?<strong>Chapter 1158:</strong>


    Elyseughed, “No way. Think of it as sponsoring your love life. Dating costs money, Anthony. You need to start earning more if you want to marry her in the future! You can’t run a business like this.”


    Edward walked up, nodding in agreement. “She’s right. That violin is expensive. It’s only fair to take some payment. Plus, you two need to be practical—you’ve got a life to build.”


    Anthony hesitated. Edward’s reasoning finally swayed him. He pulled out his phone to check the payment, only for him to blink in surprise. “This much? It’s double the price!”


    Elyse shrugged. “No problem. I’m supporting your love life. Make some extra cash so you can buy gifts for your future girlfriend.”


    Anthony scratched his head, clearly flustered. “Too much, really. How about returning part of it?”


    Instead of answering, Elyse stepped forward, patting his shoulder. “I’ve got to go. I’ll swing byter. Thanks for everything, Anthony. You’ve taken such good care of me these past few weeks.”


    After bidding Anthony farewell, Elyse and Jayden slipped into the car.


    As the city blurred around them, Elyse’s heart felt like a cloud that refused to drift away.


    Silence stretched between them, thick as the fog before dawn, until her voice, barely disturbing the quiet, spoke. “Next time we meet, it’ll likely be at Anthony’s wedding, right?”


    Jayden’s eyes stayed fixed on the road, the words escaping him. Edward broke the silence, his toneced with casual optimism. “Anthony seems inexperienced. If that nurse can be patient with him, maybe it’ll work out.”


    Elyse gave a thoughtful nod.


    Then, turning her gaze toward Jayden, she asked, “Where are we headed now?”


    Without turning, Jayden answered coolly, “We need to head back. I’ve got unfinished business.”


    Elyse hesitated, letting the weight of her next question linger before she asked, “Do you all really intend to keep up the conflict?”


    Edward spoke up, his words dripping with quiet resignation.


    Elyse’s gaze fell on Jayden’s stoic profile, her voice barely a whisper. “When will it end?”


    Jayden’s reply came slow, deliberate, as if he were unearthing ancient truths. “It ends when peace decides to arrive.” And with that, the resolution devoted—peace was not promised, but a distant hope. The conflict would continue, its end uncertain and far away.


    They drove with the steady determination of a man who refused rest, pushing the night deeper into itself.


    Elyse’s thoughts swirled, tangled, making sleep elusive. Edward, on the other hand, brimmed with an odd energy, his words tumbling out in a stream of ideas that ranged from history to the edges of future technology.


    Elyse, caught in the whirlwind of Edward’s enthusiasm, finally interrupted, a smile ying on her lips. “You’ve asked so many questions, I’m struggling to keep up.”


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