?<strong>Chapter 540:</strong>


    Jayden was behind the wheel on the dark night, the threat of rain looming overhead. He pressed the elerator, making his way toward Corrie’s location.


    Upon receiving her location, a brief flicker of surprise had crossed his face, quickly reced by realization. Today was the day of his grandpa’s gathering.


    Jayden instantly grasped that Corrie had seized the opportunity to betray him and curry favor with Enzo.


    The sudden death of the bodyguard monitoring Corrie solidified his suspicions: his grandpa had to be behind it.


    Jayden’s expression chilled as he pondered Corrie’s deeper motives. He had always known she was ambitious, a woman striving to rise at every opportunity, but her audacity to align with his grandpa shocked him. Enzo was far from benevolent.


    A throbbing pain in his abdomen jolted Jayden back to reality, and he elerated even more.


    Meanwhile, Corrie had been walking alone on the serpentine road for what seemed like an eternity. Just as rain threatened to fall, she heard the sound of a car horn. Looking up, she saw Jayden’s car approaching.


    A flicker of smug satisfaction crossed her face as she hurried to the car and swung the door open.


    Before she could even buckle her seatbelt, Jayden floored the elerator, eager to leave. Corrie, unaware that Jayden had pieced together her connection with Enzo, feigned indignation. “Brook Owen is no gentleman.


    To think he abandoned me on the way home without a second thought for my safety. You’ve always been the considerate one.”


    Jayden, however, ignored herints and kept his focus on the road ahead.


    Realizing Jayden wasn’t feigning his disability today, Corrie asked pointedly, “Why did you stop pretending to be disabled? I thought you could keep up the act for a bit longer.


    Even if you’re concerned about me, you didn’t have to expose yourself to danger.”


    As Jayden watched Corrie’s unconvincing performance, he snorted with disdain. “Stop the act. Do you think you can manipte me as you please just because I came to pick you up?”


    Corrie offered a forced smile. “Why would you think that? That’s not what I meant.”


    Jayden didn’t react. Instead, he stepped on the gas pedal and steered them toward a different destination.


    Unbeknownst to Corrie, her next move would stir the pot further. She pulled out her phone, snapped a few selfies, and slyly captured part of Jayden in the photos.


    She then uploaded them to her Facebook with a caption: “So happy to have a friend who’s just a call away.”


    Peyton, who was in the hospital, saw her post first.


    He immediately understood that Corrie was deliberately causing trouble.


    Since Peyton and Corrie shared many mutual friends, spection began swirling about the identity of “the friend” mentioned in her post. Scrolling through thements, Peyton’s heart sank as someone identified Jayden.


    Fearing the consequences, Peyton couldn’t help but worry about the fallout if Elyse saw the post.


    He stealthily stole a nce at Elyse. To his relief, she was sleeping soundly.


    Seizing the opportunity, he quickly captured a screenshot of Corrie’s post and sent it to Jayden, confident that Jayden had the means to handle situations beyond his control.


    Meanwhile, Corrie was idly scrolling through her phone in the passenger seat. Time seemed to drag on, and she nced out the window, expecting to see the familiar cityscape as they headed back downtown.


    Instead, she was startled to find they were ascending a hill.


    With a puzzled expression, Corrie blurted out, “Where are you taking me?”


    Jayden’s face remained stoic, giving nothing away.


    Tension gripped Corrie as she attempted to open the car door, only to realize Jayden had locked it from the inside.


    Visibly anxious, Corrie demanded, “Jayden Owen, what on earth are you nning? I haven’t crossed you. I just called, and you chose to pick me up. Take me back to downtown now, and let’s forget this.”


    Jayden remained silent but pressed the elerator harder. A few tense minutester, they reached their mysterious destination.


    Corrie sat in the car, peering through the window at the surrounding tombstones, a wave of anxiety washing over her.


    Jayden unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He looked back at Corrie andmanded, “Get out!”


    “I won’t! Take me downtown instead!” Corrie scanned her surroundings, her fear mounting. The eerie silence of the ce convinced her that a ghost might leap out at any moment.


    Jayden’s patience snapped. He strode over to the passenger side, yanked the door open, and unbuckled Corrie’s seatbelt before pulling her from the car.


    “Aagh—Help! Jayden’s trying to kill me!” Corrie’s screams echoed through the cemetery. Disheveled and terrified, she was coerced by Jayden deeper into the cemetery.


    Finally, Jayden dragged Corrie to a secluded spot, pushed her to the ground, and demanded, “Now, kneel. Beg Louis for forgiveness, and then I might forgive you just this once.”


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