?<strong>Chapter 354:</strong>


    Upon leaving her home and arriving at the shopping mall, Elyse serendipitously discovered a cozy café and decided to settle in. She treated herself to a carameltte, savoring each sip with deliberate slowness. In the midst of her thoughts, a familiar voice broke through, startling Elyse.


    “Hello, Ms. Lloyd. Mind if I join you?”


    Elyse, taken aback, looked up to see Pearce standing before her. “What a coincidence to run into you,” she eximed, a hint of surprise in her voice.


    “Yeah, what a coincidence,” Pearce echoed with a smile, seating himself gracefully opposite Elyse. He then beckoned the waiter for an iced Americano before turning to Elyse with a quizzical gaze. “What have you been up totely? I visited Celestial Sounds Symphony in hopes of seeing you, only to learn that you had departed.”


    Elyse nodded somberly. “I was dismissed. There’s no recourse at this point,” she replied with a smile tinged with resignation.


    “Why did they dismiss you?” Pearce inquired, his curiosity genuine.


    Hearing this, Elyse began to pour out all the grievances she had been harboring. When Tracy and Morgan visited herst time, she had opted for silence, perhaps to protect them from undue concern.


    Elyse’s words ignited a storm within Pearce, his hand crashing down on the table with frustration. “Such shameless individuals! Envious of your talent, they resort to any means to push you out.”


    A bitter smile graced Elyse’s lips as she spoke. “My musical background isn’t strong. It’s only natural for them to seek my removal.”


    As the waiter set down Pearce’s iced Americano, he took a sip before turning his attention to Elyse. “What prompted you to miss going back to the orchestra back then?”


    Elyse’s demeanor faltered briefly before she mustered a strained smile. “Just personal reasons,” she replied with a hint of ambiguity.


    Pearce’s tone softened. “If you see me as a friend, please be honest with me. I’ve reached out before but received no response. I’ve been deeply concerned about you.”


    Unaware of the events that unfolded during that period, Pearce had made efforts to connect with Elyse. Despite his attempts, even dispatching someone to investigate, they unearthed nothing as if the truth had been deliberately obscured.


    After grappling with her inner turmoil for a time, Elyse finally relented with a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. I can’t share it with you.”


    Pearce masked a twinge of disappointment behind a fa?ade of understanding. “That’s alright,” he responded, concealing his true feelings beneath a veneer of eptance.


    “Thank you for your understanding,” Elyse murmured, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup, lost in thebyrinth of her thoughts.


    Pearce observed the somber aura surrounding Elyse, but the reason behind it eluded him. Proceeding cautiously, he inquired, “What are your ns now?”


    Elyse’s conflicted expression shifted as she looked up, her decision seemingly made on a whim. “I want to go somewhere,” she dered, her voice carrying a hint of determination.


    Pearce, sensing Elyse’s need forpany, offered, “Where would you like to go? I’m avable right now and I can drive you wherever you need to be.”


    After a brief pause filled with uncertainty, Elyse finally spoke up. “Could you take me to the cemeteries?”


    Pearce was caught off guard by Elyse’s request and couldn’t help but ask directly, “Why do you want to go to the cemeteries? Are you thinking about purchasing a plot?”


    Elyse fell into silence once more, her hesitation lingering in the air.


    Pearce respected Elyse’s silence and offered his support. Standing up, he gently suggested, “There are several beautiful cemeteries. I’ll take you there.”


    “Thank you,” Elyse expressed gratefully, meeting Pearce’s gaze.


    Pearce chuckled softly, his warmth evident. “It’s my pleasure. I always enjoy yourpany.”


    Elyse, taken aback by Pearce’s intimate words, responded with dignified seriousness. “Mr. Benson, I’m married. I kindly ask you to avoid such ambiguous expressions.”


    “Sorry. Your marital status slipped my mind,” Pearce confessed with a touch of humor, lightly tapping his nose. He genuinely experienced an unexinable sense of connection with Elyse, finding sce and familiarity in herpany. “I’ll exercise greater caution going forward,” Pearce promised earnestly.


    With those words hanging in the air, Elyse followed Pearce to the car. True to his promise, Pearce drove Elyse to a chosen cemetery, navigating winding roads until they reached a secluded burial ground nestled on a hill. Situated within the city’s development zone, the cemetery was still in its nascent stages, marked by ongoing construction and the constant flow of trucks transporting materials along the nearby road.


    As they ascended the hill and stepped into the cemetery, Elyse’s gaze swept across thendscape, absorbing the solemn beauty of the surroundings. Eventually, she came to a stop on the verdantwn, her eyes scanning the area thoughtfully.


    Pearce trailed behind Elyse, his steps measured and his curiosity ignited by her choice of cemetery. Could it be for herself?


    Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Pearce asked, “Are you suffering from a terminal illness? Are you choosing a cemetery for yourself?”


    Elyse was shocked by Pearce’s assumption. “Of course not. Please don’t jump to conclusions.”


    Pearce’s puzzlement deepened. “Then may I ask for whom are you choosing a cemetery?”


    “For my parents,” Elyse replied slowly.


    .


    .


    .