?<strong>Chapter 424:</strong>


    Peyton nced at a relieved Elyse and asked curiously, “Jayden’s got thick skin. What’s got you worried about him?”


    Elyse, who was browsing the medical records, looked up at Peyton’s question and replied, “He isn’t as tough as you think. He can also be quite fragile, so be kind to him.”


    Jayden cocked his head, looking at Peyton with a mix of defiance and smugness.


    Peyton tugged at his ear, wondering if he’d misunderstood. “Do you really think Jayden is fragile?” Peyton asked.


    Elyse paused, realizing her words weren’t precise enough, and rified, “He’s someone who gets hurt easily.”


    Peyton fell silent, observing Jayden trying to suppress a chuckle, then nced enviously at Elyse. He suddenly felt trapped watching the public disy of affection.


    Jaydenposed himself and said sternly, “Let’s hurry and buy the ointment so we can go home early.”


    “Okay.” As she put away the medical records, Elyse gave Peyton a sweet smile and said, “Thank you for your effort. You shoulde over to our ce next time.”


    Peyton pocketed one hand and waved with the other, smiling at Elyse.


    He believed Jayden spent his days doing nothing of consequence, merely deceiving his wife.


    Elyse and Jayden exited the hospital and climbed into the car to head home.


    Elyse checked her phone and found a message from Gavin inquiring about her tune choice for the semifinal. This caught her off guard, and she chatted with Gavin, clueless about what to pick.


    Beside her, Jayden felt neglected and tapped his fingers irritably on the armrest. Momentster, he leaned over and asked, “Who are you texting with?”


    Elyse was engrossed in her chat and overlooked Jayden’s frustration. She answered casually, “I’m figuring out the tune selection with Gavin. Once we decide, the grueling practice begins.”


    Not well-versed in the music industry, Jayden usually didn’t involve himself in Elyse’s career unless she faced problems and needed his support.


    “Is choosing the right tune that important?” he asked.


    Nodding, Elyse opened a video from a previous Champions Cup and scrolled through it casually, exining, “I need to pass the semifinal to reach the final. The final determines how many canpete internationally. Everyone shows their true capability in the final to secure a spot for the internationalpetition.”


    Jayden rested his chin on his hand, pondered for a moment, and then asked, “Do you have a tune that you’re particrly good at?”


    Elyse looked up seriously and said, “I excel at smooth tunes, but in thepetitive scene, I need to perform technical pieces to score well.”


    Thepetitive arena was not like her solo concerts, where technical prowess often determined the rankings.


    Yet this was her weakest area.


    Thinking about this, Elyse felt a growing sense of dread. She resolved to start practicing intensely once they got home, fearing defeat in thepetition.


    Seeing Elyse’s serious expression, Jayden underestimated the gravity of the situation. He assumed she would rx and enjoy her usual routines once back home.


    Once they arrived home, Elyse asked Driscoll to call her for dinnerter, then took her violin case to the small garden.


    In the room, Tracy was depressed. She went down the stairs upon hearing the music and entered the living room. She asked curiously, “Elyse made it to the next round, didn’t she? Why is she practicing the violin so diligently?”


    Jayden expected Elyse to dote on him, especially since she had been inseparable from him since she found out that Brook had beaten him.


    Now, having been assaulted by Theo, Jayden wondered why he wasn’t receiving the same level of attention.


    The more he dwelled on it, the angrier he got. By nightfall, he had lost his temper.


    The bedroom light was off. As Elysey half-asleep in bed, a heavy weight suddenly pressed down on her.


    She opened her eyes and asked groggily, “What are you doing?”


    “I’m iming what you owe me,” Jayden replied harshly.


    Almost immediately, Elyse felt her nightgown being tugged. Her eyes snapped open to see Jayden’s handsome face closing in, and then he kissed her.


    “Stop, stop! When did I owe you? Haven’t you been overindulging yourselftely? You’re supposed to be healing. Shouldn’t you be abstaining?”


    Flustered, she quickly pushed Jayden away.


    Jayden scoffed, “Abstain? All I know is I want you, and you’re going toply.” He moved towards her aggressively once more.


    Suddenly, Elyse found herself exposed. Her body pressed closely against Jayden’s, adapting ufortably to his.


    While enduring Jayden’s advances, she marveled at his energy for lovemaking, given his injury.


    With this thought, she suddenly pinched Jayden’s arm and demanded fiercely, “Are you really hurt…or not? Are you just pretending?”


    Elyse’s words were broken as Jayden realized she was getting wise to his lies. It seemed he couldn’t rely on this tactic much longer.


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