?<strong>Chapter 701:</strong>


    Lost in thought, Elyse concluded her performance.


    The garden fell quiet again, the mncholic yet beautiful strains of music lingering in the still night air.


    Elyse gazed thoughtfully out the window. Felicia remained silent, seemingly fast asleep and heard nothing.


    With a hand in his pocket, Pearce suggested, “Forget it. Grandma must be asleep by now. If not, she would’ve already scolded you.”


    Elyse stroked her chin, deep in thought. “Well, there’s not much I can do now. But I’ve fulfilled the wish. I’ll leave at first light.”


    Pearce’s curiosity grew. “Whose wish did you fulfill? Was it your own?”


    Elyse shed Pearce a secretive smile. “I won’t tell you just yet.”


    Pearce nced at his watch and said, “Alright, alright. You can tell meter. For now, let’s get some food. Aren’t you thirsty?”


    Hearing this, Elyse frowned and replied, “Yes, I’m incredibly thirsty. And I’m starving, I could devour a cow now.”


    Pearce chuckled and responded, “Let’s go then. I know a ce for some good beef.”


    Elyse and Pearce departed, theirughter echoing as they talked.


    From behind the curtains of a second-story window, Felicia, d in pajamas, sat quietly in a chair, gripping her cane.


    Once the voices disappeared, Felicia stood, lifted the curtain slightly, and peered outside.


    The garden was empty, making the earlier music seem like a figment of her imagination.


    Felicia dropped the curtain and returned to bed, but sleep eluded her.


    She wasn’t well-versed in music, yet the tune she’d heard resonated with her, stirring a vague nostalgia as if from a distant past.


    Later, after dining, Elyse returned home to pack her bags for an early flight.


    Unaware of Elyse’s earlier constraints imposed by Felicia, Gavin approached and inquired, “Why did your grandma insist you stay for dinner right before your departure?” This was the cover story Elyse had crafted for Felicia.


    Felicia’s reputation was so tarnished in the eyes of Gavin and Cody that it could hardly get any worse. Otherwise, Gavin and Cody might be overly concerned for Elyse.


    Elyse smiled and exined, “That’s just how the elderly are sometimes. They say one thing but mean another.”


    Gavin nodded in understanding and mentioned, “Just now, Irving sent me a text. He’s about to board his flight and will meet us at our destination.”


    Elyse nodded, pressed down on her suitcase, struggled to close it, and eximed excitedly, “I’m all set!”


    At dawn, Elyse, Cody, and Gavin took off on a flight headed for another country, Manfek.


    Meanwhile, in Cambape, Richie was in his hotel room, watching as his performance went viral online. Thements overflowed, with fans praising his performance.


    He was eager to post photos of himself and Elyse and nned to caption them, “Shoutout to my awesome friend for boosting my performance today! Ready to dive into the action and hopefully set the stage on fire next time.”


    Meanwhile, Tobin was in his office, taking a break by browsing the web.


    Since Elyse left home, Jayden had thrown himself into work, bing a workaholic. From the moment he woke up, he was either working or nning work, pushing his employees to increase their pace.


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