?<strong>Chapter 778:</strong>


    Jayden, noticing her movement, shed a sly grin. “Getting handsy as soon as you wake up?”


    Startled, Elyse shrieked and recoiled, but Jayden firmly held her in ce,pelling her to look at him.


    Confused, Elyse questioned, “Why are we in bed together? What’s going on?”


    Jayden quirked an eyebrow, replying teasingly, “What do you think is going on?”


    Elyse took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, then asked, “Why am I here? Wasn’t I at the Hudsons’?”


    “I saved you,” Jayden stated inly. “Don’t you think that merits staying here with me?”


    Elyse looked at him intently, a trace of sarcasm in her voice. “Don’t forget you almost killed me!”


    Panicked by her cold stare, Jayden responded, “I had my reasons. Seeing you at the Hudsons’ was unexpected. I’m just trying to keep you safe.”


    Elyse attempted to sit up, giving Jayden a steady look as though she were seeing him anew. She inquired withposure, “What are you actually nning? What’s the reason behind all this?”


    Jayden adjusted his position to face her more directly, his expression thoughtful. “Do you truly wish to delve into my personal matters so deeply? Wouldn’t you rather stay by my side, sheltered and cared for? Why probe into the depths of my private thoughts?”


    Elyse firmly shook her head, her resolve clear. “No, because there’s a barrier you’ve ced in your heart against me. We can never truly be one.”


    Jayden’s frustration was palpable. “How can you say that just because I keep some things to myself? You belong to me. I can embrace you or have you whenever I choose. You are mine.”


    Those words sent a chill through Elyse, as if the cold of the previous night’s snow was seeping into her soul. She avoided his gaze, focusing instead on her own hands, her voice somber. “Jayden, I am not your one and only, am I? Did you forget the way you spoke to your girlfriendst night?”


    Mistaking her tone for jealousy, Jayden responded, “Can’t you see? The words I share with you are the ones filled with truth.”


    Elyse felt that all of Jayden’s words were just excuses and lies; she hadn’t believed him for a long time. She responded icily, “Perhaps you are being honest with me.”


    Jayden was acutely aware of the mistrust in Elyse’s gaze, yet he remained guarded, unwilling to divulge his secrets and ns to her. These matters were too perilous, and he preferred to keep Elyse in the dark about them.


    Feeling uneasy, he implored, “Can’t you trust me as you once did?”


    Tears welled up in Elyse’s eyes as she confronted him, her voice breaking. “Trust you as I once did? Do you think your actions now justify the trust I ced in you before? Haven’t you been the one to gradually undermine that trust?”


    She continued, emotion straining her voice. “You feigned disability and kept your past from me. You basically concealed everything. Why do you push me away so persistently? Does my knowing the truth frighten you that much?”


    Jayden, visibly frustrated, raked his fingers through his hair. “Is it really necessary for you to know everything? You’re so fragile—what good would it do for you?”


    Elyse, feelingpletely drained, responded quietly, “I’ve never sought any benefits. My only desire was to be closer to you, to understand your world, to embrace your past—all of you.” She paused, overwhelmed by her own words.


    Her desires were straightforward—she yearned for transparency with the one she cherished. Although Jayden had his secrets, surely not all had to remain hidden. She believed there must be something he could share.


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