?<strong>Chapter 1453:</strong>


    Without raising her eyes from her meal, Elyse exined, “He’s a friend of my cousin Pearce’s. Pearce asked him to take care of me, so he includes me in all the fun events.”


    “Ah, I get it now,” Chloe responded, a realization lighting up her face. “That exins his keen interest.” With a yful tone, she teased, “Just make sure Jayden doesn’t see how caring he is. He might start to feel a bit jealous.”


    Elyse looked up, her expression a mix of surprise and curiosity. “Really? Do you think it’s gotten that serious?”


    “Difficult to say definitively,” Chloe admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. “But Jayden can be rather territorial. If he hears about someone else treating you with such kindness, he’d be seething.”


    Elyse opened her mouth to reply, then halted abruptly, struck by a sudden insight.


    Recently, Jayden had seemed oddly unsettled after bumping into Victor. Could it really be jealousy stirring within him?


    As this thought took root, it seemed increasingly likely.


    Elyse pushed her te away and stood up, ncing at her watch. “Look at the time! We should head over to the auction, shouldn’t we?”


    Chloe’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Absolutely! I’ve never been to one before. I’m itching to snag a treasure.”


    As they walked, Elyse yfully hooked her arm through Chloe’s. “Catch your eye on something tempting? Consider it yours.”


    With a theatrical lean, Chloe’s voice was warm and teasing. “Darling, with yourpany, who even needs a man?”


    Elyse’sughter rang out, light and teasing. “Oh,e on, you need to snag a good one for yourself. Isn’t Jayden a bit daunting?”


    Chloe’s teasing smile faded immediately. The thought of going after Jayden’s woman was unthinkable to her.


    They found their seats at the auction, buzzing with anticipation. Momentster, Elyse’s gaze was drawn to a man and a woman settling into the row ahead.


    As Elyse’s eyes lingered on their backs, something about them felt oddly familiar. Then the woman shifted, revealing her profile, and Elyse’s heart skipped a beat—she recognized her at once.


    Chloe, picking up on Elyse’s startled expression, leaned in with a worried frown. “What’s up? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”


    Pointing subtly, Elyse’s voice was a low murmur. “Over there—that’s Freda Jimenez.”


    Before Chloe could even ask about Freda, Elyse’s expression crumbled further.


    “What’s troubling you now?” Chloe inquired, her brow furrowing in concern.


    “And the man apanying her… it’s Gavin Cramer. What could they possibly be doing together? Don’t tell me they are…” Elyse’s voice tapered off, her suspicion too disturbing to fully articte.


    Gavin and Freda’s romance had been a fleeting affair, dissolving almost as swiftly as it had sparked. Subsequently, Elyse had discreetly probed Gavin about his feelings toward Freda, only to have him dismissively say that Freda had been the one fervently chasing him. After that dismissal, Elyse dismissed any notion of theirpatibility. But somehow, they had both ended up at the same charity auction.


    Elyse’s expression shifted uneasily, flickering between curiosity and confusion, as her gaze darted repeatedly between Gavin and Freda. She bit her lip, desperate to make sense of the connection.


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