “My phone was destroyed,” Jayden admitted honestly.


    Elyse scoffed, continuing her questioning. “Then why didn’t you let me know once you got back?”


    Jayden massaged his temples, overwhelmed by her relentless questioning. Annoyed, he retorted, “Why should I have told you? It wouldn’t change anything. You couldn’t help find the driver who struck me or fix my arm. I knew it would only make you worry.”


    After a brief silence, Elyse asked, “So you think my concern is pointless?”


    .


    .


    .