?<strong>Chapter 1481:</strong>


    Gavin’s mouth twitched, his disbelief in as day. Her shift in tone was faster than he could track.


    Elyse opened her mouth to object, but before she could get a word out, Jayden slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. His voice was low, a mixture of teasing and warning. “Let them have their moment.”


    Elyse’s face was a storm of emotions. “Gavin might actually hit her!” she whispered fiercely, her eyes flicking toward Gavin’s clenched fists.


    Jayden smirked, shaking his head. “He’s a gentleman. He wouldn’t do that.”


    But when he caught sight of Gavin’s white-knuckled hands, he added with a chuckle, “Unless, of course, she pushes him too far.”


    Despite his clear frustration, Gavin managed to restrain himself. His voice was clipped as he spoke. “Let go.”


    Freda buried herself deeper into his chest, her tone yfully defiant. “No. I don’t want to. I just want to hold you.” Her stubborn insistence only added to the awkward tension in the room.


    Elyse’s face creased with worry. “She’s drunk. We should really just take her home.”


    Before she could say more, Jayden pressed a hand gently over her mouth and tugged her closer.


    Gavin raised an eyebrow, his gaze cold and calcting. “So, this is her drunken state?”


    Without waiting for an answer, he bent down and scooped Freda up into his arms. His movements were firm but careful, as though she were a package he didn’t particrly want but couldn’t avoid handling. Elyse stared at them, her jaw ck with disbelief. What was happening right now?


    Gavin cast a quick nce over his shoulder, his voice steady and unreadable. “You two carry on. Freda and I need to have a private conversation.”


    Elyse’s face tightened with worry, her voice trembling. “Freda won’t actually get beaten by Gavin, will she?”


    Jayden leaned back, keeping a firm hold on her arm to stop her from rushing off. His tone was calm, almost teasing. “And if she did, what exactly would you do about it? She’s a grown woman. She didn’t let go, right? That means she’s okay being taken away by him.”


    Elyse frowned, but before she could respond, Jayden softened his voice, trying to reassure her. “Honey, don’t get worked up over other people’s problems. Let’s focus on us for a change.”


    Her head snapped toward him, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “What do you mean by that? What exactly do I need to focus on? And stop holding me—I just want to go back to my room and rest.”


    Jayden grinned, sliding an arm around her waist as if to keep her from slipping away. His smile had a mischievous edge. “You know, I just realized something. We’ve had fun in a lot of ces, but not the basement. Maybe we should renovate it, turn it into our pleasure haven. What do you think?”


    Elyse stared at him, her cheeks heating with a mix of frustration and disbelief. For a moment, she held back, biting her tongue. Then, unable to contain herself, she snapped, “Can’t you think about anything besides sex for five minutes?”


    Gavin carried Freda out of the vi and stepped into his car. After cing her onto the back seat, he didn’t start the engine. Instead, he opened the door, allowing the icy wind to sweep through the interior.


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