?<strong>Chapter 1296:</strong>


    Jayden, uncharacteristically silent, finally offered a quiet defense. “I genuinely don’t know why she’s crying this time.”


    “You must have done something!” Pearce’s voice rose sharply. He turned to Elyse for confirmation, but she merely dabbed her eyes and retreated toward the garden. Frowning at her silence, Pearce released Jayden and moved to follow.


    When Jayden attempted to do the same, Pearce whirled around with a fierce warning. “Stay back, you heartless bastard!”


    Despite his frustration, Jayden held his ground, knowing better than to challenge Pearce when it came to Elyse.


    Pearce found Elyse standing motionless beside the fountain, her reflection rippling in the water below. “What happened?” he asked gently. “Did he upset you?”


    Elyse wrapped her arms around herself, her gaze fixed on the flowing water. “It’s not his fault, Pearce. Don’t me him.”


    “Already defending him?” Pearce asked, his tone tinged with disbelief.


    “It’s the truth,” she insisted softly. “He’s not to me this time.”


    “Then why the tears?” he pressed, his voice a mixture of concern and confusion.


    After a prolonged silence, Elyse whispered, “Today, he finally saw me—the real me.”


    “What?” Pearce’s confusion was evident.


    “He recognized my ability to handle rtionships, to navigate social situations,” she exined, her voice steady but tinged with emotion. “He realized I’m not the delicate flower he imagined—that I’m capable of standing on my own.”


    Pearce rubbed his chin thoughtfully, surprised that the self-centered Jayden had actually taken such an observation to heart.


    Elyse continued to stare at the dancing water, her voice heavy with realization. “After all this time, he truly saw me. I never knew how desperately I wanted his recognition, his acknowledgment, until this moment.”


    “Now that he sees you clearly,” Pearce said softly, his tone gentle yet encouraging, “perhaps your wish wasn’t as impossible as you thought.”


    Elyse gathered herposure before returning to the banquet hall, where Jayden remained, unmoved from his earlier position.


    “Despite the tears I caused, you’ll still return with me, won’t you?” Jayden’s voice carried a hint of uncertainty.


    After a moment’s contemtion, Elyse gave a subtle nod. Pearce, witnessing the scene as he approached, felt his heart shatter.


    “Know your station,” he snapped, closing the distance between them. “What gives you the right to whisk Elyse away?”


    “My station is clear—I’m Elyse’s boyfriend,” Jayden dered firmly.


    A cold smile spread across Pearce’s lips. “That’s not for you to decide. Don’t even entertain the thought.”


    Jayden drew Elyse closer, his protective stance unmistakable. “Your opinion holds no weight in this matter.”


    “Is that so? And what if I withhold my blessing?” Felicia’s voice cut through the tension as she steadied herself on her cane, fixing Jayden with a prating stare.


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