?<strong>Chapter 997:</strong>


    Elyse shot him a nce, unimpressed. “It’s finished. Ask Darren if he’s got any left.”


    Edward pouted like a child denied candy. “But I like drinking yours. It’s sweeter.”


    She rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore him entirely. In her mind, he was up to his usual antics, and ignoring him was the easiest way to diffuse his attention-seeking. Unbeknownst to her, Theo, who sat on the other side, wasn’t as oblivious.


    He picked up on the subtle challenge hidden beneath Edward’s seemingly lighthearted words. Leaning forward slightly, Theo locked eyes with Edward, an unspoken provocation sparking between them. Edward’s expression faltered for a moment, realizing Theo had caught on to his little disy.


    Theo leaned back into his seat, fingers absentmindedly twitching in silent annoyance. For a while, Theo had thought Jayden was his onlypetition for Elyse’s heart. But now, here was Edward, clearly marking his territory in the most subtle yet obvious way.


    Edward’s yful words weren’t meant to charm Elyse—they were meant to rattle Theo. He was making a point, subtly unting how close he and Elyse were, as if to show Theo just how much she cared for him. However, the move fell t with Theo.


    He made his move without hesitation, gently squeezing Elyse’s hand as he leaned in and asked, “Remember when you told me about your dream of doing a world tour? I’ll admit, Iughed it off.


    I thought there’s no way someone as ‘ordinary’ as you would pull that off.”


    Elyse’s eyes sparkled with interest, a teasing smile ying on her lips. “And what do you think now?”


    Theo sighed dramatically, leaning back. “Turns out, I’m the ordinary one. I’ve lost my job, and you’re about to conquer the world stage.” He paused, then chuckled, “If I could go back in time, I’d p myself for not investing in you back then.”


    Elyseughed, shaking her head. “You still can’t resist talking business, can you? Always thinking about making an investment.”


    With a shrug, Theo replied, “Good thing I didn’t. I didn’t really know you back then. Even if I had backed you, I probably would’ve held you back instead of helping you shine.”


    Elyse raised an eyebrow, her tone yful but sharp. “Sometimes I wonder if you’ve been my bad luck all along. Maybe if I’d left you sooner, I would have seeded faster.”


    Theo winced at her jab, shaking his head. “I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a curse on your life. Take that back before I really start believing it.”


    His yful banter had Elyse in stitches, herughter bubbling up. She was clearly enjoying herself, while Edward, sitting next to her, was growing increasingly irritated.


    He tried several times to insert himself into their conversation, but the flow between Elyse and Theo left him in the dust. He couldn’t quite follow their inside jokes, and it only fueled his frustration.


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