?<strong>Chapter 1429:</strong>


    Elyse’s fork dropped with a soft clink, and she fixed him with a look of sheer astonishment.


    Saying that name made Shaun’s head spin, a peculiar sense of déjà vu washing over him.


    It was eerily familiar. The mere thought of Tracy sent sharp pains through his skull, as if to ward off the memory.


    Noticing Shaun’s evident agony, Elyse leaned forward, her voiceced with worry. “Are you alright? Do you need a doctor?”


    Shaun waved off her concern with a weary shake of his head. “Just a severe headache. It’ll pass.”


    Elyse sat back, her meal forgotten. She watched him struggle, half-expecting him to copse.


    As his breathing steadied, Shaun broke the silence with a troubled look. “What ties do I have with Tracy? Why does her name twist my stomach into knots?”


    Elyse hesitated, her lips parting slightly as if to speak, but then closing again. “I’m not sure it’s my ce to say.”


    Silence hung between them for a moment before Shaun ventured, “Tracy’s my girlfriend, isn’t she? Did I fail her somehow?”


    Elyse shifted ufortably, avoiding his probing gaze.


    Reading her silence, Shaun’s voice grew soft but certain. “I see. Tracy is my girlfriend.”


    After a thoughtful pause, Elyse gently suggested, “Have you ever thought that maybe forgetting could be a blessing? If the past is tangled and unresolved, perhaps it’s fate’s way of giving you a fresh start.”


    Shaun firmly disagreed, shaking his head. “Forgetting doesn’t erase the truth. The sting I feel at the mention of Tracy proves she matters. I need to remember, not erase her from my memory.”


    “Even if it brings back bad memories?” Elyse’s voice was barely a whisper.


    Shaun looked down, his voice thick with resolve. “Painful memories might reveal mistakes I’ve made. I need to face them, not run away. That’s the only way to right my wrongs, isn’t it?”


    Elyse was speechless. She had never envisioned a scenario where Tracy and Shaun would end up in such a dire situation.


    Shaun persisted, “If I ask you about Tracy, you’re not going to spill anything, right?”


    Elyse shook her head. “No, I won’t.”


    “And the woman I saw at the hospital that day,” Shaun asked. “Was it Tracy?”


    Elyse hesitated, knowing deep down that Tracy wasn’t really gone. She finally answered, “I don’t know. You should talk to Jayden about that.”


    Just then, Jayden appeared at the bedroom door, his face clouded with irritation.


    He eyed Shaun, who wore a look of innocence, and snapped with a wry smile, “What audacity brings you into my bedroom?”


    Shaun retorted, “Ease up. I’m here to talk to Elyse about something important.”


    Jayden stormed over, seized Shaun by the cor, and dragged him toward the door, his teeth clenched. “This is neither the time nor the ce. Get out of here!”


    “Don’t get so worked up,” Shaun protested, trying to calm him. “Just hear me out. I can exin.”


    Jayden was having none of it. After ejecting Shaun from the room, he mmed the door shut.


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