?<strong>Chapter 717:</strong>


    Jayden gave Elyse a sharp look that quickly quieted her.


    Elyse sulked, her attention turning sadly to her sausage.


    Jayden got to his feet with resolve. “Fine. Let’s talk.” He motioned toward Gavin, who guided him out of the restaurant.


    Elyse watched them covertly, her eyes staying on them until they were out of sight. As she looked away, she noticed Edward’s inquisitive gaze.


    “What are you looking at?” Elyse queried, her voice tinged with difort.


    Edward rested his chin on one hand, his eyes shining with amusement. “You’ve got a story, haven’t you? That rude man just now, was he your boyfriend? Did you two split up?”


    “Why the interrogation?” Elyse responded, clearly irritated and not interested in talking with Edward.


    Unfazed, Edward continued. “Just curious! The way he gazed at you, it’s almost like he wanted to swallow you whole. Did you dump him?”


    “No, stop with the wild guesses,” Elyse replied, brushing him off.


    Edward didn’t let up with his guessing. “Then you must have cheated on him. I can’t see any other reason for him to look at you like that.”


    Elyse let out augh at Edward’s ridiculous assumptions. “What look are you talking about? Did he stare at me with murderous rage? Or did he absolutely despise me?”


    Edward gave her a sly wink. “I can tell by looking at his eyes that there must be some stories between you two.”


    Elyse choked when she heard that. She quickly grabbed a ss of water, drinking it down before sighing in relief.


    Seeing her reaction, Edward grinned victoriously. “I’m right, aren’t I? I can tell there’s something odd about the way he looked at you. It’s obvious you two had a history.”


    Elyse let out a deep sigh. “He’s my ex-husband, to be exact. We’re divorced.”


    Edward was taken aback. The truth was more sensational than he had imagined. “What caused the divorce?” he asked, still curious.


    Elyse’s lips curled into a dry smile. “We hit a dead end. No matter what we tried, it felt like a dead end. Separating was the only way I could breathe.”


    Just as Edward was about to respond, Jayden entered. An idea popped into Edward’s head, and he pretended not to notice Jayden’s arrival.


    “Even after a divorce, you can find your way back together. It seems clear that both of you still harbor feelings for each other.”


    After a moment of silence, Elyse responded in a somber voice, “There’s no going back for us.”


    Unknown to Elyse, Jayden had overheard her deration. His face briefly disyed a tumult of emotions.


    Just as Edward braced for Jayden to challenge Elyse, Jayden did something surprising—he simply turned and left.


    Edward was puzzled. Why would he walk away? It would have been more typical for him to listen in further or to directly address Elyse. What was with his unpredictable actions?


    As Edward pondered these questions, Elyse added, “If he can’t recognize his ws and make a change for the better, then there’s no hope for our future.”


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