?<strong>Chapter 620:</strong>


    Weary from her violin practice, Elyse sank into a chair in the vi’s garden, cradling a steaming cup of tea. The phone on the table buzzed.


    She picked it up to find a message from Irving: “Gavin’s future girlfriend!” Attached was a photo of Gavin and Freda standing together, the angle suggesting it had been snapped secretly.


    Elyse’s curiosity was piqued. “What’s going on between them? Are they seeing each other?”


    Irving replied almost instantly, “No idea. But rtionships are unpredictable. Let’s see how things will unfold between them.”


    Elyse smiled and replied, “Okay.”


    After sending the message, Elyse leaned back, lost in thought. Just then, Tracy approached, looking downcast and distracted.


    Seeing Tracy’s troubled expression, Elyse asked gently, “Tracy, what’s wrong? Is it about Shaun again?”


    Tracy shook her head, her voice quivering. “No, it’s not that.”


    She covered her face and began to sob, her anguish palpable. Elyse, feeling helpless, knelt beside Tracy and asked urgently, “Are you in some sort of trouble? Please, tell me. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”


    But Tracy just shook her head, refusing to speak.


    Just then, Driscoll appeared. “Mrs. Owen, Shaun is here again. He says he misses Tracy and wants to see her.”


    “Let him in. I’ll talk to him myself.” Elyse stood up and headed toward the living room.


    Shortly after, Shaun entered. As soon as he saw Elyse, he asked, “Where’s Tracy? Is she around?”


    Elyse’s anger red at the mention of Tracy. “What did you do to her? She’s a wreck today. Did you hurt her again? Tell me the damn truth!”


    Though Shaun bristled at Elyse’s usation, he picked up on the key detail. “Tracy’s in a bad mood today? Where is she? I need to see her.”


    Elyse’s voice was sharp with irritation. “How dare you ask? Wasn’t it you who upset her?”


    Shaun’s expression was as cold as ever. “I’ve been nothing but respectful to her all along. I haven’t done anything from her. If she’s upset, it sure isn’t because of me.”


    Elyse’s lip curled into a sneer. “And what gives you the gall to im that?”


    As the two squared off, Tracy approached, her face as pale as a ghost. She nced briefly at Shaun before turning to Elyse. “I’m fine. Don’t fuss over me.”


    Then, addressing Shaun, Tracy said, “You wanted to talk to me, right? Let’s go to the garden.”


    Shaun nodded and followed Tracy quickly.


    Elyse, now stewing on the sofa, thought Shaun was a real thorn in her side.


    Driscoll approached just then. Noticing Elyse’s sour mood, he spoke with gentle concern. “Don’t let this get to you. You need to take care of yourself.”


    Elyse’s eyes shed. “Don’t you think Shaun’s gone too far? If he truly loved Tracy, why did he put her through so much heartache before? Now he’s realized his mistakes, but Tracy wants nothing to do with him.”


    Driscoll sighed. “At my age, I’ve seen things a bit differently.”


    Elyse’s curiosity was piqued. “How do you see Tracy and Shaun’s situation?”


    Driscoll smiled softly. “It seems like fate is ying a cruel joke on them, but perhaps it’s all part of their journey. You think they should part ways for their good, but sometimes the pain they’re enduring now might forge a stronger bond for their future.”


    Elyse frowned. “But what if they keep hurting each other, tangled in a web of pain, proving time and again they’re not meant to be, and eventually split up?”


    Driscoll’s sigh was deeper this time. “That’s fate too. We can only go as far as it allows. Those who wish to stay might find they cannot, and those who want to leave might find it impossible. That’s the nature of rtionships.”


    Elyse mulled over Driscoll’s words, a new thought taking root in her mind. How far would she and Jayden go?


    They were married, seemingly destined to be together forever, but why did she feel an undercurrent of uncertainty? It was like Jayden seemed to love her, but not wholeheartedly.


    Elyse fell silent, lost in her thoughts, oblivious to Jayden’s return home.


    She snapped out of her reverie and looked up at Jayden. Elyse pouted. “Not at all.”


    Jayden found her expression quite adorable. He exined, “Lowell and Dolores are still in Watsear. I’m not sure why they haven’t left, but it seems rted to Shaun.”


    “Perhaps,” Jayden nodded, his voice neutral.


    Touching her chin, Elyse pondered deeply, increasingly convinced that Lowell and Dolores’ presence involved Shaun. She let out a deep sigh. “Dolores and Shaun are truly tough nuts to crack. I can’t figure out what they are thinking.”


    Jayden remarked lightly, “If you understood their thoughts, you wouldn’t be sighing like this.”


    At that moment, Elyse caught a sharp, angry voice. “Get out! I don’t want to see you anymore!” It was Tracy’s voice, piercing through the calm.


    Startled, Elyse set the bouquet on the table, slipped into her shoes, and dashed outside.


    Jayden watched the hurried exit with a sigh of resignation, grabbing her coat as he followed.


    Outside in the garden, Tracy was visibly upset, hitting Shaun with a frenzy, while he stood there silently, absorbing the blows like a statue.


    To any onlooker, it might seem like Shaun was merely enduring a tantrum, but Elyse knew the truth—Shaun was the asshole here.


    Elyse intervened, pulling Tracy into a protective embrace. “I’m here now. Calm down, I’ll take care of you.”


    She then shot Shaun a piercing look. “What did you say to her?”


    Shaun’s lips were a tight line, his eyes lingering on Tracy, who was struggling to breathe.


    Elyse stepped between them, shielding Tracy. “What did you say to her? Can’t you see how upset she is? Are you trying to drive her mad?”


    At that moment, Jayden arrived, draping the coat over Elyse’s shoulders. He turned to Shaun, his voice firm. “You’d better exin yourself now.”


    Shaun nced at Jayden before addressing Elyse, his tone t. “I told her toe back to Liverton with me. After all, we’ve been together multiple times. Who else would have her?”


    Hearing this, Elyse’s expression darkened. “How could you say such a thing? Don’t you realize how much you’ve hurt her? If you truly want to be with her, how can you act in ways that hurt her?” Elyse’s voice wasden with disbelief.


    Tracy ced a calming hand on Elyse’s shoulder, her face pale and her voice quiet. “He doesn’t understand. People like him can’t grasp what love is.”


    She paused, her eyes settling on Shaun with a mix of sadness and resignation. “He doesn’t know love, nor how to love. He follows his instincts, thinking that keeping someone close in that way is enough. He believes that if he feelsfortable, that must be love.”


    Her gaze lingered on Shaun, her smile tinged with sorrow. “But that’s not love. It’s just hurt.”


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