?<strong>Chapter 457:</strong>
Jayden took a sip of his water and casually inquired, “So, you wouldn’t mind marrying Debora?”
A flicker of annoyance crossed Peyton’s face. “Don’t be ridiculous. Marrying an Owen is out of the question. It’s a disaster zone.”
Jayden shot Peyton a sidelong nce. “You can’t stand my family members either. Let’s be honest, the Owens are a mess—dysfunctional and perpetually depressed.”
Peyton mmed his fist on the table, his anger rising. “Then have your child with Elyse and build your own damn family! Leave the Owens in the dust.”
“But our child would be a target,” Jayden countered.
Peyton couldn’t take it anymore. Jayden was being too stubborn. As always, Jayden couldn’t tolerate anything outside his meticulously crafted control.
Peyton took a calming sip of coffee offered by the waiter before returning to the topic. “Enough with the hypotheticals, Jayden. Is Elyse pregnant? Are you pressuring her to terminate?”
Jayden shook his head. “No, she’s not pregnant.”
“Then why all this talk if there’s no baby on the way? Are you losing it?” Peyton’s anger bubbled up again.
But a thought struck Peyton. Normally, Elyse wouldn’t bring up a baby out of the blue. Did something happen to trigger the conversation?
With a doctor’s intuition, Peyton probed, “Could Elyse be expecting?”
Jayden’s usuallyposed facade crumbled for a rare moment. After a long, tense silence, he finally spoke. “No, she’s not pregnant. But she brought a child home yesterday.”
Peyton nodded slowly. “Ah, I see. Elyse wants a baby with you. Bringing a child home is her way of testing the waters, gauging your reaction.”
Another long silence descended upon them. Finally, Jayden spoke, his voiceced with uncertainty, “Does she want a baby with me?”
Peyton threw his hands up in exasperation. “What else would it be? Obviously, she loves you and wants to have children with you.”
Jayden covered his mouth, a flicker of fear crossing his features. The thought of Elyse loving him so deeply, so much so that she desired a child, was a terrifying revtion. Their busy schedules barely allowed for intimacy, let alone raising a child.
He grappled with the unexpected truth. “But I only want sex, not a baby.”
“Jerk!” Peyton exploded. “Don’t you dare ask me out for coffee ever again, or I can’t guarantee I won’t slug you myself!” His fists clenched, his anger a potent mix of concern for Elyse and frustration with Jayden’s self-centeredness.
Unfazed, Jayden continued, “I told you, it’s not the right time for a baby. I have no problem with it… eventually.”
Peyton downed the rest of his coffee in one angry gulp. “I’ve had enough of you. Let’s get back to thepany.” He shoved his chair back, grabbed the wheelchair handles, and wheeled Jayden towards the exit.
The café bustled with activity, the street outside a blur of speeding vehicles visible through therge French windows.
Just as Peyton reached the window, a car careened out of control, barreling straight toward Jayden.
Reacting instinctively, Peyton shoved the wheelchair with all his might, sending Jayden out of harm’s way. The car mmed into Peyton, the impact throwing him aside.
Jayden, shaken but unharmed, knew this was no ident. He’d been the target of three assassination attempts recently. The assassins wouldn’t stop until he was eliminated. And he couldn’t risk bringing a child into this dangerous world, a child he couldn’t guarantee he could protect.
He wanted to stand up, but the lingering threat of unseen eyes held him back. He fumbled for his phone and dialed a number.
Luckily, the hospital where Peyton worked was nearby. Soon, an ambnce arrived to transport Peyton for treatment.
As dusk settled, Elyse received a frantic call from Jayden. Hearing about Peyton’s ident, worry gnawed at her. “I’m on my way to the hospital,” she promised.
After informing Gavin and the others, Elyse rushed to the hospital. In the sterile ward, she found Peyton lying in bed, still under the effects of anesthesia.
“How could this have happened?” she asked, disbelief coloring her voice.
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