?<strong>Chapter 278:</strong>


    In the morning, Elyse awoke feeling dizzy and weak. “Are you alright?” Jayden asked, cradling her in his arms.


    Confused, Elyse looked around. She recalled being in a hotel room the day before. Suddenly, the memories flooded back. She seized Jayden’s hand, pain evident in her eyes. “Was I…?” She remembered Glenda tricking her into a hotel room and drugging her, likely arranging for someone to assault her. Elyse had not informed Jayden of her ns to meet Glenda. Even if Jayden had intervened, she feared it might have been toote. Tears streamed down her face as she contemted the events, her hatred for Glenda growing intense.


    Jayden tenderly lifted her chin and kissed her forehead. “You’re fine,” he soothed. “I was right here with you. Nobody could harm you.”


    Elyse broke down, sobbing uncontrobly. She thought he was merely saying it tofort her. Jayden sighed deeply and wrapped her more tightly in his arms, trying to ease her distress. Elyse felt tainted and struggled fiercely, but Jayden’s presence grew steadier beside her. Once her tears subsided and exhaustion set in, she quieted down.


    Jayden looked at her earnestly and stated in a serious tone, “You are my wife. Have I ever lied to you?”


    “You are not lying,” Elyse, wiping her tears away, asked hesitantly, “Did you get there in time?”


    Jayden nodded, his expression solemn as he recounted what had urred after he arrived at the hotel. He omitted the part about breaking the man’s leg. After a brief pause, he said, “There’s something else you need to address.”


    Elyse sniffled, regaining herposure, and asked, “What is it?”


    “Your parents have been waiting outside the vi all night, hoping for your forgiveness,” Jayden mentioned offhandedly.


    Elyse was puzzled. “They stood there all night? Why?” Before she could finish, Jayden interjected in a grave voice, “Glenda nned to send you to a man known for his promiscuity. He carries an STD. If he had seeded, you might have been infected.”


    “How could she?” Elyse murmured, her mind reeling. She was not naive. Before falling asleep, she had suspected Glenda’s scheme and possibly Mabel’s involvement. Yet, she had never imagined that her mother would be so malevolent as to want her not only assaulted but also exposed to a man carrying a sexually transmitted disease.


    “Why? Weren’t she and Mabel both Glenda’s daughters?”


    Her emotions surged again even though she had just found some calm. After lying in bed for a long time, she rose with a pale face, draped a coat over her shoulders, and walked out of the room. Jayden, observing her, recognized that she was forcing herself to appear strong. Together, they descended to the living room where Driscoll approached and announced, “Breakfast is ready.”


    Elyse shook her head. “Please let my parents… I mean, let them bothe in,” she requested. Driscoll nodded and went to fetch Lanny and Glenda. The two had spent the entire night outside the vi and were visibly exhausted. Upon hearing that Elyse was awake, they entered the living room wearily.


    Upon seeing Elyse, Lanny feigned tears and eximed, “Sweetheart, are you okay? I’ve been so worried about you all night, terrified that something terrible might happen.”


    Elyse regarded him with a mix of emotions. She then turned to Glenda, who seemed to be trying to make herself invisible. “Mom, don’t you have anything to say to me?” she asked softly, her voice carrying a weight of expectation and hurt. “Say it quickly,” Lanny urged, well aware of the stakes. If Elyse couldn’t forgive them, Jayden wouldn’t let them off easily.


    Glenda guiltily met Elyse’s fragile gaze and stammered, “It’s my fault. C-can you forgive me?”


    Elyse managed a strained smile and asked, “Mom, am I really your daughter?”


    Glenda offered a cating smile. “Of course you are. I carried you in my womb for nine months. How could you not be my daughter?”


    “Then why did you do this to me? You sent me to the bed of a man with an STD. What kind of mother does that to her own daughter?” Her voice was filled with pain and sorrow. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m really your daughter.”


    “Don’t be silly. You are our daughter. My own flesh and blood,” Lanny interjected, his anxiety peaking. He scolded her sharply, “Your mother may have made a mistake, but you can’t doubt that we are your parents.”


    Feeling the weight of Jayden’s scrutinizing gaze, Glenda felt the pressure mount and quickly added, “Your father is right. I made a mistake. But questioning our rtionship as family is out of line.”


    Elyse could barely stand steady. Was she not even allowed to doubt them? If these were truly her parents, why did she feel such a void where their love should be? The ache within her was unbearable.


    Jayden embraced Elyse tenderly, offering her support against his chest. He cast a nce at Lanny and Glenda before confronting them. “So why’d you hurt my wife? Give me a good reason, or I’ll make yourpany go bankrupt.”


    At Jayden’s words, Lanny shot a warning re at Glenda, silently urging her toe clean. Knowing the consequences of deception, Glenda had no choice but to spill the truth. “Yesterday, Mabel came to me alleging that Elyse envied her sess and requested Jayden to cklist her in the industry, leading to the destruction of her career. Mabel sought my assistance in retaliating against Elyse.”


    After a brief pause, she confessed further. “She outlined the n meticulously. I was to take Elyse out to dinner, drug her, then arrange for her to be with another man. Mabel would have threatened Jayden with scandalous photos to lift the cklist.”


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